Cairn: The Trail Safety App Reviews

by Prulifson

Good idea but, as of 17 Jun 18, it sends a map to your safety circle of cell phone coverage instead of actual locations.

It records actual locations (and consumes significant power) but doesn’t send them.

Cairn could work for you if you hike in areas with at least partial cell phone coverage but for me it is mostly useless.

by SynerSoft

I tried to plot some points in my land. All of a sudd it thought I was miles away. I expected an on phone app with downloaded map to perform better
Just need to mark on map the location of my parcel corners.

by Miss Guidas

Purchased the subscription to use for my upcoming trip to Death Valley and the trail I need isn’t listed. Downloaded Gaia and AllTrails and they both had it. Second time I was unable to use this app since I had it because the trail was missing. Works nicely when they have the trail available.

by 01001101TQ

It’s not possible to import a saved track

by 8MoreBits

this app provides peace of mind for family when I’m hiking. The ability to “queue” messages until cell signal is established works well in areas of poor coverage.

I’d give it 5 stars but the most recent version pulled the Watch app which I found really handy for sending updates.

by Mdmbus

This is a cool app, originally downloaded for cell coverage on hikes but really hooked on safety tracking. So easy to use and all WA trails are accurate used on Mt Rainier recently, able to use the ETA to decide when to turn around. Overall my favorite navigation hike.

by Frohkid

We have been using Cairn in Puerto Rico to help map all the science studies we have been doing in the rainforests above caguas after the hurricane. We have no cell service at all and little to no power. The ability to download detailed topography for free anywhere you might be traveling or working is amazing.
I have also had a contact with the cairns team. I was having trouble signing in with my new phone. They were amazingly helpful, and prompt in their response. Cairn should should not be free. It is too good to be true.
Keep it up y’all!

by Brian_six

Worked well on my last hike and the developers are very responsive to suggestions.

by BrianSeattle17

Maps are great and knowing how far I have to go is a life saver. Finding cell coverage is handy for making important phone calls that you forgot to make before you entered the wilderness (oops!)

by ChefD33

I needed something to keep track of my hike incase anything happened to me and Cairn is it! I highly recommend using Cairn if you care about letting your friends and family know you’re not dead in the woods.

by SeattleSoccer

This is a great app for hikers and backpackers. It’s easy to use. You can download maps so you can use them even when you are off-line. It uses the GPS chip in your phone so you can determine your location on the map. It helps you find places with cell phone signal if you need it. And it gives you an easy way to notify a circle of friends of where you are going and when you expect to be back. It notifies them if you are overdue, and you can check in to let them know that you returned safely. I use this on all my solo hikes.

by Z J Kendall

Great for Washington state. Outside of that I’ve been disappointed with trail options. Also lacks ability to really define your own trails. However the Cell-service breadcrumbs are awesome for seasonal trails that have a different winter route than summer route.

by DjJimmySantaElla

I use Cairn on every hike to notify my wife of where I’m going and she can track me. I’ve found the offline cell coverage maps really helpful from making a call to posting pics. Great eta feature that works off your current location.

by Woodsy Wonder

My daughter lives in Australia and I live in the US. I’m in her safety circle and can track her progress real time with Cairn. Recently, I was tracking her progress and saw that she hadn’t reached her destination on the trail. I was able to check her battery life and see that her battery had run out which accounted for her lack of progress. Highly recommend Cairn for hikes.

by Trail Dog Walker

A friend told me about this app as I walk my dog on trails alone and wanted a way for husband to track me. Looked into SPOT but it was too expensive and usually go nearby. this app is a great app that gives me offline maps, shows the trail, and safety tracking. The performance is fast, even when there is no signal. We also have started using on international trips, last to to Thailand. Overall great value and design works well. Please add SOS feature.

by Testing Your App

I enjoy hiking and Cairn is my favorite. When I am hiking, it is great to know that I can use the safety circle feature to give my family peace of mind. I love the cell coverage info in the maps which helps me plan my hikes when I am trying to stay connected. Cairn also has beautiful quality maps that are fast and responsive which keeps me coming back for more. I even have fun using Cairn for pocket hikes with the family in the city.

by AT Hiker Jess

I love Cairn. Got hooked on this during the 30 day free trial. The GPS and maps are easy to read. When I type in the trail it shows up immediately, I can see trail stats, the route, and my ETA. Recently used on a 3 day backpacking trip of the Appalachian Trail and only had to charge battery once. this app works best in low power mode and doesn’t drain power like other outdoor apps. The best part is the safety features where friends and family can track me on my hike. Overall well worth the $27 a year.

by Donna Spokane Hiker

I came across Cairn from the local news and decided to give it a try. It's very easy to let family know where I'm going, allow them to track me, and sends out alerts with instructions when overdue. I now use it on all hike and trail runs in the wilderness. The ETA and GPS are very accurate and even used The cell coverage points to find a signal to send text messages off the grid. When I tell my family that I'm planning a hike they usually respond with don't forget to send a this app.

by PNW Hiking Guy

After using several other outdoor apps throughout the years I’m finally settling on this app. Why it’s my favorite:

1. The safety features, when outdoors I don’t want to spend a ton of time on my phone except for photos and safety. this app has the right balance between engaging me when needed and not being too busy or distracting. It works well in the background to track and communicate my trip plans, location, battery life, and status to mom. It’s not the only safety tool but an important one.

2. The maps are great and good value for being able to download for offline.

3. Real-time ETA rocks. I like to see time, distance, elevation left and this app performs magic here.

My state WA has a ton of trail coverage. Outside of the US, trails in Cairn are limited for ETA and stats, but app still seems to show most of worldwide trails on the map when zooming in.

by DAdventurer

I’ve been using Cairn while hiking overseas and it’s fabulous! I don’t have too many worries about getting lost, since I can download offline maps, and it lets my family keep up on what I’m doing. I most definitely recommend the cairnapp!