The summary of ‘OnX vs GAIA: A Comparison and Basic Tutorial’

This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.

00:00:0000:18:55

The video provides an in-depth comparison between Gaia GPS and onX map applications, focusing on their use for off-road and overland trail navigation. Dewey Jones, the presenter, favors Gaia GPS due to its superior offline map capabilities, extensive base layers, and variety of overlays. Gaia GPS offers detailed historical maps and reliable landowner information for a lower cost compared to onX. Both apps support GPX file importation, but Gaia GPS is highlighted for its ease of use in route planning, especially with CarPlay integration.

While onX is praised for its private land layer and ease of interpreting trail data, there are concerns about the reliability of its trail ratings. Gaia GPS's detailed NOAA weather information is preferred over onX's recently introduced route planning features. The presenter also recommends third-party resources like Fun Treks and Trails Offroad for comprehensive trail guides, especially in the western regions, and local Facebook groups for the East Coast.

Despite a strong preference for Gaia GPS, the presenter maintains memberships to both apps and utilizes additional tools to provide well-rounded trail guides. The video concludes with a promise of more detailed comparisons and guides in future content.

00:00:00

In this part of the video, Dewey Jones introduces the comparison between Gaia GPS and onX, focusing on their use for off-road and Overland trail navigation. Dewey expresses a preference for Gaia GPS, emphasizing its superior offline map capabilities. He demonstrates how to download maps using Gaia GPS, showing that it can record and save offline maps efficiently even in areas with limited cell service. Conversely, he points out that onX requires downloading multiple map segments at different resolutions, which can be time-consuming without strong cell service.

00:03:00

In this segment, the video discusses the functionalities of Gaia GPS and onX map software, emphasizing the superiority of Gaia GPS in terms of base layers and overlays. The speaker highlights that both applications offer offline maps, but Gaia GPS is preferred due to its extensive and detailed base layers, including options like Gaia Overland, U.S. Forest Service, National Geographic, topographical, and satellite maps. The historic 1900s to 1930s maps in Gaia GPS are particularly noted for their valuable historical information. In terms of overlays, Gaia GPS is again favored for providing more variety compared to onX, which has limited options. OnX is mentioned for its private land layer, which requires an elite membership costing around $99 per year. Overall, Gaia GPS is deemed superior in both categories.

00:06:00

In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the advantages of using Gaia GPS for accessing landowner information and importing GPX files. They mention that Gaia GPS, even with a basic paid membership, provides a private land layer showing the names of landowners for $35 annually, which they verified for accuracy. They compare this favorably against a $99 alternative. The speaker explains the utility of GPX files, used for planning routes and trips, and demonstrates how to import these files into Gaia GPS. While they acknowledge OnX software also supports GPX file importation, they are more familiar with Gaia GPS. Additionally, the speaker addresses the use of mapping applications for reaching trailheads, preferring Google Maps for this purpose over Gaia GPS, which can also be used but is less straightforward. They conclude that Google Maps is the best option for navigating to trailheads.

00:09:00

In this part of the video, the presenter discusses the functionality of using CarPlay with Gaia GPS and On X map applications. Both apps are now compatible with CarPlay, enhancing their usability. The presenter demonstrates Gaia GPS recording the trip and displaying a GPS layer, while On X shows a satellite map and tracks the journey. The presenter then compares the trail information provided by both apps, suggesting that On X might offer more easily digestible data but expresses skepticism about the reliability of On X’s trail ratings. The presenter notes some discrepancies in On X’s ratings, particularly for Colorado trails, and mentions a personal experience with less useful trail information in East Tennessee. The segment concludes with a hint that more discussion on finding trails using map software will follow.

00:12:00

In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses weather information available on various map applications, specifically on X and Gaia GPS. Although both platforms offer weather data, the speaker prefers Gaia GPS for its detailed NOAA data and 12-hour updates, which provide comprehensive precipitation information. The speaker recounts using Gaia GPS for a recent off-road trip from Marble to Aspen, highlighting its effectiveness in trip planning. On X has recently introduced route planning in their desktop app, but the speaker favors Gaia GPS for its ease of use on an iPad. The segment concludes with anticipation of discussing how to use these apps to find trails at their final destination.

00:15:00

In this part of the video, the creator discusses an unfortunate event where they crashed their drone. Although they hope to find it using DJI’s new tracking method, they acknowledge not having maps as a recurring issue. Shifting focus, the creator highlights their approach to navigating trails for their channel, emphasizing the use of curated trail guides like Fun Treks and Trails Off-road for the western regions. For the East Coast, they recommend using local Facebook groups such as East Tennessee Overlanders, which has provided valuable trail information for their Jeep Liberty series. The creator teases upcoming content comparing OnX and Gaia mapping software, promising more detailed guides in the future.

00:18:00

In this part of the video, the presenter compares OnX and Gaia GPS, displaying a comparison chart and sharing personal ratings. They prefer Gaia GPS due to its greater functionality and ease of use with practice. Despite this preference, the channel will maintain memberships to both OnX and Gaia GPS, as well as use other tools like Trails Offroad and FunTreks to create comprehensive trail guides.

Scroll to Top