“I'm going home. Hiking GPS from a smartphone: sharing personal experience Which application is better to use in the forest

Developer: rausNT
Interface language: English, Russian
Compatibility: Minimal: 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich MR1)
Target: 8.0 (Oreo)
State: Ad-Free for site Dymonyxx
State: Professional version
Screenshot: Original by Dymonyxx

Hundreds of navigation programs that focus on route guidance and a visual interface are written for Android. This program focuses on sound prompts and distance guidance. You can simply put your phone in your pocket and listen to what your phone is telling you. The advantage is that your hands will not be occupied with the phone, and your eyes will be free, because this is very important in the forest, and it is unlikely that you will lose or drop the phone.

You must get from point A to point B - this is the main task of the program. If you think that there are a huge number of such programs, then you are very mistaken. The paths along the roads on the map and along which you are led are laid by navigators. What if there is only a direction, but no road (forest, desert, etc.). Compasses, which you can also use, also show direction perfectly. But you use them, holding them in your hand, and see what direction the arrows show you, then hide the phone and move on. If you go off course, you will need to repeat everything again. But it seems that it will be much more convenient if your phone, while in your pocket, corrects your path and tells you where to go. That is why the “I'm going home” application is considered very convenient.

In some cases the program can be used:
1. When you are going to the forest for a walk, you need to set a point at the edge of the forest, and when you return home, this program will, using voice prompts, guide you to the place from which you came.
2. If you have already picked mushrooms in a clearing that is unknown to you, and you want to come here again next weekend, you just need to enter a point in the database called “There are mushrooms here!” And on the weekend you can get there again.
3. If you do not want to open the map, checking the azimuth, and the rough terrain is not known to you, you can also use this application.

Paid version (PRO) It is distinguished by the absence of advertising and the presence of Google Maps (guaranteed to work when installing Google Maps - version 6.14.4, Google Play Market version 4.1.6, Google Play services version 3.1.36. Thanks to the user keta22).

Hiking for mushrooms is an exciting activity, and often a person, keen on searching and collecting them, gets into the depths of the forest and cannot figure out where he came from and how to get back. Experienced tourists, orienteering specialists, who are accustomed to noticing various little things on their way, claim that they do not need a GPS tracker to go into the forest; there are many other ways to find their way. But when all the attention is focused on mushrooms, even an expert can forget about looking for landmarks. And for people who rarely visit the forest and do not have navigation skills, the risk of getting lost is much higher.

They usually go for mushrooms lightly, without a tent or sleeping bag, which makes the prospect of spending the night in the open air unpleasant. Even if a lost mushroom picker manages to get out of the forest before dark, without having time to feel hunger and thirst, he will have to endure many unpleasant moments. GPS for mushroom pickers will help you avoid worries, panic and return home safely; it is the most modern method of orienting and finding your way.

What to do if you get lost in the forest

It is best to have a tourist navigator, a smartphone with a navigation function, a GPS tracker for the forest, or at least a compass. But even without these devices, it’s quite possible to find your way back; you just need to learn the principles of orienteering or refresh your memory on the eve of your mushroom picking trip. The main thing in this situation is not to panic and concentrate. First of all, make some kind of mark in the place from which you begin to look for a way out, and mark the direction of your movement. When people get lost in the forest, they often walk in circles; a tag will help detect this. Try to shout, there may be other mushroom pickers nearby who will tell you in which direction to move. And if you are not lucky enough to meet anyone, call on your knowledge to help.

To understand where to move, you need to know which side you entered the forest from. There are several methods for orienting to the cardinal directions:

• by compass. Holding it strictly horizontally, you need to release the arrow and wait until it calms down, pointing the red end to the north;
• on the map. If the map is large scale, you can correlate the objects marked on it with objects on the ground; if it’s small, you’ll have to use it together with a compass (align the direction of the red end of the arrow with the north direction on the map);
• by the sun and a clock with arrows. You need to turn the watch so that the hour hand points towards the sun, then mentally draw a line from the center of the dial to 14 o'clock. The bisector bisecting the angle between this line and the clockwise direction will indicate the direction to the south. In summer in the middle zone the error of this method is 25%, and in southern latitudes it is even greater;
• according to the sun. In summer it rises in the northeast, and in autumn in the east. In the middle zone in the summer at 8 am the sun is in the east, at 14.00 – in the south, at 20.00 – in the west.

