From winding trails through lush forests to majestic peaks offering breathtaking vistas, the world is a hiker’s playground waiting to be explored. In this age of technological advancement, hiking apps have emerged as indispensable companions for outdoor enthusiasts, revolutionizing the way we plan, navigate, and experience our hiking adventures.

1. AllTrails – AllTrails is one of the most popular hiking apps, offering a vast collection of trail maps, reviews, photos, and GPS tracking features.
2. Komoot – Komoot is a comprehensive outdoor app that includes hiking, cycling, and mountain biking routes. It provides detailed maps, route planning, and navigation features.
3. Hiking Project – Hiking Project is an app developed by REI that offers a comprehensive database of hiking trails, maps, and photos. It includes user reviews and ratings for various trails.
4. Gaia GPS – Gaia GPS is a versatile app that offers topographic maps, trail tracking, and offline navigation. It is widely used for hiking, backpacking, and other outdoor activities.
5. Outdoor Active – Outdoor Active provides detailed topographic maps, trail guides, and offline GPS navigation. It also offers augmented reality features to enhance the hiking experience.
6. PeakFinder – PeakFinder is a unique app that helps you identify mountains and peaks around you using augmented reality. It provides panoramic views and information about mountains worldwide.
7. Ramblr – Ramblr combines hiking, GPS tracking, and a social community. It allows you to record your hiking adventures, track statistics, and share your experiences with others.
8. Wikiloc – Wikiloc is a platform that allows users to discover and share outdoor trails worldwide. The app provides GPS navigation, offline maps, and a vast collection of user-contributed trails.

Gone are the days of relying solely on paper maps and guidebooks. Hiking apps have stepped up to the plate, offering a wealth of features and functionality designed to enhance every aspect of the hiking journey. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker seeking new trails or a novice adventurer embarking on your first outdoor expedition, hiking apps provide invaluable resources at your fingertips.

What to Look for in a Hiking App

When looking for a hiking app, here are some key features and considerations to keep in mind.

Trail Maps and Routes

Ensure the app provides a comprehensive collection of trail maps with varying levels of difficulty. Look for apps that offer detailed information about trail length, elevation, terrain, and points of interest along the route.

GPS Tracking and Navigation

The app should have reliable GPS tracking capabilities to help you navigate the trails accurately. It should show your real-time location on the map and offer turn-by-turn directions if needed. Offline navigation is also valuable for areas with limited or no internet connectivity.

User Reviews and Ratings

Look for apps that provide user reviews, ratings, and comments for trails. This can give you valuable insights into the trail conditions, difficulty level, and other hikers’ experiences.

Offline Access

If you plan to hike in remote areas without internet access, consider apps that offer offline access to maps and trail information. This allows you to download maps in advance and use them without relying on a data connection.

Trail Recording and Statistics

Some apps allow you to record your hikes, track your statistics (distance, speed, elevation gain, etc.), and save your hiking history. This can be helpful for monitoring your progress, setting goals, and sharing your achievements.

Safety Features

Look for apps that include safety features such as emergency contacts, SOS alerts, or the ability to share your real-time location with trusted contacts. These features can be crucial in case of emergencies or if you’re hiking alone.

Social Community

Some apps have a built-in social community where hikers can share their experiences, photos, and recommendations. This can provide additional insights and foster a sense of community among like-minded outdoor enthusiasts.

Compatibility and Platform

Check if the app is available for your specific device (iOS or Android) and if it offers cross-platform compatibility. Also, consider the app’s ease of use and intuitive interface for a seamless experience.

Additional Features

Explore other features that might enhance your hiking experience, such as weather forecasts, sunrise/sunset times, offline points of interest, augmented reality features, or integration with wearable devices.

Consider your specific needs and preferences when evaluating hiking apps to find the one that best aligns with your requirements and enhances your hiking adventures.

Best Free Hiking Apps

While the majority of hiking apps are available for free download and use, it’s important to note that many of them offer limited or basic features in their free versions. As is the case with most apps, you also have the option to unlock additional features and tools by either purchasing the app or subscribing to a monthly plan.

AllTrails

The free version of the AllTrails app provides access to a vast collection of trail maps, reviews, and photos, making it a valuable resource for hikers. You can search for trails based on location, difficulty level, and length, and view detailed trail information such as elevation gain and user ratings.

The app offers basic GPS tracking to track your location on the trail and allows you to save and bookmark your favorite trails for future reference.

Komoot

The free version of the Komoot app offers a range of valuable features. You can access a vast collection of trail maps and plan routes based on their preferences. The app provides basic navigation and turn-by-turn directions during hikes.

