App: Hiking

https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/39d3b5e8-67db-4517-93a8-5ec485269635

For the vivoactive, FR230, FR235, and FR630 (I don't plan support for other devices)

Please use this thread for questions, etc!

"Hike" records an activity as a hike or walk in Garmin Connect. It also allows you to mark "waypoints" (they show up as lap marks in Garmin connect, so you can see them on that map).

When hike starts, it waits for GPS, and looks for an available HRM and Tempe. At this point, with the up/down key or a screen swipe, you can switch between "hike" and "walk". Then, press "start" to start recording.

The current time, HR and temp (if the sensors are available) is displayed on all screens. While recording, pressing "back" marks a waypoint. To pause or end, press "start again", and you are given the options of "resume", "save", and "discard".

When you hit the start button and get the resume/save/discard menu, you can hit the back button. The menu goes away, and the recording remains paused (it's indicated next to the clock time on all pages). But you can scroll trough the data pages at the time. That way, if you're taking a break, you can sit and look at the current data.

When "paused" is displayed with the time, pressing start again resumes the recording.

There are 5 data screens that you can see when recording (up/down button, or swipe right/left on touch devices) (some not shown here due to forum limits)

The first screen is basic recording info: The time for the activity, the time that recording was active (when paused, this doesn't increase), the distance, and the number of waypoints marked

The second screen shows pace, avg pace, speed, and avg speed.

The third page shows the waypoints you marked. They are shown 5 at a time, and rotate every 7 seconds. They closest waypoint is shown in green.

The fourth page shows elevation data. This is GPS based, and sometime may be off. Elevation, total Ascent, and total Descent is shown.

The fifth page is location information. Your current lat/lon and heading, as well as your starting location lat/lon and the direction and distance back to start. GPS quality is also show, both in text and colors (green is usable or better)

Changes in version 0.12: see https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?335082-App-Hiking&p=765691#post765691

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sabeard over 8 years ago

Thanks SABEARD. It sure sounds like a FW thing to me, but as you are the only one I've heard about this from, it could also be your watch itself... :(

Jim,

Just to close the loop, the latest FR230 Firmware (4.60) solved my watch crashing problems. Thanks for your assistance in troubleshooting.

jim_m_58 over 8 years ago

Jim,

Just to close the loop, the latest FR230 Firmware (4.60) solved my watch crashing problems. Thanks for your assistance in troubleshooting.

Thanks for alerting me to this, so if it happens to others I can have them make sure they have the new FW!

Simon380 over 8 years ago

Lock Screen

Hi

Is it possible to lock the screen while in the Hiking mode App? I've tried the 'normal' way but this just changes the screen image

jim_m_58 over 8 years ago

You can't access the native device locking with any CIQ watch-app. Sorry....

Lee.McCullers over 8 years ago

Bigger Numbers?

Yours was the first app I installed after getting my FR235. Love it. Thanks!

I am sure I'm in the minority here but I do have trouble seeing the numbers while on a hike. (I don't usually bring my glasses.) I was hoping in a future update you might add a screen with just 2 big numbers for distance traveled and elapsed time. Thanks again.

HankDu over 8 years ago

Thanks Jim for your wonderful work; here was my experience with your "Hike" app.

1. we hiked 34.5km-35km last Saturday, Hike recorded 33km
2. step count didn't work when I pressed down or up button after using Hike, I had to power cycle the watch
3. there is no distance alert on every km/mile

jim_m_58 over 8 years ago

Thanks Jim for your wonderful work; here was my experience with your "Hike" app.

1. we hiked 34.5km-35km last Saturday, Hike recorded 33km

2. step count didn't work when I pressed down or up button after using Hike, I had to power cycle the watch

This was after you exited hike? What watch and it's Firmware version are you using?

3. there is no distance alert on every km/mile

There is no "auto lap" function in hike. You only get alerts when you've returned close to a waypoint or close to where you started.

HankDu over 8 years ago

I report the data I get from the firmware that it gets using GPS, and don't calculate. Could it be that some of your didstance was vertical and not seen by GPS or something, or were there periods where GPS was weak?
>> Most likely the GPS signal was weak because my friend got the right distance with his Garmin GPSMAP 64s.
>> We hiked 34km the second day, I used the built-in running activity to record and the distance was accurate.

This was after you exited hike? What watch and it's Firmware version are you using?
>> Yes Jim, this happened after I finished hiking. My watch is FR 230 with the latest firmware 4.6.

There is no "auto lap" function in hike. You only get alerts when you've returned close to a waypoint or close to where you started.
>> Is it possible to add the "auto lap" function?

BTW, I used your Hike application the third time yesterday and covered 26k steps. I connected the watch to PC right after the hike, and it recycled itself and the step count was reset to 0, the hike info was still there though. Not sure if it's the issue of FR230? It seems to me that Hike app had issue when step count reaches certain amount?

Jim, could you kindly summarize the advantages of your Hike app vs built-in running/other activity? Thanks in advance.

jim_m_58 over 8 years ago

The steps getting reset when you plug into the the PC sounds like a HW problem to me, as Hike is no longer running. There's nothing about 26k steps that would be a problem.

As far as the advantages, well, it records the activity as a hike, and gives you more info than a native app, as well as the chart display to see your route.

Hike was actually initially developed using a 230. It sounds like something weird with your watch.

AncilTech over 8 years ago

Maximizing battery life - Backpacking

Yes - only the recording is stopped, not sensors or GPS.

If you're concerned about battery life, both the vivoactive and the new forerunners can be charged while an app like Hike is running (on the va, you have to change system settings>usb mode to "Garmin", and don't need to do anything on the forerunners.

Have a battery cellphone charger, and the charging clip/cradle, and you can recharge on the go. On a va, I've gotten over 20 hrs of GPS usage for a single activity (and the battery was still at 75% when I stopped).

I haven't read of anyone else getting close to 20+ hours of usage. How were you able to do this?
What settings would provide the maximum battery life for an extended 10+ days on the trail?