Smartphones As A Navigation Aid – Things To Consider

As more and more folks enter the great outdoors, more and more folks will start relying only on their phone for navigation, safety, communication etc.

Traditionally knowing how to navigate with a compass and a map to get yourself from point A to B was a prerequisite for entering the mountains. Today, with the advancements in technology and our appetite for using new and advanced technology, we often take the basics for granted.  More and more folks are entering the outdoors with less and less real-world, practical outdoor skills. The kind of skills that will help you get to the destination but also be crucial when things go wrong. 

Smartphone Navigation Generation

“In 2022, as part of our work with the Mountain Safety Group, we surveyed over 4,000 hill walkers to ask if they used mobile phones or GPS for navigating in the hills and what, if any, issues they had with using them.

87% of people responding said that they have used a phone or GPS for navigating at some point during their walks. Of those, over 40% said that they had experienced a situation where it had stopped working in some way.” Mountaineering Scotland

However, if you are of the smartphone generation and you only use your phone for navigation when you go up into the mountains then make sure to follow Mountaineering Scotland’s recent guide for smartphone and navigation aids. 

Five Ideas For Smartphone Navigation 

Charge

Make sure your phone is charged 100% when you leave the car to enter your route. A dead battery halfway through is not a good plan.

Protect

Keep it in a protective case. This can help if you drop it and break it, but can also assist in keeping it watertight and warm. On cold days look to keep it close to your body to assist with battery performance. 

Download

Mobile data can be non existing on the hills and mountains of Scotland. Download all the maps you require before setting off and make sure that the downloaded maps are accessible and of the appropriate level, route etc before setting off. This way you will still be able to navigate even when there is no service.  

Extend

Activate Flight Mode or battery saver mode. GPS will still work so you can still navigate. Take a battery backup like a portable power bank and make sure you take the correct cable. This will extend your smartphone’s battery in the field. 

Take A Backup

Back it up. Nothing is 100% reliable, be it a second phone or a GPS unit. But always back your smartphone up with a map and compass and the skill to use them. 

These rules will make using your phone as a navigation aid safer, however, we recommend that everyone entering the outdoors learns how to use a map and compass.