It takes a lot of planning to enjoy a safe, fun, and successful camping adventure. You need to decide where to go, form a travel route, and plan exciting activities to keep you entertained from morning to night.
Although it’s good to disconnect from the digital world while camping, the following Android and iOS apps make a good case for taking your device with you. They can certainly help prep for your adventure—though they can’t do anything about the mosquito bites.
1. Picking a Campsite: Campendium
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for (var i = 0; i Campendium is a great app for helping you and your crew pick the perfect place to pitch your tent. Campendium is an app that hosts a community of avid campers across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Open your app and you can either use GPS or the search bar to find available national parks, campgrounds, and trailer parks in the surrounding area.
Although sometimes limited by location, the app is filled with comments, discussions, and photos uploaded by other campers to help you select a site. Discover the highs and lows of any campsite using Campendium.
Unfortunately, Campendium isn’t available on Android.
Download: Campendium on iOS (Free, in-app purchases)
2. Planning Hikes: AllTrails
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for (var i = 0; i AllTrails is a great app for planning your trail hikes thanks to its amazing community trail reviews. These will help you to pick the perfect trail regardless of the desired difficulty level or location.
Once you arrive at a site, use the AllTrails app as a GPS guide to help you stay on your path while out in the wilderness. You can also save your favorite trails and journey down the same path time and time again!
Download: AllTrails for iOS| Android (Free, subscription available)
3. Packing: Packing List
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for (var i = 0; i Packing List will help you remember all the necessary camping supplies. You can make a list weeks in advance and slowly check off items as you add them to your suitcase or the car. Sync your lists across multiple Apple devices to help you stay organized no matter where you are.
The app also allows you to reuse lists multiple times so that you don’t need to create a new list with each camping trip. Simply open your saved or suggested list, follow the packing guide, and soon you’ll be enjoying a perfect camping trip with everything you need.
Unfortunately, Campendium isn’t available on Android.
Download: Packing List on iOS (Free, in-app purchases)
4. Gassing Up: GasBuddy
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for (var i = 0; i Budgeting is a large aspect of a camping trip. GasBuddy ensures that you are saving every cent on your mileage. GasBuddy allows users to report fuel prices from local gas stations. You can then use this information to fill up at the cheapest station in the area.
Whether you are just taking a short drive down the road or planning for a cross-country camping convoy, GasBuddy can help you stay frugal.
Download: GasBuddy for iOS| Android (Free, in-app purchases)
5. Getting There: Waze
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for (var i = 0; i If you’re traveling to a new or distant campsite, use Waze to help you pick the perfect driving route. Waze works as a classic GPS, voice-command system for your car, but also offers some exciting features such as construction alerts, police alerts, and more.
Waze is one of the best options for a smart GPS. It will update your drive from minute to minute to ensure you are on the fastest path. You can even plan your camping road trip route in advance with the Planned Drives option. Stop missing time at the campsite and get there faster using Waze.
Download: Waze for iOS | Android (Free)
6. Choosing Entertainment: TripAdvisor
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for (var i = 0; i Sometimes camping is one of the best ways to stay in a new vacation spot for an affordable price. If you’re looking to spend some time off the campsite and in the local community, check out TripAdvisor for perfect activity options.
TripAdvisor offers reviews and suggestions for local restaurants, hotels, bars, arcades, amusement parks, and more. No matter what type of entertainment you’re searching for, TripAdvisor has options for every style of camper.
Download: TripAdvisor for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases)
7. Fishing Forecasting: Fishbrain
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for (var i = 0; i Fishbrain will allow you to pick out the perfect camping spot long before you cast off. If you’re camping for the fishing aspect, Fishbrain is the only app you’ll need. Whether you are hoping to catch a few small fish off the dock with your kids or you’re looking for the catch of a lifetime, Fishbrain is the right app for you.
The app allows you to join a large community of other fishers who collectively discuss the best fishing spots, worst fishing spots, quality baiting tips, and more. With Fishbrain’s map, planning out the perfect fishing trip is super simple.
Download: Fishbrain for iOS | Android (Free, subscription available)
8. Weather Watching: MyRadar
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for (var i = 0; i My Radar is the perfect app for assisting with weather watching. You can look at the long-range forecast for planning in advance, watch the short-term forecast as you approach the day of the trip, and watch the live weather radar the entire time you’re at the site.
Weather watching is one of the most important aspects of properly planning a camping trip. Regardless of how excited the family may be to brave the wilderness for the weekend, avoiding a hurricane or a blizzard is crucial if you want to camp safely.
Download: MyRadar for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases)
9. Last Minute Mistake: Hotel Tonight
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for (var i = 0; i Sometimes, despite all of your best planning and preparedness, a camping trip just simply doesn’t work out. Hotel Tonight is the perfect option for helping to escape the campsite at the last minute, whether that is due to frightening weather or frightening bugs.
The app provides you with access to hotel options in your immediate area. These hotels can be booked up to 100 days in advance, but often provide extremely cheap and discounted options for same-day bookings.
Download: Hotel Tonight for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases)
Setting Up Camp
Camping is one of the most rewarding and relaxing adventures we can experience. However, the planning involved to make a camping trip wonderful can be incredibly overwhelming.
Luckily, the smart-phone has become our perfect pocket tool to help us with our difficult daily tasks. Once you arrive at the campsite, you can even use your smartphone as the perfect camping companion for every aspect of your wilderness adventure.