The Path to Scout.

I’ve been biking, camping and hiking since I was a toddler. Scout is the culmination of all the gadgets I’ve created over the years in the search for an easy-to-use, easy-to-read, reliable mapping device.

Most of my efforts were not very user friendly or too fiddly to share. But I’ve finally been able to piece together what I think is the perfect combination of off-the-shelf tech to make Scout both useful and easy to use.

Scout Minimum Requirements:

Clear readable maps at all times. Scout continuously saves your location and brings up your last known location on reboot, so you can always find your way home. Scout’s epaper display means that your last map stays visible in the event of a power loss. Scout can hold large amounts of mapping data on its SD Card, but also has a minimal set of maps stored internally if it gets lost or corrupted. Scout tries hard to keep you informed.

Super low power use. When using cell phone mapping software, I would have to turn off at least the phone display while riding; and often turn the phone off entirely. The micro-controller that powers Scout along with its e-paper display and advanced GPS unit means that Scout can stay in an ultra-low-power state most of the time resulting in very long battery life (aiming for 7+ days) and never a blank screen.

Off-grid & private. Scout does not require: Internet, wi-fi, cell connection, phone app, account, personal information. You may change settings, add or copy GPX tracks, and add map info all on Scout’s SD Card. Charge it, copy your GPX tracks to your SD Card, and go.

Always helpful. Scout aims to always show you helpful information, and doesn’t interrupt you. When the screen flashes, it means something: a mode change, an important update, or the map recentering when your location would go offscreen. A flash always means something happened. After a power loss, your last screen stays visible: your last map, GPS location, and time of that update. A custom, field-reloadable backup set of maps lives in internal memory if your SD card goes missing.