Google Maps Helps Man Walk 5,000 Miles Across Asia [VIDEO]

While most of us consult Google Maps to get directions to the mall, one man used the app to trek 5,000 miles across Asia.

Equipped with an Android phone running Maps, U.S. Marine Sgt. Winston Fiore set out on a journey to raise money and awareness for the International Children's Surgical Foundation, a charity that provides free facial-reconstructive surgery for children with cleft palates in developing countries.

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Fiore walked across Brunei, China, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam in a mission he called "Smile Trek," which began last October and ended Monday. Along with his Android, Biore also brought "sturdy boots" and "a 20-pound vest carrying essentials," according to a Google blog post that details his expedition.

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Despite these other tools, however, the adventurer said Google Maps was "the hub" of his entire trip, using it to find "accurate and easy-to-use" walking directions -- even through remote villages and along dirt roads.

"Walking directions in Google Maps were critical to my trek. The directions were accurate and efficient -- it's essential to take the shortest route when you're walking 20-25 miles each day," Fiore told Google. "But the best part was being routed onto roads and trails through areas I otherwise never would have discovered with, say, driving directions, or even a physical map."

He added that he also used other Google products during Smile Trek, including Google Latitude, MyTracks and Google Translate.

After 408 days, Fiore raised more than $65,000 for the foundation.

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