Offline hiking maps: set up your phone before leaving home

An online map that works at home may not load at the trailhead. Download the area before travelling and check that the detail you need is actually available without reception.

Test the offline setup

1. Download the route and enough surrounding area for alternatives.
2. Open the map with mobile data and Wi-Fi switched off.
3. Zoom in and check junctions, contours and place names.
4. Save the current official track notes and alerts separately.
5. Charge the phone and plan backup power.

Keep navigation bigger than the phone

A position dot does not tell you whether a track is open or a crossing is safe. Compare it with landmarks and the official route. Carry a suitable backup map and know how to use it; protect the phone from water and cold, and do not spend the whole battery budget on photos.

Practise somewhere familiar

Before a remote trip, follow a known route while comparing the map with junctions and terrain. Learn how your app displays distance, direction and downloaded coverage. I would check the map at a junction before choosing a branch, rather than waiting for the dot to show a mistake. If you become uncertain, stop and work out your position instead of continuing on a guess.

Read next: Contour lines explained: seeing hills on a topographic map.

Sources and photo credit

Information checked 29 September 2026.

• NZ Mountain Safety Council
• LINZ

Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg. Original photograph; CC BY 4.0. Resized for web display.