Whether you’re heading out for a weekend in the woods or planning on thru hiking the Appalachian Trail, navigation tools are essential. With the surge in modern technology, it’s only fitting that you can now access backcountry navigation from your smartphone. The BackCountry Navigator XE application is unique is its capacity to be usable whether or not you have cell service.

While BackCountry Navigator was only available on Android, BackCountry Navigator XE is available on Android, iOS, and the web. This updated version offers a huge selection of maps for exploring the wilderness, such as aerial photography, topo maps, and marine charts. Specific additions include BLM boundary maps, property maps, lake map contours, and trail maps.

BackCountry Navigator XE functions by requiring an internet connection in order to download maps of specific areas, which can then be stored and made available in areas with no cell service. Vector topo maps are easy to install, rendering whole states and countries at your fingertips. Different styles allow you to choose the way you want to read them. This updated version is easy to learn and easier to use, so that you will be exploring the wilderness in no time.

The application offers a cloud editor through which you can plan your expedition, identify waypoints, and upload tracks before you head out — and then review it once you get home. In addition, improved social functions allow you to create links and share your adventures with your friends. Use BackCountry Navigator XE on backpacking and hiking expeditions, camping trips, canoe and kayak treks on rivers or oceans, for hunting wild game in remote areas, off-roading, geocaching, cycling, fishing, and during just about any other outdoor activity.  

BackCountry Navigator XE will be available to the public for a yearly subscription cost with varying tiers and price points including bronze, silver, and gold. All tiers will provide access to public domain map sources, the capacity to sync 16 GBs of waypoint data with your web account, use of vector tiled topo maps, and Thunderforest WW maps. The Silver version will offer additional access to Caltopo premium maps and Gold will provide access to Accuterra maps.

You can purchase a 1-year BackCountry Navigator XE Bronze subscription for $9 on Kickstarter.