[pct-l] iPhone app for PCT (and other) maps

[Craig Stanton]

Hi all,
	It's been a while since I've been on the list, mostly because I won't get to hike again any time soon, but that doesn't stop me thinking about it. To that end I have been inspired to write a little iPhone app for the many hikers that carry an iOS device with them into the wild*. In my day, waaaaaaay back in 2007, a PocketMail device was all I needed, but I digress. So I wrote TiledMaps to store USGS and many other maps offline for when you're out of cellphone reception and want to see where the trail should be. I know that plenty of times the trail is not actually where it is marked on their maps but who's going to write and tell them? The format my app understands is called TMS and any half decent GIS program should be able to output maps like that. If you have one that doesn't then you should be able to use MapTiler (http://www.maptiler.org) to do it for you. Instructions are on my website. Since not everyone has a GIS program or the time to find all the right maps for the PCT I have started prepping them myself into map packs. I have California Section A already online and am hoping to get the others done before thru-hiking season starts. If anyone has a pressing need for a section right away let me know and I'll try to get on to it.

	Apart from showing the user where they are and what is around them, TiledMaps can also rotate the maps to which ever way it thinks the iPhone is being pointed but you can turn that off if you're more a fan of "up" always being north.

Direct app store link: http://tinyurl.com/TiledMaps
My site with more app info and map packs: http://wildmansoftware.com
Instructions on how to create your own seamless maps from USGS maps: http://craig.stanton.net.nz/2011/06/07/usgs-map-tile-sets/



Cheers,
	Craig/SunWalker/Heaps

*Of course I am not encouraging anyone to go out there without their own maps, but if you are carrying your iphone anyway, adding this app won't make the phone any heavier.