Mountain

Great Urban Outdoors Houston

Exploring Houston’s Urban Wilderness In the ‘Great Urban Outdoors’ Series

4 min read Sep 4, 2024

Check Out The Inside of This 4x4 Mitsubishi Fuso Canter Truck Camper

Check Out The Inside of This 4×4 Mitsubishi Fuso Canter Truck Camper

1 min read Aug 29, 2024

Lake Tahoe Got August Snow for the First Time in 20 Years

2 min read Aug 27, 2024

California Forecast Calls for Snow in August for the First Time in 20 Years

2 min read Aug 22, 2024

This Is the Best Custom Interior I've Ever Seen on a Pop-Up Camper

This Is the Best Custom Interior I’ve Ever Seen In a Pop-Up Camper

1 min read Aug 16, 2024

Oregon’s Timberline Lodge Is FINALLY Approaching Its Closing Day for Skiing and Snowboarding

2 min read Aug 16, 2024

A Vermont Ski Resort Gives Season Passes to Locals Who Cut the Grass

3 min read Aug 14, 2024

TGR Releases Trailer for 29th Annual Film, ‘BEYOND THE FANTASY’

2 min read Aug 13, 2024

Atomic Employee Allegedly Stole 1,900 Pairs of Skis

2 min read Aug 8, 2024

PCT

Embracing Failure on the Pacific Crest Trail: Sandyann Ducarme’s Journey

6 min read Jul 26, 2024

hiker Grace Rohloff and Half Dome

20-Year-Old Hiker Falls to Her Death at Half Dome in Yosemite

5 min read Jul 24, 2024

A Hiker Was Lost in the Santa Cruz Mountains for 10 Days; I Retraced His Steps to Find Out Why

A Hiker Was Lost in the Santa Cruz Mountains for 10 Days; I Retraced His Steps to Find Out Why

10 min read Jul 18, 2024

Utah Skiers’ Year-Over-Year Visitation Down 5% from 2023, Still Up Significantly Over 2022

2 min read Jul 11, 2024

4 Action Sports Start-Ups To Watch (Or Invest In)

4 Action Sports Start-Ups To Watch (Or Invest In)

4 min read Jul 11, 2024

Smartphones have revolutionized the way we hike. They’ve given us access to useful apps that provide maps, trails, weather, and, more recently, emergency communication outside of cell signal range. Back in January I openly posed the question if Apple’s SOS emergency satellite messaging feature on iPhone 14 and 15 could replace the long-trusted satellite devices specifically built for those who recreate outdoors. The conclusion that I reached was: not just yet. While useful, feedback on Apple’s satellite feature indicated that it wasn’t as reliable as dedicated satellite communication devices like Garmin, and the smartphones themselves aren’t as durable in the elements. However, I also curiously ended my story with this sentence: “I can’t imagine it will take too long for Apple to improve its satellite capabilities to more strongly compete in the market.” With the latest software update, iOS 18, which will be released in the fall, Apple is building on its satellite communication service. Now, instead of only emergency calls via satellite, you’ll be able to freely communicate via iMessage or SMS with whomever you please on iPhone 14 or newer. Want to message your friends while camping out of cell range? No problem. It may seem like a minor update, but it’s another smartphone incursion into the satellite device space. Even Android is experimenting with it too. Grayson Haver Currin penned a piece for Outside that gave a great example of how this service would have saved him some trouble. Currin got separated from his wife on the Continental Divide Trail. Unable to directly contact her, he used his iPhone satellite feature to contact emergency services and get search and rescue involved. Had he instead been able to contact her to request her location, the crisis would have been quickly averted. The satellite messaging service will only be available in the US, which is a tick on the “cons” side of the Venn diagram for those who live elsewhere. But, again, the point is that the service is improving fast. Apple is making its product increasingly tantalizing for outdoorsy people. As a hiker, I am tempted to pick up a new iPhone just for this update. Satellite messaging is not Apple’s only foray into the space currently dominated by outdoors-oriented technology companies. The iOS 18 update will also replicate features found in popular hiking apps, like AllTrails, in Apple’s own Maps app. As a thrifty, avid hiker, it’s hard to complain about the technology race. These desired features are becoming more accessible and at lower price points, which, in theory, should translate to safer hiking.

iPhones as a Backcountry Tool? Latest iOS Messaging Update Improves Apple’s Position

3 min read Jul 11, 2024