While the majority of us venture into the woods and elsewhere to reconnect with nature and disconnect from technology, a lot can be said for how much easier and more enjoyable gadgets and gizmos have made our adventures. In the case of mobile applications (i.e., apps), there are so many to choose from, but we decided to highlight five we feel are totally worth downloading before you hit the road. We’ve refreshed this list with the latest features, swapped out one app, and added a great way to make those long highway stretches fly by—and maybe even make you rush back to your vehicle to get back to it.
Outdooractive
- Contains a massive directory of routes all over the world
- Allows access to maps of locations worldwide, including official USGS topo maps in the U.S. and NRCan maps in Canada with the Pro versions
- Records and shares your adventures
- Syncs your activities with Garmin, Strava, Suunto, and more if you’re into tracking
- Plots your routes in-app or on your computer
- Shares your real-time location with friends and family with the Buddy Beacon feature (with Pro and Pro+)
- Allows you to view your stats for every track recorded
- Lets you save maps and routes offline, so you can navigate even when there’s no signal (with Pro and Pro+)
- Free to download—paid Pro and Pro+ memberships unlock offline maps, premium mapping, and other features
First Aid by American Red Cross
- Fully integrated with 911 so you can call EMS from the app at any time
- Simple step-by-step instructions that guide you through everyday first aid scenarios
- Videos and animations to aid in understanding
- Safety tips on anything, from severe winter weather to hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes, to help you prepare
- Preloaded content for offline help
- A hospital finder to locate the nearest emergency center, wherever you’re parked
- A built-in metronome for practicing CPR
- Updated to the latest First Aid/CPR/AED guidelines
- A Spanish-language toggle
- Interactive quizzes allowing you to earn badges you can share with friends
For folks traveling with their four-legged friends, the Red Cross also offers a free Pet First Aid app with veterinary advice for emergencies and everyday pet care.
MyRadar—Weather Radar
- Animated high-definition radar that posts up centered on your location
- Weather forecasts and current temperatures
- Hyperlocal rain alerts that tell you up to an hour ahead when rain will reach your campsite—often down to the minute with the most powerful and accurate weather predictions
- Severe weather warnings, watches, and NOAA alerts, plus storm tracking
- RouteCast (with the premium version), showing the weather along your route
- Displays on your dashboard
- Real-time hurricane tracking (with the premium upgrade)
AllTrails
- Over 500,000 trails worldwide with reviews and photos
- A community of more than 100 million hikers, campers, and mountain bikers
- Records your time, speed, and elevation
- Creates custom maps and routes
- Free to use, with paid memberships that add expanded offline maps, custom routes, and trail condition reports, including weather and mosquito activity
Audiobook Apps
Long stretches of highway go a lot faster with a good story.
- Audible—boasting the largest catalog, including exclusive titles you can’t find anywhere else
- Libby—borrow audiobooks for free with a card from a participating public library
- Hoopla—another free library app that’s useful when you’d rather skip the holds wait
- Libro.fm—buy audiobooks that are yours to keep. Plus, a good share of each purchase supports the independent bookstore you choose
- Spotify—while it’s best known for music (including The Ultimate RV Road Trip Playlist, built by you, the I Heart RVing readers), the premium version also includes 15 hours of audiobook listening each month
- Chirp—offering deeply discounted audiobook deals with no subscription required
RV Tip: Download a few books before you head into the backcountry. All of these apps support offline listening, so dead zones won’t cut your story short—but you will need to download if you want to enjoy them offline.
While apps will never completely replace a good paper map (and the knowledge to read one), a well-stocked first aid kit, or lively campfire conversations, a few smart downloads can make life on the road just a bit better. You’ll know when the rain is coming, what to do if someone takes a tumble, and which trails are worth the hike (or closed due to too much mud). And when the miles start to drag and the next campsite seems to be getting further away (are we there yet?!), you’ll be able to get engrossed in a good story.
Before your next trip, take a few minutes to download the apps that best fit your travel style. Save some maps and audiobooks while you have good Wi-Fi. Then point your RV to your favorite camp spot, and enjoy the ride!
