We usually go camping to escape our phones, but your phone can still be a great tool with these must-have camping apps.
Now days there are apps for everything to include finding the best campgrounds, the drive there, and activities once you’re settled in.
Without further ado, let’s jump into the apps so you can get going on your next trip.
Finding the Right Spot
Tentrr (iOS) – This is the ideal camping app for locating the perfect glampsite when you simply want to show up and have fun. With no equipment required, Tentrr has uniquely curated glampsites for every type of adventure. Don’t worry, there are traditional campsites as well if you want to pack your own gear. Between their 800+ locations, we’re sure you’ll find something perfect for you.
Check out this quick video to learn more about how Tentrr works.
Reserve America (iOS and Android) – The Reserve America app is one of the best and most used when it comes to finding the perfect camping spot. It has nearly 1,400 reviews with a 4.4 star rating on Android and nearly 19,000 reviews with a 4.8 star rating on iOS. Reserve America lists camping and RV spots, yurts, and cabins all across the nation. This app is very user-friendly and you’re sure to find a great camp spot, we can’t recommend this app enough!
Airbnb (iOS and Android) – While this app may not be the first that comes to mind, you’ll be surprised on how many glamping experiences are on Airbnb. With a little bit of searching, you can find everything from airstreams to bell tents. As with any Airbnb rental, simply show up and enjoy. Read the listing, but chances are everything (and more) is provided for your stay.
Avoid the Rain, Check the Weather
The Weather Channel (iOS and Android) – Most likely on your phone already and one of the most downloaded apps ever, TWC is the most popular weather app. Rightfully so as it is free and full-featured with forecasts and radar.
This is a great app for the simplicity of checking the weather prior to a camping trip.
Hyperlocal Weather (Dark Sky Powered by) & Radar (Android) – Not nearly as popular as TWC, but there are arguments that this app is better and more accurate. The radar is beautifully designed and extremely accurate with your location.
You can also set alerts based on weather conditions. One of my favorite features is the real-time weather radar which is location-focused, easy to use, and the most accurate I have personally used.
Packing Up and Staying Organized
PackPoint Travel Packing List (iOS and Android) – For any veteran camper forgetting your camping gear is simply part of the pastime. You will inevitably forget something as you hit the road, but not anymore with PackPoint.
This app lets you create packing lists for all of your trips and/or activities and saves them so you don’t forget anything to add to the list. After all, the list is only as good as you make it, right?
As you continue to pack your glamper, simply swipe or check items off of the list.
The Trip
Roadside America (iOS) – You should enjoy the drive as much as you enjoy the destination. Roadside America is an app that highlights some of the best attractions and stops along your way. It’s free for one region, but you’ll have to pay if you want multiple regions. Even the free region will provide you enough fun for a single trip.
It is not necessarily the most beautifully designed app, but it’s highly regarded with 4.7 stars our of 1,500 reviews on the Apple App Store. Unfortunately, they only support iOS and not Android at this time.
GasBuddy (iOS and Android) – This app has been around for years and is useful for more than just camping trips. GasBuddy shows you the price of gas in your area. You can sort by price, by fuel type, and by proximity.
The data is crowd-sourced, meaning the users are reporting prices as they see them and the prices are accurate to nearly the minute.
You’ll love this camping app because it goes well above and beyond just finding cheap gas. GasBuddy lets you track your refuels, earn gas rewards, and monitor your driving habits to help save even more money.
CoPilot RV (iOS and Android) – Most of us use Google or Apple maps for navigation; however, neither of those consider the special requirements when you’re towing a 40′ 5th wheel behind you. Use CoPilot RV instead!
This app is a full-functioning GPS navigation app but provides you routing based on the size of your rig. You can select your routes to avoid tolls or select the shortest or quickest routes.
Camping Activities
Fishbrain (iOS and Android) – Fishing and camping go hand-in-hand, and if you’re going to go fishing you might as well be prepared. This app does just that. It is essentially a social network for anglers allowing them to share their catches, where they caught it, what they used, weather conditions when it was caught, etc.
Don’t expect any fish tales here because everyone posts a photo of their catch.
While the freemium version isn’t terrible by any means, but the pro version comes in at $9.99/month and offers much, much more.
Geocaching (iOS and Android) – If you’ve never geocached then a good time to start is during your next camping trip. Throw on your hiking shoes and grab a bottle of water, you’re going to have hours of fun geocaching. With this app you’ll discover hundreds of hidden caches all around you. As you find the caches, mark them off in the app leaving a short message.
You get quite a bit for the $5.99/mo subscription, but the free version will get you pretty far as well. Also feel free to try out the other geocaching apps because there are quite a few on both the Apple and Android app stores.
Enjoying the Beautiful Stars
Night Sky (iOS) – This is one of the most beautifully designed, easy-to-use apps we’ve ever seen. Then again, maybe we’re just suckers for star gazing.
Take advantage of the seclusion of your camping spot and view the stars. Using augmented reality, you’ll be able to identify which stars, planets, or other objects you’re looking at and which constellation they’re a part of. You can even see which satellites are flying over you at that particular time.
The free version is more than enough for anyone, but we still recommend trying on the premium version because this app is just that cool.
Sky Map (Android) – This app is the Android version of Night Sky and it is by Google themselves. This app will do the trick for you to identify stars and planets and best of all is that it is completely free.
You don’t have to completely disconnect on your next camping trip. There are plenty of apps that won’t distract you but instead will help to make your next camping trip better.
Surely there are apps we forgot to mention. Do you have any must-have camping apps that you open up on each camping trip? We’d love to hear about them in the comments below. If you’ve tried any of the apps above we would love to hear your thoughts on those as well.
