A couple of years back, I did Thanksgiving in Hawaii with my wife's family. In lieu of a Turkey Trot, we opted to climb the tallest mountain on the island. Thankfully, both my brother-in-law and I had onX, which came in handy near the halfway point, when our wives asked the infamous question, “Does it get any worse from here?” Instead of pointing to marginally-closer-together topographic lines on an iPhone 14, I was able to adjust the 3D Elevation Exaggeration to match what we had already climbed thus far, painting an accurate visual of what was behind us–and more importantly–what was in front of us. It became abundantly clear that the answer was, “Yes, it actually gets much worse from here.”
If you’re married, you probably know the importance of managing one another’s expectations, which is why in this case the 3D Elevation Exaggeration likely helped to avoid a brief Thanksgiving marital spat (or maybe not–our wives are super cool, after all). And if you’re a hunter, much like in marriage, you must work exceptionally hard at managing your expectations. I’m an optimist… I think a lot of hunters are. And I can sometimes place a little too much “blue sky” between tight topographic lines. The onX 3D Elevation Exaggeration helps provide an important reality check.
When you're hiking and hit a tough section, the natural question is: does it get worse from here? Without data, that's a gut call. With the elevation profile, you can look ahead and actually answer the question, especially after gaining a general lay of the land and matching the 3D Elevation Exaggeration to what you’ve already traversed.
That information directly shapes your decision–keep pushing on the current route, adjust your pace, or cut your losses and find a smarter line. On a backcountry hunt where miles and energy matter, that's not a small thing.
The 3D Elevation Exaggeration in onX Hunt doesn't just make you a better map reader. It makes you a more realistic planner. And while learning to read topographic lines is a critical skill (as you often won’t have satellite connectivity in the backcountry), the 3D Elevation Exaggeration (and some bad decisions) can seriously shorten the learning curve.
Not an onX member? Download the app here!
Login