View Full Version : IPads on an AT thru hike
Prime Time
09-06-2012, 17:04
Does anyone have experience with taking an IPad on an AT thru hike that they'd like to share. I'm considering one for the following reasons: It would be my journal, phone, internet connection, camera, and library. So although it weighs about a pound and a half, the weight would be about the same, with chargers, for the other devices, plus I'd have electronic books (I can't imagine reading a book from my IPhone). I know it wouldn't make a great camera, but it would be OK for me at least. I'm specifically curious about battery life if I was reading, say, one hour a day and placing one or two 15 minute Skype calls and spending about 15-20 minutes catching up on e-mails, facebook, etc if and when I had an internet connection (and if I felt like it). The device would be powered off all other times, of course. Would I get 4 days out of that kind of usage on a single charge? Also, is the solar charger of any use on the trail?
ChinMusic
09-06-2012, 17:28
(I can't imagine reading a book from my IPhone).
Just bring a pair or strong reading glasses.
The iPad is going to be MUCH more power hungry when compared to an iPhone. You can bring a battery pack, about the size of the iPhone itself, that will recharge the iPhone 5 or 6 times. You may get 1 charge on the iPad.
Majortrauma
09-06-2012, 17:34
I'm not a thru hiker but I've got enough miles under my belt to know you'll deeply regret taking it with you.
Kryptonite
09-06-2012, 17:59
You can always bounce it ahead of you! Just insure the packages.
bigcranky
09-06-2012, 18:19
I own an iPad, and an iPhone. I've thought about using the iPad on a longer hike, for exactly the same things you mentioned. The larger screen and keyboard make it much easier for me to type on it, so I can keep a journal, answer emails, etc. It makes a decent e-reader, for books and field guides, etc. It would be nice to have in town for web access, and in some places you could get 3G service from the trail.
Battery life would be okay for basic tasks like writing a journal and reading books. Using the 3G to make a Skype call every day would drain the battery pretty quickly, but if you made the call every other day, then you could probably get 4-5 days between charges. Maybe more. The key would be to have the iPd turned all the way off when not in use. A solar charger isn't much use on the AT.
The camera would be a complete PITA to use, especially since you'll have it turned off and buried in your pack while hiking.
In the end, though, what I've been actually taking on longer hikes is the iPhone, and a paper journal. (And sometimes a real camera, though I'm a photographer by trade and the iPhone camera annoys me more than it should.) The iPhone stays turned off in my pack except at night, when I can make a short phone call or text, and maybe read a couple of chapters. The paper journal makes me happy, as do paper maps.
Energizer Bunny
09-06-2012, 18:49
I would think that if you turn it off except when you are using it, the battery life will last for a whole. I would look into the new Life Proof iPad case though for the trail. I wouldn't take one step onto the trail shout it on my iPhone case.
Montana AT05
09-07-2012, 20:16
I imagine you'd need something larger than an ipad else you'd sleep horribly. Those things would only cover your bum or head depending on how you plan to sleep on it.
How about the new Amazon Kindle Fire HD?
Sarcasm the elf
09-07-2012, 21:21
I'm not a thru hiker but I've got enough miles under my belt to know you'll deeply regret taking it with you.
+1. I would never bring something as expensive and fragile as my iPad on a long hike. It only takes one good fall or bad luck during a soaking rain storm to destroy the thing.
As an iPad and iPhone owner I would say no. Between weight and size and fragility you're looking at it being a pain. The battery life on them is pretty good, but recharging takes a while. Apple is supposed to be coming out with the iPhone 5 in a few weeks, and an iPad mini is it the works. Rumors are the iPhone 5 will be a little bigger than the 4, so that might help with being able to read on it.
If it were me, I would rather take the iPhone. It's smaller, lighter, charges faster, has comparable battery life, and if you don't trust it to a ziplock bag, hiker stores will be glad to sell you a little plastic locking case with rubber seals that will protect it from almost anything. You can get a spare external battery, or even portable rechargers that use AAs. And of course the little cube charger and cord for the wall are really small and light.