All these methods of orientation should be used not when you are already lost, but at the moment of crossing the edge of the forest and periodically while moving along it. If you can't figure out the cardinal directions, listen to the noise. Usually there is a railway near the forest, and the noise of a passing train can be heard 10 km away. You can also hear dogs barking and the sound of moving vehicles.

If you have neither a compass nor a map at hand, and the sun is not visible due to high clouds, you can determine the cardinal directions by carefully examining the trees. The northern side of the trunks is usually covered with moss and lichen, and on the southern side resin is actively released (in coniferous trees), the bark is lighter and smoother.

How a GPS tracker will help you get out of the forest

There are several devices based on GPS technology:

• A GPS beacon (marker) allows you to determine the coordinates of an object at a specific moment in time;
• A GPS tracker tracks the movement of an object and plots its route on the map;
• A GPS navigator allows you to plot a route from the point where the object is currently located to the point where it needs to go.

A beacon will not help a lost mushroom picker find his way, although it may make it easier for other people to find him. Navigators are usually loaded with road maps, and using such a device for georeferencing in the forest is not very convenient. A battery-powered GPS tracker for a mushroom picker will be much more useful than a car navigator with many functions unnecessary for a pedestrian. Different models can operate on one set of batteries from 10 hours to a day, and the powerful antenna receives the signal even in the thick of tall trees. If there is no signal from the satellite, the tracker switches to targeting cell towers.

If you need a GPS tracker for a mushroom picker, pay attention to inexpensive models for hiking. Such a lightweight, compact device with a small display is also called a return device or GPS compass; many models are made in the form of a key fob. You can enter the entry point into the forest into the tracker’s memory by marking it on the map. As you move, it is advisable to mark additional key points on the route (exit from a clearing, a fork in the path, a noticeable landmark). Different models allow you to store from 3 to 24 points in memory. The tracker display shows the current time, distance traveled, and average speed. An arrow on the screen indicates the direction in which you need to move to return to a given point.

GPS recording of your path through the forest can also be done using a number of smartphone applications. These include the free “I'm Going Home” program for devices running Android version 2.1 and higher. And the TRACKER GPS program has a free version with the ability to remember two points and a PRO version with an unlimited number of points.

Before you buy a GPS for the forest, compare several models, paying attention to the following characteristics:

• battery life;
• number of waypoints;
• the presence of additional functions: stopwatch, pedometer, display backlight, flashlight;
• design (for forests, a waterproof all-weather housing is preferable).

Travel GPS tracker with built-in digital compass is easy to use and reliable. With its help, even a person who does not know how to use a regular compass and navigate the terrain can easily get out of the forest.

Please configure on MIUI and Android firmware above 5: Settings - battery and performance - battery saving - application background mode - YID - no restrictions. This will prevent the application from falling asleep.
“I'm going home” is a wonderful navigator for all those who prefer to listen to directions rather than try to figure out where to turn by looking at their mobile phone. The “I'm Going Home” app is perfect for hunters, mushroom pickers, fishermen, and just anyone who loves hiking but is afraid of getting lost. Excellent accuracy and a pleasant voice interface make this program simply irreplaceable.

The light version differs from the older version in that there is no permission to send SMS (as many users are afraid of this) and internal voice packets are cut out (this is done to reduce the size of the program). You can download packages using the button in the "download packages" menu.

If you like to go into the forest to pick mushrooms and are afraid of getting lost there, then you can install a program that will lead you out of the forest in any case.
Hundreds of navigation programs that focus on route guidance and a visual interface are written for Android. This program focuses on sound prompts and distance guidance. You can simply put your phone in your pocket and listen to what your phone is telling you. The advantage is that your hands will not be occupied with the phone, and your eyes will be free, because this is very important in the forest, and it is unlikely that you will lose or drop the phone.

