Just picked up a tab a from Samsung and going to be using it for my upcoming trips. Does anyone have experience with this app or is there a better one out there? Thanks
Gaia maps for Samsung tablet
- Thread starter Steven Apolinar
- Start date
Steven, I have used Gaia on a Samsung Tab for the last three trips. So far, I'm impressed with how well it works. The map overlays have been a huge help in finding trails, mines, etc. Give it a try. You'll be pleased.
Hey thanks for the reply. I might just try it out. Going to be using it for a trip to big bend national park and big bend ranch state park..
Traveler III
There are a lot of threads about GAIA in our Navigation subform (which is where I moved this thread,)
Member III
Haven't tried Gaia but on my tablet I've use backcountry navigator lots of different map overlays , end up using forest service maps alot for their detail
Enthusiast III
I guess Im one of the few who was not satisfied with the Gaia / tablet combo. I purchased on 2/20 and cancelled today. I wont say negative stuff on a forum but if you have specific questions I will be glad to answer via messenger etc. Hope you have better luck.
Post the negatives, I think everyone here is capable of reading reviews and deciding for themselves if the dealbreakers for you are dealbreakers for them. I think it really comes down to what you expect from this combination and how you intend to use it. In any case, I personally would certainly like to hear your complaints.
Enthusiast III
OK, no problem. If the mods have an issue with negative comments please edit or trash my reply. Some of the other forums I visit have rules about stuff like that. These are my observations after approximately ten days usage.
1) There is no "red box" shown on android devices to indicate previously downloaded maps. I looked for a few hours trying to figure out what I was doing wrong before I contacted them and they said apple only gets this feature. They recommended that I use google earth and place pins where I've already downloaded. Even though this sucks, I tried it. Turns out, you cant place pins on google earth with a tablet. Also, doing it like this would be almost impossible/very difficult without two devices to work from.
2) No ability to download maps on the desktop version. They should make this point VERY clear up front. Maybe they do and i missed it....
3) Download speed is absurd. After hours and hours still only a tiny percentage of one map is downloaded. I checked the web and their support, and download speed is a known issue. It makes this unusable for my application.
4) When you do finally get a map downloaded and try to view on the main map, the borders of the downloaded area disappear. Leaving you again guessing where you have downloaded.
Im not normally a picky person. Im the kind of guy who will eat cold food at a restaurant instead of complaining but this app/software is not so great, in my opinion.
Advocate III
That's helpful info, man, and not negative in the sense I bet other forums might mean. Honest observations in a review about how it works or not in your application help others decide whether or not it might work for their situation.
Hope you find something that works well for you, and if you do, hope you report back here and let us all know.
Next time I come through Cincinnati, your next Skyline or Gold Star meal is on me!
Road
Gaia is simply amazing, but amazingly quirky. I've had many issues while planning trips on Gaia's website. I originally bought in November '17 and just cancelled my automatic renewal, meaning I can still use it until Nov '18. The reason I didn't completely stop using Gaia is because of the tremendous amount of people that swear by it and their extraordinary customer service. They immediately responded to a poor review I left online, offering a refund, asking about my issues, and then asking if I would help them troubleshoot the issues. I believe that come November, I will be renewing after all.
Influencer II
I have not been really satisfied with Gaia myself but I think it's the best option for android. MotionX is my absolute favorite but its iPhone/Pad only. Download speed definitely depends on the detail of tile you are downloading. 14 I think is the fastest/most detailed ratio that works for me. 15 gets slow and anything over that is painful and not really useful for my purposes anyway.
I'm definitely in the "not so satisfied" camp though. But they are fairly new, started with the intent of hikers using the app and expanding into territory they aren't experienced in. And they are very receptive to my criticizes when I contact them. Time will tell...