I wouldn't use the iPhone for a camera. In order to save battery life you should leave the phone off most of the time, and definitely put in airplane mode so it doesn't drain itself looking for towers. You can stretch it for days if you do that. I took mine hiking for a weekend and only used 10% of the battery. Turning in on and waiting for it to boot can be a pain in the ass, if you are using it for photos. A simpler solution would be to get a small point and shoot camera with a li-ion battery. My wife has a little Nikon coolpix ,we paid $120 for it, it takes better pictures than the iPhone. The battery lasted a week at Disney World and we never recharged it. You can clip it to your shoulder strap in a neoprene case and it's ready to go really easily and quickly.
If you want to write something down, a few scraps of paper or a little pocket notebook are really light. Cut a pencil in half and practice sharpening it with your knife.
yellowsirocco
09-08-2012, 09:58
I use a smartphone for most things and an e-ink kindle for reading and come out pretty good. The main issue is battery life. e-ink readers last forever so you can read every night and even then you don't have to charge in every town stop. I don't use my phone that much in the woods, mainly just as a camera, so there is plenty of juice left when I get to town also. Together the smartphone and kindle weigh about a pound which is less than an iPad too.
iphone works great as a camera and to read with.
that being said, a new 7+" ipad will be released sometime in october. should be PERFECT for the trail.
- pages
max patch
09-08-2012, 10:35
How about the new Amazon Kindle Fire HD?
I bought a Kindle Fire with the intention of taking it text year but I think I've changed my mind because of inadequate battery life. Amazon hasn't listed the battery life of the new Kindle. I upgraded to a smart phone for internet stuff.
I'm thinking now of getting the new Kindle Whitepages (I think thats what its called). Its only a reader.
I also believe that anyone who brings a Kindle or Ipad should be prepared for it to break along the way -- rain, accident, whatever.
buff_jeff
09-08-2012, 15:45
I bought a Kindle Fire with the intention of taking it text year but I think I've changed my mind because of inadequate battery life. Amazon hasn't listed the battery life of the new Kindle. I upgraded to a smart phone for internet stuff.
I'm thinking now of getting the new Kindle Whitepages (I think thats what its called). Its only a reader.
I also believe that anyone who brings a Kindle or Ipad should be prepared for it to break along the way -- rain, accident, whatever.
Battery life for new Kindle Fire HD is "11 hours continuous use." Granted, they obviously don't tell you that if you're watching movies, the battery will probably be drained in under 9 hours. The 4G version doesn't have the battery life listed on Amazon yet, but I imagine it will be no more than 6-7 hours with 4G running.
How do you like the Kindle Fire, otherwise? I'm thinking about a tablet, but I would prefer not to pay more than $300, so the Ipad is a no-go.
bear bag hanger
09-09-2012, 07:40
I would be worried the iPad would break the first time you drop your pack, plus rain could destroy it in a NY minute. I'm thinking about the Galaxy Note Two phone, which isn't out yet, but should be available in a month or two. It has a 5.3 in screen, which should make reading a bit easier. Don't know about battery life yet, and of course it's an Android device, not an Apple. With my present HTC phone, I put it into airplane mode so the camera is available when I need it. It doesn't use much battery power when in airplane mode. I've gone four days without recharging that way. I usually turn on the phone part for about an hour when I get to camp to see if I have signal. If you really feel the need for a tablet, something in the seven inch range seems to make more sense, but I'm pretty sure if you carry a tablet and a phone, you'll be sending the tablet back home the 1st opportunity you get. Backpacking has more than a few compromises you have to make and this is one of them.
max patch
09-09-2012, 13:00
How do you like the Kindle Fire, otherwise? I'm thinking about a tablet, but I would prefer not to pay more than $300, so the Ipad is a no-go.
I don't use it as much as I thot I would; I will eventually get an Ipad.
