Weekly Blog #19 - Hiking? There's an APP for that...Part 2
Note: There may be Amazon Affiliate Links in this blog. Sponge receives a commission for purchases made from them.
posted: Saturday, September 5th, 2026
In a digital age, there are some worthwhile apps to consider for hikers.
Welcome to Part 2 of Sponge's highly recommended apps for hikers. Just a friendly reminder that Sponge uses an Iphone, so there is a chance some of these may not be Android-capatable.
App #4: PictureThis (Free Download, $ for Premium Membership)
Similar to last week's selection of Merlin as a bird-identification app is PictureThis, which can be used for plant and tree identification. You can use real-time camera pics to make an identification (there's an option to then automatically save these t your camera roll or discard them) or saved pictures.
The premium membership ($3.33/month, billed as a one-year charge of $39.99) opens up some additional toys - like an age-estimator for tree rings, tools to identify plants for allergens and toxicity and - for when you're home from the trail - a diagnoses/care tool for indoor outdoor plants.
Like Merlin, the app is customizable by geographic area.
App #5: Kindle by Amazon (Free, $ for Book Downloads)
For those nights when you want a good book to just wind down with, Sponge highly recommends using Kindle. He originally thought it was only for Kindle readers sold by Amazon, but it's a a surprisingly sharp, responsive app that uses little battery power.
Sponge has about a dozen novels loaded into his app. Once downloaded, no internet connectivity is needed and the app automatically brings you back to the exact title and page you had open when you last were using it.
Kindle also was super helpful on the Superior Hiking Trail for Sponge. He downloaded the SHT Guidebook and Databook and constantly pulled up both while hiking. Each loaded flawlessly and Kindle saved him the weight of carrying additional weight.
App #6: Apple or Google Maps (Free)
Much like his final share in last week's blog (Notepad), Sponge is throwing out an app you probably already own as an underutilized hiking app. Most people (like Apple vs. Android) are either "Team Apple Maps" or "Team Google Maps"...and that's fine. Heck, Sponge has both, although he uses Apple Maps more often.
So what makes the traditional map apps valuable? One word: civilization. While pretty useless once you on a mountain or far into a forest, Apple/Google Maps are an amazing resource once you start to approach a town or main roadway. Yes, you'll need a few bars of cellular service and give up some battery juice, but the payoff is you can find potential restaurants, resupply options, lodging options, hospitals, laundromats, and post offices. And a simple click on each provides what is usually up-to-date hours of operation, reviews and click-to-call phone numbers. Sure, guidebooks may have some of this info - but Apple/Google Maps tends to be more up to date and accurate.
And since these maps deal mainly with roadways, they can be invaluable when judging potential roadwalks and shortcut roads that could exist.
Don't sleep on the "map" app, as it saved Sponge more times than he can count - especially when you're considering hoofing it to a business than may be closed by the time you arrive.
Ok, folks, one last "batch 'o apps" for next week!