Javi is an outdoors enthusiast and a tech expert who's navigation app of choice is CoMaps. He's currently on a sabbatical from his regular job as an engineer, doing what many have only dreamed of doing: traveling the world!

Meet Javi: FOSS Advocate, Linux Volunteer, and Bikepacker

Javi and Rebecca

Javi loves bikepacking and all things FOSS (free, open source software). So it makes sense to me that he would choose CoMaps as his navigation app!

Javi often speaks at events about Linux and the open source philosophy. He likes to code Linux kernel drivers too. In fact, he's been working on Linux drivers even out on the road using his laptop and Raspberry Pi!

Javi also loves the thrill of being outdoors. He loves camping, bikepacking, hiking, and mountain climbing, to name a few. For Javi it's a lifestyle that matches his FOSS ideals of freedom.

"I have two main passions. The first one is outdoor sports like climbing, mountaineering, trail running, backcountry skiing, hiking, biking... just anything that gives me a feel of freedom and a connection to nature. I believe maintaining a physical and mental balance is crucial to enjoying a full and healthy life. The second one is the Free and Open Source technology, especially anything related to embedded systems and low-level programming." - Javi

Traveling the World: From Europe to Oceania!

Right now he's in Oceania, but he didn't start there. Last year Javi and his girlfriend Rebecca planned to bikepack their way into Asia, starting from their home in the Austrian Alps. They had no specific destination in mind, and they've been through plenty of countries (and continents!) already.

Cycling through Mongolia

His long journey began on a train from Dornbirn, Austria to Trieste, Italy. From Trieste, he continued east, mostly traveling by bicycle, sometimes taking ferries, buses, trains, and (in rare cases) planes. He has crossed Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and more.

Trip Planning and Offline Navigation

Javi says he's used CoMaps since the fork from Organic Maps back in 2025, which was before his sabbatical. He's been using it every day of his cycling trip since.

"I use CoMaps every single day of the trip, both for planning and also for offline navigation. Actually, it is currently the only app I use for route planning and navigation, and it has safely taken me to many countries in Asia and now in Oceania." - Javi

Downloading Maps While Traveling the World

The great thing about CoMaps being offline is you can download maps when you have Internet access, and then use it even when you don't.

Javi and Rebecca camp most nights.

I asked Javi if he has any trouble downloading maps while he's traveling the world. He must be in a lot of remote areas most of the time, and he probably hasn't had cell service for most of his trip, so I wondered how that works. He said no, he almost never has any issues.

"I usually download them when I get WiFi access before entering the country, which is especially important before visiting countries with poor internet access or [other] limitations...." - Javi

Battery Saving Tips

I asked what he does to save his battery while traveling.

"Battery management is an important topic for me because I often spend several days cycling in remote regions where I don't have access to electricity." - Javi

He also shared these battery saving tips for navigating without electricity for long distances:

• Keep the phone in airplane/flight mode as much as possible.
• Turn on battery saver and leave it on.
• Leave your screen off while traveling; only turn it on when you need to check your directions. ("I usually take a look the day before so I know more or less what the route looks like, and then I don't need to check that often.")
• Instead of using navigation mode while bikepacking, Javi likes to follow a track manually, which he says saves his battery. ("But if I am in a big city where I need to reach a certain destination, then I use the voice instructions as well [as navigation] so I don't have to look at the screen.")
• Bring multiple battery packs, and charge them whenever you can. 10,000 mAh or more is best for long trips.
• Javi uses a 21 Watt solar panel, which helps keep his battery packs, laptop, and Raspberry Pi Zero 2w charged, but not usually 100%.
• Keep your phone and battery packs warm in cold climates. While hiking or cycling, that means keeping them on you under layers of clothes. Sometimes while camping you may even need to keep them in the sleeping bag with you!

Follow Javi's Journey

Check out his journey at https://hackerbikepacker.com/. He accepts contributions as well if you would like to support him on his journey and so he can continue his work on Linux. In fact he takes a part of any contributions he recieves and passes them on to other FOSS projects, including OpenStreetMap, and CoMaps via Open Collective!

Javi riding ahead of Rebecca

OpenStreetMap Volunteers Made This Trip Better

As CoMaps users, Javi and Rebecca have been traveling using map data other people from around the world have built. While other navigation apps have map coverage in many places, OpenStreetMap is often the most accurate in remote places. Because CoMaps uses offline map data from OpenStreetMap, they have been able to travel farther, safer. If you've ever added or corrected OpenStreetMap data in Europe, Asia, or Oceania, you might have helped him along the way!

Thank you, Javi, for answering my questions while you're still traveling the world, and for your contributions in the FOSS ecosystem as well! Lots of us have benefitted from your work, I'm sure. Stay safe out there!