Summer is almost here, which means millions of people will be hitting the road to find a nice patch of nature to explore. Unlike previous generations though, we have smartphones!
But of course, bringing technology, like smartphones, into the natural world can lead to the very opposite kind of experience that what you want from a trip away from civilization. So unpin the Netflix and Angry Birds from your homescreen and try these five Android apps, to help you in every aspect of your camping trip while not distracting you (for the most part) from your hike.
Oh, Ranger! Park Finder
This app is a great guide to find the right park or forest to suit your particular expedition. It's got an overview of every national and state park, with great information on lodging, activities, and location. You can browse the app by activity, too, so whether you're a biker, hiker, hunter, or spelunker, you'll find a park or forest nearby that offers your activities. And the app is free!
Camp Finder - Campgrounds
If you're not so much of an adventurer or explorer, but want to go hang out with friends in the RV, there's an app, similar to Oh, Ranger, for you. You can check all the state and national parks, along with privately owned resorts and camp sites for RVs, find out their rates, discounts, and amenities, along with directions to your nearest place to park the family for some light camping. The app costs $2.99.
Camping Checklist
Sure, you could do an old-fashioned checklist with a piece of paper and a pen, but you could always forget to list something you may need. This app takes care of that problem, with 220 tasks for pre-programmed (and customizable) lists. You can set a budget that goes along with the camping preparation to keep you from going in the red while packing to visit some green spaces. Plan to budget $0.99 for this app.
SAS Survival Guide
Let's hope it doesn't come to this, but if you need some great tips in order to make an emergency plan for extreme scenarios, the one of the best places to get it is from an app based on former SAS (British special forces) instructor John "Lofty" Wiseman's book, The SAS Survival Guide. Besides the full text of the book, put into Android app form, the app includes a Morse code signaling device, a quiz to check your survival knowledge, and photo galleries of edible and, more importantly, poisonous plants. Worth a look before you get lost in the forest. The app is $5.99.
Sky Map
Okay, so this one can get a little distracting, but it's one of Android's best apps - even if you don't plan on camping any time soon, download it before nightfall. The free app, created by Google, is an interactive skymap that automatically senses the portion of the sky you point it towards, and provides all sorts of information about the planets, constellation, and stars that you can see. A great way to spot constellations after the campfire dies down. Just try not to get too addicted to it. It's free.