Saw the post about pics and been meaning to post this. Since so many have smart phones now.
Found this thru a work friend and it is pretty cool. The beauty of this app is that once the app and map/maps are downloaded to your phone (if you are downloading maps strate to a phone you DO HAVE TO HAVE A PHONE SIGNAL), the app works off GPS chip in our phone so it will track you in real time, take geo-referenced photos, plot locations and other features EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE NO CELL PHONE SIGNAL. For me that is pretty frequent. I have been using this regularly in the field and it should prove very nice in areas we hunt that may or may not have any phone service. You can also download a ton of maps via USB strate from your computer to the phone.
There is a free version, $10 version and the pro $100 version. I haven't done anything but the free one and I am pleased. Pretty simple to use. Has some tools so you can measure strate line distance and some areas (such as fields / food plots). You can switch from topo to aerial and still show all your points in real time. There are maps available for National Forests and Parks showing trails, roads and stuff. And lots more at the online store.
NOW, the way they make their money is to sell maps. But they have TONS of free maps at their store. I have 1/2 of WV and all free so far. Scanning around I saw maps for just about every state. The maps are all 7.5 minute (1"=2000') standard USGS maps. ANY MAP THAT IS GEO-REFERENCED SHOULD WORK. So maps from gov sites, state sites, ect may work fine as well. I am told that maps from the USGS site work but haven't tried them. And you can put loads and hordes of these things on a cell phone with no real big loss of memory.
Anyway, once your app and maps are installed it works with out a cell signal and in real time. Just like a handheld GPS to some limited degree. But in my case, I now also get aerial photos. Nothing like a pic!
Check it out. Start here by getting the app. The rest is pretty strate forward.
http://www.avenza.com/pdf-maps