While offline maps are available, voice navigation and multi-day planning are exclusive to the paid version. Despite these limitations, the free version of Komoot still provides a reliable platform for discovering and exploring trails.

Outdoor Active

The free version of the Outdoor Active app offers a variety of features to support outdoor activities and hiking adventures. You can access a wide range of trail maps, including hiking, biking, and running routes.

The app provides detailed information about trails, including length, elevation, difficulty, and points of interest. You can search for trails based on location, save favorites, and track your progress with basic GPS tracking.

While the free version has limitations compared to the premium version, it still serves as a reliable tool for discovering and exploring outdoor trails.

Hiking Project

Hiking Project, developed by REI, is a dedicated hiking app that offers a wealth of information and features for hikers. The app provides access to an extensive database of hiking trails, complete with trail maps, descriptions, and user-contributed content.

You can search for trails based on location, difficulty, and length, and browse through user reviews and ratings. The app allows you to track your hikes, record your progress, and save your favorite trails. With its comprehensive trail information and user-friendly interface, Hiking Project is a valuable resource for hikers of all levels.

Ramblr

Ramblr is a free app designed to enhance the hiking experience by combining GPS tracking, recording, and a social community. With the free version, you can record and track your hikes, capturing photos, videos, and audio along the way.

The app allows you to document your adventures and share them with the Ramblr community. Basic statistics, such as distance, speed, and elevation, are also provided.

While the free version offers essential features for recording and sharing hiking experiences, additional functionalities are available with the paid version of the app.

Wikiloc

Wikiloc is a versatile app that serves as a platform for outdoor enthusiasts to discover and share a wide range of trails worldwide. With Wikiloc, you can access a vast collection of user-contributed trails, including hiking, biking, running, and more.

The app offers detailed trail information, including maps, descriptions, and photos. You can search for trails based on location, difficulty, and activity type. Wikiloc also provides GPS navigation for selected trails, offline map access, and the ability to track and record your own routes.

These apps offer a range of features at no cost, allowing you to explore and enjoy hiking without any financial commitment. While they may have limitations compared to their premium counterparts, they still provide valuable tools and resources to enhance your hiking adventures.

Best Paid Hiking Apps

When it comes to paid hiking apps, there are several feature-rich options available that offer enhanced functionality and a more comprehensive hiking experience.

Gaia GPS

Gaia GPS offers a robust and feature-rich paid version that takes the hiking and outdoor experience to new heights. With the paid version, you gain access to an extensive collection of high-quality topographic maps, including multiple map layers and overlays for terrain, weather, and more.

The app provides advanced GPS tracking and navigation features, including real-time location tracking and detailed route planning. Offline maps allow you to navigate trails even in remote areas without an internet connection.

Great features to make use of include additional map sources, advanced statistics, printing capabilities, and the ability to create custom waypoints and routes.

AllTrails Pro

The Pro version of the AllTrails app offers a range of enhanced features for avid hikers. Subscribers gain access to offline maps, allowing them to navigate trails even without an internet connection.

The Pro version also provides advanced map layers, including weather overlays and air quality information. Lifeline, a safety feature, enables real-time tracking and sharing of your location with trusted contacts.

With Pro, you can customize your trail maps, print maps for offline use, and enjoy an ad-free experience.

PeakFinder

PeakFinder is a paid app that offers a unique and captivating experience. By simply pointing your device’s camera towards the landscape, you can identify and learn about mountains and peaks in real time. The app provides panoramic views and exhaustive information on mountains worldwide, including their names, elevations, and distances.

With its stunning visuals and extensive database, PeakFinder offers an immersive and educational experience for those seeking to discover and appreciate the majesty of the world’s peaks.

These paid hiking apps offer advanced features, expanded map options, and additional functionality to enhance your hiking experience. While they require a financial investment, they often provide a more complete set of tools and resources for avid hikers and outdoor adventurers.

From trail maps and real time GPS navigation to user reviews and safety features, hiking apps cater to a wide range of needs and preferences. Whether you prefer solo hikes through remote wilderness or seek the camaraderie of a vibrant hiking community, there’s an app tailored to suit your needs.

Read 7 HIKING TRAILS IN THE USA FOR WOMEN OVER 50.

Also read 4 HIKING OUTFITS FOR WOMEN OVER 50.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you enjoy hiking? What hiking apps have you used? What is your favorite hiking app and why? Which features do you use the most? Tell us about it in the comments below.

When texting was still pretty new, I had this text exchange with a friend about my missing cloth tote branded with a local grocery chain logo:

Me: I think I left my Dominick’s bag at your house last night. I brought the ice cream in it but must have left the bag. Can I come pick it up?

