Do you fancy yourself as a bit of an adventurer? Going boldly where no-one has gone before? Then you probably would benefit from a bit of friendly software assistance to make sure you get where you’re going and return safely.

The ViewRanger Outdoors GPS Open app is a smartphone application which provides offline nature trail mapping for those who prefer their traveling to be more off-road than on. The app has been available for iPhone for a while, but now a new updated version is available on Android, and what’s more you can record your adventures through the jungle using the trip recorder function.

The app uses open source maps by default, but it’s also possible to buy and download trail guides and maps for a large bunch of countries around the world, as well as topographic maps if you’re thinking about climbing mountains or cycling across the Andes. There’s also a free route planning tool available online at my.viewranger.com, which includes a nice community feature so you can share and support each other on your explorations of the world.

The only problem we can foresee with this kind of software is making sure your phone battery lasts long enough to get you back home, but that’s probably the least of your problems if you’re trekking across a barren wasteland. Anyhoo, the app is free, but of course there are lots of opportunities to buy extras to make it all work better.