I read a recent review comparing the new Kindle Fire HD to the new Google tablet, and I thot their conclusion was spot on: (paraphrasing) "The tablets go after different markets. If you want to use your tablet for entertainment content; read books and watch movies and tv shows, then the Amazon Kindle is the way to go. If you want your tablet to be a big smart phone, then you want the Google tablet."
The shortcoming with the Fire is that it has very few apps compared to the Google and Apple tablets. For example, I can get an app for USA Today on the Fire, but I can't get one for my local newspaper. And while the Fire does have a browser, the internet experience is compromised by the small screen. You need to do a lot of font size changing and scrolling to read a website. The Fire is outstanding for reading and watching movies and tv, but I don't enjoy the internet experience. Which is a shame; the thing fits in my pants pocket which makes it super easy to carry around.
Smokey & the Bandit
09-09-2012, 14:09
I am an iPad owner and construction worker. I've had my iPad with me everyday for over a year even on job sites. I have been very conscience of the fragility of my device and have been successful in keeping it safe thus far. After much consideration I still plan on doing a thru with mine. I have a Pelican 1065 case, which makes it even bulkier, but water and crush proof. It maybe crazy but it's what I want with me.
Just remember, even if you're doing it wrong...you're doing it right! HYOH!
I use a smartphone for most things and an e-ink kindle for reading and come out pretty good. The main issue is battery life. e-ink readers last forever so you can read every night and even then you don't have to charge in every town stop. I don't use my phone that much in the woods, mainly just as a camera, so there is plenty of juice left when I get to town also. Together the smartphone and kindle weigh about a pound which is less than an iPad too.
Reading
I don't understand why anyone would take a Kindle when then they already have an iPhone. The Kindle loads on the iPhone and is no problem reading. The screen dimensions maybe small but the text is not. It's easy enough to try since the Kindle app is free and it gives a sample book.
Camera
As far as battery life goes, the optimal way to maximize battery is to leave the phone powered up, but in airplane mode. Keep the phone close in a shoulder pouch to quickly use goals a camera. With an iPhone, you dont even have to open the camera app. From the lock screen just swipe the screen upward and the camera is ready to use.
The camera requires very little power.
Journaling
No notebooks/paper needed. Use the "Pages" app to make notes. The self correcting feature makes typing fast. From Pages, you can copy/paste into your online journal once you get into town.
Battery
All of the above can be done on less than one full charge each day, provided you keep the phone in airplane mode. The biggest power draw is the phone searching for a signal.
Assuming a town stop every 4 days, the phone can be coupled with a NewTrent charger which gives 3.5 charges and weighs 4.2 oz.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I am an iPad owner and construction worker. I've had my iPad with me everyday for over a year even on job sites. I have been very conscience of the fragility of my device and have been successful in keeping it safe thus far. After much consideration I still plan on doing a thru with mine. I have a Pelican 1065 case, which makes it even bulkier, but water and crush proof. It maybe crazy but it's what I want with me.
Just remember, even if you're doing it wrong...you're doing it right! HYOH!
+1
The advice I give new iPad owners is: "Remember, you're carrying a piece of glass".
It tends to drive the point home.
pheldozer
09-10-2012, 08:53
Risk of theft would also be a reasonable concern for a device like that.
Iphone on airplane mode and a paperback or magazine are my go to's for solo weekend trips.
Slo-go'en
09-10-2012, 09:45
Risk of theft would also be a reasonable concern for a device like that.
Maybe, maybe not. I'm amazed at the number of unattended phones left charging in public places like bus stations. Most of these are cheap phones but even so, no one seems to mess with them. However, I might not walk away from a tablet while it's charging.
I bought the first Kindle Fire (now there's a new one?) with thoughts of using it on the trail, but between it's weight (15 oz) and battery life (~8 hrs) decided against it.
Risk of theft would also be a reasonable concern for a device like that.
Iphone on airplane mode and a paperback or magazine are my go to's for solo weekend trips.
Ditto. I have lock codes on my iPhone and iPad for that reason.