Friend: I didn’t notice, but I’ll look for it.

[Days pass.]

Me: Just wondering whether you ever found my Dominick’s bag.

[No reply. Very uncharacteristic of her.]

Me later that day: Never mind about the bag. It was in the back of my car.

Soon afterward when the friend and I were chatting by phone, I apologized for making her search for something that was in my car all along and was just an inexpensive cloth bag to begin with, not worth a lot of trouble.

“A cloth bag!” my friend exclaimed, having thought I’d meant an ordinary plastic bag from the grocery store. “That makes a lot more sense. I kept looking under the sink and asking my husband, ‘Do you know which of these bags Rosanne brought over?’ We couldn’t figure out why you wanted it back.”

I have been laughing about this ever since. I picture my friend kneeling under the sink, trying to figure out which brown bag was different from the others. I guess that’s why misunderstanding is a common ploy for sitcoms – but you probably don’t want it to play a major role in your real life.

When Knowledge Is a Bad Thing

In hindsight, it’s easy for me to see how this fiasco came about. I didn’t have a name for it until I did a little research, but I know now that I was demonstrating one of many “cognitive biases” that trip us up in communicating effectively.

Specifically, I was demonstrating the very common “curse of knowledge.” I knew exactly the bag I was looking for, but my friend knew nothing about that bag. How could I expect her to see it through my mind’s eye when I didn’t even provide a description?

Reach Out and Call Someone

Texting is a much-appreciated option for communicating all sorts of quick messages. But for a deep conversation, I think it falls short.

To avoid misunderstandings, it helps to have one of those telephone conversations we used to rely upon. It certainly cleared things up with my friend.

Phone conversations enable you to detect nuances of expression, plus you can exchange an occasional “uh huh” to indicate comprehension or agreement, or you can ask the person to clarify a point. The communication just has a better chance of conveying the intended meaning.

Do you ever just call someone out of the blue? More likely, you text at least a day ahead to make a “date” to talk. Our generation didn’t come up with this protocol, but we seem to be following suit. I’m rebelling!

One evening after dinner, in the middle of both a TV show and a Scrabble game with my visiting daughter, my phone rang. Recognizing the caller as a friend and occasional client, I took the call. No sooner had I greeted my caller with a friendly “hello” than I heard my daughter admonishing me: “Why in the world would you answer a phone call?”

I continued my phone conversation, caught up with my friend and got hired for a little editing work all in a quick 20 minutes. For me, interrupting my evening was more expedient than setting up a future time to talk.

More Options, More Problems

Even when all we need to do is send a quick message and texting is appropriate, we all know how auto-correct and “fat fingers syndrome” mess with us. Recently, my husband texted my daughter that we’d be arriving on July 39. At least that error was obvious.

Texting isn’t the only landmine for misconstrued messages. Despite the advances in communication tools and methods, it seems we’ve only added confusion to actual conversation.

We might deal with an important email hiding in the junk mail folder or a voicemail that escaped our notice. Maybe we forget that a particular work associate communicates only through Slack, or we fail to check the inbox of our LinkedIn account.

Cognitive Biases Influence Even Face-to-Face

Technology isn’t always the culprit. Here are just a few of the many cognitive biases that, even with in-person communication, work against us when we depend on our own observations to try to figure out people’s intentions:

Control Blindness

Control blindness refers to our tendency to overestimate people’s ability to control events. We then attribute intention to others’ actions where there may be none. For example, if a friend doesn’t “like” our Facebook post, we may think she wasn’t happy about what we wrote when what may have happened was that she didn’t see the post at all.

Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias gets a lot of press because of our current political climate. It’s human nature to seek out information and data that confirm our pre-existing beliefs and to ignore or dismiss information that contradicts those beliefs.

Spotlight Effect

Spotlight Effect happens when we overestimate how much attention people pay to our behavior and appearance. It’s easy to think someone else is reacting to something about us when the reaction can have nothing to do with us. Sometimes I have to remind myself that what I wear matters a lot more to me than to anyone else.

Naïve Cynicism

Naive Cynicism occurs when we believe that everyone has self-interest at heart. When people are nice to us, it’s easy to think there must be something in it for them.

Think It Through

Often, if someone’s behavior doesn’t make sense, it’s because we’re missing the explanation. Rather than assuming something and possibly never finding out that we’ve misjudged someone, we probably should ask for clarity. We’re all just trying to communicate the best we can. But it is a challenge.

How would you rate yourself in the communication department? What is your favorite communication medium? Do you prefer to text or do you like old-fashioned phone calls? What is your latest – or biggest! – communication mishap you’d like to share with the community?

