Columnist Sophie Kruse writes about apps that can mix up your outdoor routine.
With warmer weather finally here in Athens, it’s time to go outside and enjoy the beautiful Southeast Ohio scenery. If you have access to a car, I recommend taking a trip to Strouds Run or Hocking Hills. If not, you’re still able to hit the bike path and enjoy the sunshine.
For those outdoor adventures, there are a few apps that I recommend to make your time more worthwhile. Though I don’t suggest being tied to your phone for your entire outdoor adventure, you can utilize it to have some fun.
If you’ve never tried geocaching, I recommend downloading an app — there are many available in the App Store (some free and some for a few dollars) — and heading out with your friends. There are caches everywhere in Athens — just start with the bike path!
If you’ve never gone before, geocaching is like a hiking scavenger hunt. A map gives you the coordinates of the cache (usually just a small box or container), and you find it by following the map and doing a little bit of hunting. Some of them have little mementos left inside by other cachers.
It gets especially fun if you’re looking for caches in national parks or areas that attract tourists. You’ll never know what you’ll find inside. My favorite cache was one I found on the Appalachian Trail several years ago. There were mementos from people from all over the country inside.
{{tncms-asset app="editorial" id="62ce4cd4-eacc-11e5-af57-fb3fcd3bbc6b"}}
If you’re a fan of hiking and keeping track of what you do, I recommend downloaded an app like Map My Run or Trail Tracker GPS. Map My Run can be used for any kind of distance-based activity, like walking, running or biking. Simply turn on the tracker at the beginning of your hike and stop it at the end. You’ll get lots of fun facts about your hike — distance walked, pace, calories burned and even a map showing you where you hiked. If it was a particularly memorable hike, you’re able to go back and use the GPS to have it take you on it again.
Trail Tracker GPS is pretty similar. It gives you live viewing of your progress with lots of information about your hike after. On there, you’re able to view your hike with Street View later, which shows you more than just your line on a regularly styled map. It also has the ability to send out your coordinates in case of an emergency.
AllTrails is an app that gives you access to more than 50,000 trails for hiking and biking. If you’re looking to try something new or maybe get out of Ohio, it will allow you more planning for your trip.
The final app I'll mention is something different. If you’re looking for a way to get some exercise outside but aren’t a fan of the typical running apps, check out Zombies, Run! It puts you in the shoes of someone running from zombies. There’s immersive audio that will keep you entertained for your run. There’s a storyline throughout the game that will tie together each of your runs.
Sophie Kruse is a senior studying journalism. What is your favorite outdoor app? Email her at sk139011@ohio.edu.