The iPad is too heavy and too fragile to make my cut for hiking electronics. At this point I carry an iPhone in an Otterbox for use as camera, phone, clock, and notepad. The phone rides around in a cargo pocket in my hiking pants and has survived some quite wet hikes just fine.
I also carry a classic Kindle for reading. I tend to read for a couple of hours every night in my tent, which would quickly drain the iPhone battery. The classic kindle has amazing battery life, and is very light.
I haven't compared the weights, but it wouldn't surprise me if iPhone plus Kindle are lighter than iPad alone.
I did a section hike this summer and thought that I would take my iPad with me, but when it came down to it the weight was the biggest issue! It actually weighs a lot in the big picture of having to carry it on your back everyday for 5-6 months! And I know that after being out on the trail for even just the 2 weeks that I was out there I wouldn't want mine out with me when I do my thru.
Prime Time
09-10-2012, 22:17
Thanks everyone for a lot of great input. I own a 2 year old (ancient) Android "something or other" smartphone. I'll try that on a 4 day hike I'm doing this week, on airplane mode, using it as my camera, and see about journaling with it. I'm a bit dubious about that because even with my glasses on, I average about 1 typo per line of type with the tiny little letters and my 59 year old semi arthritic thumbs. It should, however, keep me from rambling. As for reading, I don't even know if I can download books with a something or other, but if not and I like all else, I may opt for a new IPhone anyway. Happy Hiking!!!
pmushock
09-10-2012, 22:37
I am going from Damascus to Springer in a week and will bring my iPhone and a small old android tablet with me. The phone will just be used to call people in towns and the tablet for reading at night. I think an iPad would be to big and expensive to bring on the trail. But that's just me
yellowsirocco
09-10-2012, 23:48
As for reading, I don't even know if I can download books with a something or other, but if not and I like all else, I may opt for a new IPhone anyway.
Kindle App lets you download books on Android.
but to me it sounds like you are just trying to justify getting an iDevice.
If I already had an iPhone and insisted on a bigger screen for reading books, I'd add the Kindle Paperwhite. That combo will weigh less than the iPad alone.
Even so, I wouldn't want to carry that big a piece of glass in my pack. It'd take too much babying and probably stress me out. Carrying a phone is bad enough, confirmed by crushing my first smartphone on my last long hike.
If I already had an iPhone and insisted on a bigger screen for reading books, I'd add the Kindle Paperwhite. That combo will weigh less than the iPad alone.
Even so, I wouldn't want to carry that big a piece of glass in my pack. It'd take too much babying and probably stress me out. Carrying a phone is bad enough, confirmed by crushing my first smartphone on my last long hike.
The text on the iPhone Kindle app is the same size as the text on the larger Kindle or tablet screen. Just fewer words per page.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Starchild
09-12-2012, 15:59
If typing on a iphone screen is a concern there are numerous bluetooth keyboards, both folding full sized and thumb typing sized
Darwin13
09-13-2012, 01:19
Dude bringing on iPad on a thru hike is like slapping nature in the face.
Darwin13
09-13-2012, 01:24
Also lets think logistics. How d oyou pack that awkwardly shaped (for a pack) and DELICATE glass screen so it doesnt get scratched or damaged. ANd then when it rains for a week straight and EVERYTHING seems to get wet your ipad is not going to be spared. Bring a little notebook and pencil, an iphone (phone, internet connection, music, camera (more convenient camera), audiobooks) and everything you listed is accounted for at a much less weight and inconvenience. Even then i think bringing a device like the iphone on an adventure like a Thru hike is jsut kinda anti trail to me.IMO.
Firefighter503
09-13-2012, 03:36
Last year I saw a handful of Kindles on the trail, and solar chargers. People quickly found out that they weren't worth the weight penalty or stress of trying to keep them charged to use while on the trail. I say if you must have it, bounce it forward, but ultimately I think if you feel the need to skype/check email/check facebook every night while on the trail, reevaluate what hiking means to you. With that being said, it doesn't affect my hike, so HYOH.