My favorite philosopher, Socrates, said, “It’s a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” The ancient Greek physician Herophilus stated, “When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, strength cannot fight, intelligence cannot be applied, art cannot become manifest, wealth becomes useless.”

These two quotes from over two thousand years ago still hold true today. When we are blessed with good health, it behooves us to maintain our bodies in good condition, so that we can fully take part in, and enjoy, life.

Why Maintain Our Body?

Maintaining good health is essential for a fulfilling and vibrant life. Just as we regularly service our motor vehicles to ensure their optimal performance, our bodies require maintenance to function at their best. The ancient Greeks attached great importance to the concept of regular maintenance for the body.

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, once said, “The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well.” This quote reminds us that our bodies have an innate ability to heal themselves. Nevertheless, regular maintenance is necessary to support this process.

How to Maintain Our Body

There is a wealth of books, podcasts, magazine articles, and lectures on the important part that sleep, exercise, hygiene, nutrition, and a mindful, positive, grateful attitude to life play in helping to keep our bodies healthy.

But maintenance on a regular basis goes beyond that. It requires us to be ready to call in specialists. Here are some of the healthcare professionals that in my view have an important part to play in anyone’s maintenance regime.

The Doctor

If we have a medical concern, our first port of call for advice on how to deal with it should be our doctor. But even if we have no particular concerns, it’s wise to consult our doctor on a regular basis – once a year, say. A checkup can often catch a potential condition before it becomes serious. And the earlier a disorder is found, the better.

Nowadays, with all the amazing diagnostic tools doctors have, this is truer than it ever has been in the past. A simple blood analysis can dismiss cancer, diabetes, and many other ailments. An electrocardiogram (ECG) can set at rest any fears about the heart. Insist on a yearly checkup, even if your doctor doesn’t say you need one.

The Dentist

The next thing to consider is regular visits to the dentist – at least twice a year. Healthy teeth and good oral hygiene contribute to overall health. And the opposite is also true, with many diseases linked to poor care of the mouth and teeth. It’s quite frightening to learn what can happen without good dental care.

A dentist can spot any potential problems and stop them becoming critical. Dentists generally recommend we brush our teeth twice a day, and they’ll often remind you that rinsing with mouthwash and flossing are also important. If your tongue is coated, a tongue scraper can be added to your oral-hygiene routine. And drinking water after a meal can help to wash away food debris.

The Optometrist

Our eyes are extremely important to our quality of life. A regular visit to an optometrist once a year allows signs of any problems to be recognized early. If we need glasses, it is best to start wearing them earlier rather than later, because they prevent eye strain, which can cause tiredness, discomfort of the eyes, and even headaches. And the sooner you start wearing them, the sooner your brain can start adapting to seeing the world differently.

Protective eyewear should be worn where advised, such as in certain workplaces, and good sunglasses are always a good idea when you’re outdoors on a sunny day. Glasses that protect eyes from the blue light of computers prevent fatigue.

The Audiologist

Hearing is another vitally important sense. Audiologists recommend that once a person reaches 60 years of age, they have their hearing tested. This sets a baseline for future testing, even if the person has perfect hearing. A test every three years after that is adequate.

Hearing loss leads people to miss out on so many things. Whenever hearing deteriorates it is best to wear hearing aids sooner rather than later. The brain takes time to adjust to the new range of sounds that are now audible, and if the person is too old, the brain can’t do this.

If you have hearing aids, wear them from when you get out of bed in the morning to when you go to bed at night. This allows the brain to adjust and slows down hearing loss. The technology used in the latest generation of hearing aids is almost miraculous!

The Massage Therapist and the Chiropractor

Although I do regular exercise, including weights and yoga, I find that regular therapeutic massage and chiropractic once a month helps keep my body toned and supple. According to the advice I have been given, it’s best to have the massage first, then the chiropractic.

This is because the massage loosens up the muscles, helping the chiropractic be more effective. The massage-chiropractic combination is such a pleasant way to keep the body toned.

You can perhaps also turn to other experts and specialists to help you maintain your body in good shape. Everyone is unique and has their own requirements. Some people I know, for example, get a lot of benefit from seeing a podiatrist.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you look after your body as well as you look after your vehicle or your house? And is your body serving you well because you look after it?

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Originally posted at: Heather Dubrow’s Black Cutout Belted Dress

As an over 60 makeup artist my mission is to help mature women look and feel their best. And there is a definite connection between looking our best and feeling our best. I was reminded of this not too long ago when I read this lovely comment from a woman who had watched one of my videos.