You must get from point A to point B - this is the main task of the program. If you think that there are a huge number of such programs, then you are very mistaken. The paths along the roads on the map and along which you are led are laid by navigators. What if there is only a direction, but no road (forest, desert, etc.). Compasses, which you can also use, also show direction perfectly. But you use them, holding them in your hand, and see what direction the arrows show you, then hide the phone and move on. If you go off course, you will need to repeat everything again. But it seems that it will be much more convenient if your phone, while in your pocket, corrects your path and tells you where to go. That is why the “I'm going home” application is considered very convenient.

In some cases the program can be used:
1. When you are going to the forest for a walk, you need to set a point at the edge of the forest, and when you return home, this program will, using voice prompts, guide you to the place from which you came.
2. If you have already picked mushrooms in a clearing that is unknown to you, and you want to come here again next weekend, you just need to enter a point in the database called “There are mushrooms here!” And on the weekend you can get there again.
3. If you do not want to open the map, checking the azimuth, and the rough terrain is not known to you, you can also use this application.

Not everyone needs a full-fledged car navigator with a countless set of often unclaimed functions. Sometimes there is a need for the simplest and easiest voice navigation application that will simply allow a hiker or traveler to find their way to their starting point.

So, we bring to your attention an excellent application “I’m going home”, which simply must live in the smartphones of mushroom pickers, hunters, scouts, hikers and other people who often find themselves in forests or on unfamiliar rough terrain. Now you can be sure that you will never get lost.

You must understand that the main task of this navigator is to lead you to your starting point. The program is very simple, but copes with its purpose with a bang. There are no maps, compasses, or sensors. The main opportunity is to use voice prompts to correct the direction of movement of the smartphone owner to the starting point. At the same time, you must understand that the application will not guide you along the return route, but along the shortest path to your home (starting point). Therefore, if you see a quagmire or a cliff in front of you when returning, go around them. The program will not replace your eyes, but after going around an obstacle, it will again continue to lead you to the house in a straight line, adjusting the route. If necessary, you can use Google Maps - the application is compatible with them.

Price: Free

OPERATION PROCEDURE

The algorithm for working with the navigator looks something like this:

1. Launch the application
2. Turn on GPS
3. We are waiting to receive the coordinates of your current location (displayed in a gray window) - these will be the coordinates for returning
4. Press the menu button on the phone and select “Record” from the menu that appears
5. Next, you will be asked to write down the coordinates as a word: for example, “Camp”. After that, click “Record and select”.
6. That’s it, now that the coordinates of the conditional “home” are entered into the smartphone, you can turn off the program or even the smartphone itself. Then, when you need to find the way to “home,” simply launch the navigator and press the green “Let’s go home” button.

It’s clear that you can enter a lot of such conditional “houses” into the program and then simply choose the one you need from them.

As you can see, “I’m going home” is an ideal navigator in its simplicity and necessary capabilities for mushroom pickers, berry pickers, hunters and hikers, which will not let you get lost. The program works on devices with Android version 2.1 and higher and support GPS navigation.

Installing the program is simple. Download the installation file with the .apk extension, upload it to your smartphone and start installing the application.

This program will be very useful for mushroom pickers, hunters and fishermen, as well as for those who are afraid of getting lost while hiking. Precise instructions voiced in a pleasant voice will add a pleasant feeling when using this program.

Brief essence of the game

The user must get from one place to another, and the task of the “I'm going home” program is to simplify this task for him as much as possible. Many users believe that there are many such programs, but they are completely mistaken.

Nowadays there are a lot of different navigators, but they will only guide the user along paved roads. If you go mushroom picking, they will be of little use. A compass can also be an excellent assistant in such cases, but they are not entirely convenient to use.

The mushroom picker has to take out a compass, highlight it with his phone, check it, and put everything back in his pocket. But if he goes off course, the road may turn out to be much longer.

Game Features

It is worth noting that the “I’m going home” program will be very useful when going for a walk in the forest. A person needs to mark a point at the edge of the forest, after which his return home will be commanded by a program that will lead him back to the marked place.

When mushroom pickers have found a beautiful clearing and want to return here next weekend, “I’m going home” will do them a huge service. This is especially true when mushroom pickers are in this area for the first time. To return here again, you need to mark the coordinates of the clearing in the program.