Prime Time
09-18-2012, 12:00
Hey Firefighter503 and Darwin S and A, I really didn't ask for you to judge me or my reasons for considering an IPad. The fact is I have arthritic thumbs so typing text on a small phone is difficult for me, my vision is impaired so reading on these devices is also a challenge and finally my wife will be in Costa Rica for much of my hike so Skype is the best way for me to call her. I do not plan to EVER check an e-mail, not that there's anything wrong with that for some, and I wouldn't even know how to get on Facebook since I have never used it. So lighten up, please!
I found the kindle app on the ipad to be much nicer than reading on the phone, but. At the same time, reading anything on the ipad or iphone involves a lot of backlight use (big white screen), and kills the battery. I think keeping the thing charged would be the biggest issue. I could keep one dry in my pack, and the water bag pouch next to the frame sheet would be a PERFECT spot for storage, especially in one of the lightweight ipad covers. But power is going to be the major problem. Years ago I read about a prototype power source for hiking involving a sort of magnet on a spring in a tube, surrounded by wire. The premise was, this thing would go in your pack, and as you walked, the magnet bounced up and down through the coil of wire, which any Junior High student should know, generates electricity. the power could be stored in a battery. I wonder whatever happened to the concept? It's not ultralight, that's for sure.
dzierzak
09-19-2012, 10:56
http://www.npowerpeg.com/
ChinMusic
09-19-2012, 11:05
http://www.npowerpeg.com/
Not ready for primetime. Weighs damn near a pound. It's a toy for geeks.
Moose2001
09-19-2012, 11:20
Hey Firefighter503 and Darwin S and A, I really didn't ask for you to judge me or my reasons for considering an IPad. The fact is I have arthritic thumbs so typing text on a small phone is difficult for me, my vision is impaired so reading on these devices is also a challenge and finally my wife will be in Costa Rica for much of my hike so Skype is the best way for me to call her. I do not plan to EVER check an e-mail, not that there's anything wrong with that for some, and I wouldn't even know how to get on Facebook since I have never used it. So lighten up, please!
Prime Time - it's your pack and your weight. Carry whatever you like and don't let the ounce weenies get you down.
Prime Time
09-19-2012, 21:25
Not ready for primetime. Weighs damn near a pound. It's a toy for geeks.
It actually weighs 1 pound, 4 ounces. What does your phone, camera, chargers, and journal weigh?
ChinMusic
09-19-2012, 22:21
It actually weighs 1 pound, 4 ounces. What does your phone, camera, chargers, and journal weigh?
My iPhone is my camera and journal.
My NewTrent charger is a bit robust at 8oz but I like the idea of being able to charge my iPhone 5x between recharges (NewTrent has models as low as 2oz). One does not need something as robust as my IMP100p, and the ShakeWeight that was posted is not even close to being in the same class.
It actually weighs 1 pound, 4 ounces. What does your phone, camera, chargers, and journal weigh?
It doesn't matter because the nPowerPeg is not good at all for charging devices, so you'll still need to carry a regular charger.
Blue Mountain Edward
09-26-2012, 15:36
Carry a good cell phone and extra battery. Then you can phone home ET. Most people carry a cell phone anyway. I doubt a Ipad or Kindle Fire are waterproof. And your hiking not staying at a sunny spot 2 days using solar to recharge a Ipad.
I used a 3.5" Android Virgin Mobile Optimus V with two extra batteries on my 2011 thru hike. Wouldn't consider on iPad (too big & heavy) nor an iPhone (try swapping batteries). The iPad mini sounds like a possibility but I have a 7" Tablet and I think it's to big, too heavy and can't swap the battery easily. The iPad mini will be bigger. I'll probably get a 5" Android phone since I think the 3.5" phone is too small. Extra batteries from China $5 each. (Cheap batteries but last about one year. Get four extra. ) Various people tried solar charges, none worked effectively.
The Nexus is the biggest and heaviest tablet I'd consider taking on the trail. That's not to say I'm considering it.
88BlueGT
10-08-2012, 21:45
Apple should be releasing an iPad mini in a few weeks. Stay tuned...