BackCountry Navigator and EveryTrail

[LoloWyo]

Backcountry Navigator (BCN) is a wonderful app for your Android or iphone. I can search and download equestrian trail systems onto my phone. When I ride, I can track my course and record my stats. It also shows where I’ve ridden and where I have yet to ride, so great for weekend camping trips!
Everytrail is another wonderful app to download to your android or iphone. When you download BCN, your stats go to Everytrail. You can keep track of your rides, share them on websites, blogs, etc. as well.
Here’s a link to some of my rides:
http://www.everytrail.com/my_trips.php?user_id=483957

To get either application, simply search for the apps on your phone or computer.
Happy Trails!

[katyb]

I’m so glad you posted this. I’ve been using MyTracks, and it works great sometimes, but last week, it said we went 23,000 miles at 347 mph. Not quite so accurate. Yesterday, it didn’t lay down a track at all. I was so disappointed. I’m going to search those and see if they work better for me.

[LoloWyo]

When I record a new track, it adds to what I’ve already recorded but there are a couple ways to fix that.

1. I can delete my old track and record a new track OR
2. I can download the entire track to Everytrail and choose what tracks to include. Everytrail knows that there is more than one track on the download.
   I usually do option 2 in case I want to show each day of a multi-day ride.
   Another option for a multi-day ride/trip is to pause recording and record each day as one long track.
   I’m still learning everything these apps can do.
   When I download a track to Everytrail, it automatically saves it as “private”. I haven’t found the option to automatically save it as “public” yet. It’s not necessarily an issue because I can keep it private until I tweak my tracks/trip and then post it “public” when it’s ready for viewing.
   I really like being able to share it via Facebook in my trail riding group for the other people on the trip to be able to enjoy.

[HorsingRound]

Love Everytrail! I’ve been uploading tracks of rides to the website for a few years now. I use my Garmin, but a friend uses ET’s app on his android and likes it.

[katyb]

Well, I tried it out four-wheeling yesterday with no luck, but it turns out the gps on my 2 week old Samsung Galaxy has died. Lucky me, back to US Cellular again!

[LoloWyo]

Yes, I should have mentioned that you can use it as an app on your phone, but you can collect the data via a GPS as well.
I haven’t been to a trail head where I wasn’t able to download a trail map yet. Not sure what happens in that situation. I can only guess that I’ll create my own trail map at that point.

[PRS]

I’m really happy to see this thread! I just purchased a Garmin E-Trex to use while riding. I used it for the first time this past weekend and had a great time with it. I was at my trail club property. There are over 20 miles of trails there. Here is the ride we did in the morning before we stopped for lunch: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/182598070#.T8TduZZX7A5.email (you click “next” to see other routes I recorded)
I’ve been using the Garmin Connect website. You can choose to see this as a map or satellite image. I really like all the stats it displays too. I think I’ll have fun exploring all the other websites I can use too.

I just love that this technology has become so affordable and readily available. My riding partners and I have often wondered at the end of a ride exactly how far we’d gone. Now not only can we know but we can see our average speed, our average moving speed, our max speed and elevation changes in addition to how far we’ve ridden.

[HorsingRound]

PRS: I haven’t had any luck finding other people’s GPS’ed routes using the Garmin website. Is there another way to search besides using the map view? Maybe other people’s routes are automatically “private,” but I know of one person in my area who uses the site and I don’t see any flags/markers for anything in that area.

Everytrail seems more “userfriendly” when searching for other people’s routes.

[PRS]

[QUOTE=HorsingRound;6345930]
PRS: I haven’t had any luck finding other people’s GPS’ed routes using the Garmin website. Is there another way to search besides using the map view? Maybe other people’s routes are automatically “private,” but I know of one person in my area who uses the site and I don’t see any flags/markers for anything in that area.

Everytrail seems more “userfriendly” when searching for other people’s routes.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I did notice that my routes default to private and if I want to share them I have to click share and then manually share them out via email or FB or the like. It doesn’t look like the Garmin site is into sharing among its members. I just got my GPS so I’m still playing with what it can do and what I can do with it’s files. These other sites look like fun though.

[katyb]

How do I find out which equestrian trails are included w/ Backcountry Navigator?

[LoloWyo]

Try this link:
http://www.backcountrynavigator.com/content/android-gps-equestrian-trails-0

If you need a more specific answer, I suggest contacting BCN directly.

[katyb]

Thanks.

[Hampton_Bay]

OK I have a Razr Maxx, my first smart phone, and I can’t for the life of me figure out where I would find either of these apps. I think I have google something-or-other that I got Angry Birds from. Can anyone help me out?

CardioTrainer and MapMyRun, both of which were free, seem to have some issues with the accuracy of speed. As in they tend to be 30mph wrong, on the high side, from time to time.

[LoloWyo]

My Android app store is Google Play now. Can’t remember when it changed. You should be able to find it in your app store. BCN is not free. I am using Everytrail PRO but there is a free basic version as well.

[Hampton_Bay]

sweet, thanks a ton! I’ll download the trial version of BCN before I pay for it.

[Bank_of_Dad]

Sunshine Acres, I have a Thunderbolt also. I am concerned my battery won’t last long enough in the woods to be able to use it riding. How good is your phone’s battery life?

[katyb]

EveryTrail worked great for our (very short) ride this afternoon. My son had pitched an entire ballgame this morning, so he wasn’t up for much, but it was good to see that it worked.

http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1608041

[qhwpmare]

PRS…what Garmin e trex did you buy ?

[LoloWyo]

[QUOTE=Bank of Dad;6349263]
Sunshine Acres, I have a Thunderbolt also. I am concerned my battery won’t last long enough in the woods to be able to use it riding. How good is your phone’s battery life?[/QUOTE]

So far it’s worked great. I make sure I turn off any application I’m not using. Other than that, I set out with a fully charged battery. I take photos along the way and also pause my tracks when we stop for lunch or bathroom breaks.
I like to download the trail maps before I head out so there’s no issue if I don’t get a signal in the woods. I can still record my tracks.

[LoloWyo]

[QUOTE=katyb;6354444]
EveryTrail worked great for our (very short) ride this afternoon. My son had pitched an entire ballgame this morning, so he wasn’t up for much, but it was good to see that it worked.

http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1608041[/QUOTE]
Awesome!