Phone and GPS apps
Useful tools with limits — battery, accuracy, and distraction.
Skill 3.14 · About 25 minutes to begin
GPS apps help, but they are not a substitute for map skills. Use them as backup, not autopilot.
Before you begin
Bring along
- Local map
- Compass
- Offline map and charged phone
Support & boundaries
Choose an age-appropriate task with your leader or trusted adult. Outdoor practice follows the approved route, buddy, and supervision plan; adapt the challenge to your abilities.
01 / Learn
Understand the skill
- Phone GPS uses battery fast — carry a power bank on long days.
- Download offline maps before you lose signal in the mountains.
- Location error can be large under cliffs or dense trees.
- Sharing live location with leaders may be required on some trips — follow the briefing.
- Walking while staring at a screen causes trips and falls.
02 / Practice
Try it, step by step
- 1
Download the route area offline the night before.
- 2
Put phone in airplane mode and use GPS only to save power when leaders allow.
- 3
Stop to check the screen; do not navigate mid-stride on rough trail.
- 4
Mark camp and car as waypoints when you arrive.
- 5
Keep phone dry in a zip bag or waterproof pouch.
Common mistakes to avoid
- A brighter screen setting.
- Treating a successful practice attempt as permission to skip the supervision or checks for a real task.
Your call
Your phone has an online map but no service at the trailhead. What was missing?
03 / Demonstrate
Show what you can do
Use these prompts with a mentor. This practice checklist resets when you leave; record your overall stage below in the signed-in manual.
0 of 3 reviewed together
Mentor notes & sources
Help someone learn
- Show which apps the program standardizes on.
- Set a rule: map out, phone in pocket unless stopped.
- Carry a group charger for multi-day trips.
Start together, then let the learner take responsibility at an appropriate level. Offer a shorter task, a different role, or more practice time when useful. Review the demonstration criteria together; advanced practice never removes supervision requirements.
Reference shelf
Original program lessons informed by these references. Equipment manuals, current local rules, and qualified instruction govern technical practice.
- REI: compass and map navigation ↗
Compass parts, declination and supervised navigation practice
- NOLS: expedition learning ↗
Outdoor learning, teamwork and reflection
Edition updated 2026-09-28. Program learning material; not a professional qualification.
04 / Apply · In Action
Navigate without a signal
Download the approved map, open it offline, and rehearse finding your location while stationary.
What success looks like
Show the downloaded area, power plan, and a non-phone backup.
Talk it through
What would fail if the battery ran out?
05 / Teach · Take it further
Help a partner test their offline map before departure.