She was dealing with long Covid and wrote: “One lesson that I’ve learned during this long illness is that if I look good, regardless of how I feel, it really boosts my spirits and makes a big difference in the kind of day I have.”

What Changes Have You Experienced Around Your Eyes?

In the in-person makeup classes I teach for women over 50, I always like to discover what makeup products the women wear most often, what their biggest makeup challenges are and what they’d most like to learn.

Most women love using lipstick and mascara and find the most challenge with the eyes – including dealing with sparse eyebrows, hooded eyes, crepey eyelids and undereye darkness. Although our eyes don’t get physically smaller as we get older, they appear smaller because of all the changes we experience in the eye area.

Because most of us do experience multiple changes and issues around our eyes, many of us no longer feel like we have the time, patience or ability to apply eye makeup – or that even if we do, that it will make much difference. And I can totally understand that feeling.

But I’m here to tell you that there are eye products and techniques that can really transform our over mature eyes, take very little time and can make a dramatic difference in how we look and feel.

In the video above, I will actually time my makeup application. Stay tuned to see how long it takes me to complete.

Eyebrows Are Key

Let’s first talk about our brows. When our brows get sparser, they tend to become invisible. But when we apply makeup to create more visible brows, our eyes look bigger because our brows frame our face and accentuate our eyes. So the first step in transforming our eyes is to fill in our brows with eyebrow powder or eyeshadow or an eyebrow pencil, gel, pomade or pen that matches our brow color.

If you’re unsure which eyebrow product might work best for you, check out this video:

The brow products I use vary depending on how polished I want my brows to look, but today I’m going to use a drugstore staple: my Elf Wow Brow. This buildable wax-gel hybrid is enriched with Kaolin Clay and hair-like fibers that adhere to brow hairs to give our brows a fuller look. It can be used on its own or as a topcoat over brow powder or pencil.

How Eye Primer Can Help

Most of us have some kind of discoloration on our eyelids – usually redness or darkness or both. And often because the skin on our eyelids gets thinner, veins can also start to show through. As you can see, I have all of these eyelid issues, which is why I use a tinted eye primer to cover all discoloration.

When our eyelids are an even skin tone color, they make our eyes look both bigger and brighter. And since our eyelids can get oily, applying an eye primer also prevents eyeshadow from creasing or smudging. So an eye primer is a great multi-tasker. I’ll use this Ulta Brand Eye Primer on my eyelids.

Quick and Easy Eyeshadow Techniques

For eyeshadow, I’m using one of Elf’s Bite Size eyeshadow quad called “I Love You a Latte.” This is my favorite Elf quad because it’s all matte and the shades range from light to dark and apply very easily.

Incorporating some color theory into the decision about where to apply these colors will make a big difference in transforming our eyes. Light colors make things come forward and look bigger and dark colors make things recede and look smaller. So to make our eyes look bigger, we can apply a light color all the way across the eyelids.

And to create interest, contrast and depth – which makes the eyes stand out – I’ll apply a mid-tone color in the crease and slightly above the crease. For hooded eyes, it’s important to bring the crease color up high enough so it can be seen when looking straight ahead into a mirror with the eyes relaxed.

The Quickest, Easiest Way to Apply Eyeliner

Eyeliner gives added definition to the eyes which draws attention to them. It makes the lashes look lush and can enhance the shape of the eyes. It can be quick and easy to apply a darker eyeshadow with a brush as eyeliner or to use an eyeshadow stick as eyeliner. I’ll use the darkest shade of brown from the Elf eyeshadow quad on my top lash line and along just the outer third of my lower lash line.

Mascara Makes a Difference

And then the final step will be to apply mascara to my top and bottom lashes. Mascara instantly adds thickness and length to eyelashes as well as a darker color which draws attention to the eyes and creates definition. It can help us look more awake and creates the illusion of bigger eyes.

Because I have very sensitive eyes, there are only three mascaras I’ve found that I can use, and unfortunately, none of them are drugstore mascaras. So I’ll be using the clean beauty brand Doll 10 Effortlash mascara on my top lashes and Clinique’s Bottom Lash Mascara on my lower lashes. But if you don’t have an issue with most mascaras, a great drugstore mascara is L’Oreal’s Lash Paradise.

You will be surprised to learn that the time I needed for this one eye makeup application demo was 1 minute and 53 seconds. So to do both of my eyes, it would actually take under four minutes! It really is amazing how quickly and easily we can transform our eyes using drugstore products.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What are your biggest challenges with your eye area? Did you wear eye makeup when you were younger? Do you currently use any eye makeup products? If so, which ones? Which products do the most to help your eyes look their best?