Imagine the internet goes down, or you’re traveling in a remote area with no network coverage. Most map apps become useless because they depend on online services. I wanted something that still works in those situations.
Using the Android app OruxMaps (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.orux.oruxmaps) — I have no affiliation with the developers — I prepared a full offline dataset including:
• Satellite imagery covering the entire country • Elevation data (DEM) for terrain shading and 3D visualization • Offline routing data using BRouter • OpenStreetMap points of interest • Additional mountain and hiking POIs • Full 3D terrain visualization
Everything runs locally on the phone once the data is installed. No network connection is required.
The result is basically a complete offline GIS-style mapping system that fits in your pocket. A very powerful tool to have. This could be useful for hikers, field researchers, emergency planning, or anyone traveling in areas where connectivity is unreliable.
Preparing and organizing the datasets took quite a bit of time, so I’m considering writing a guide or preparing ready-to-use offline map packages for people who want a similar setup without going through the whole process.
Curious if others here have experimented with fully offline mapping setups like this.
If anyone needs help setting something like this up, feel free to reach out — my email is in my profile.