View Full Version : Kindle or good ol' books?
jingle jangle
03-30-2013, 17:00
Just wondering if people have thoughts/experiences with a Kindle on the trail versus books? As a big reader, I was thinkin the pros of a Kindle is it's lighter and I'd have an endless library... cons obviously being it's one more electronic to get wet. Are books prevalent enough amongst hikers that we can all switch up our reads? THANKS & see you out there.
jingle jangle
I have about 40 books on my smart phone with a kindle app. It's a good compromise of reading and weight.
RodentWhisperer
03-30-2013, 17:12
I'm going back and forth over this, myself. Currently I carry an iPad, which has a Kindle app and word-processing software, because I like to read and write when I'm on the trail. But every time I read a Kindle book, or type something into my journal, I find myself missing the "old school." I think it has something to do with my motives for going out-- getting away from the rip-rap of technologies.
RodentWhisperer
03-30-2013, 17:13
I have about 40 books on my smart phone with a kindle app. It's a good compromise of reading and weight.
I've thought of this, Rasty. How long does your phone stay charged?
I have about 40 books on my smart phone with a kindle app. It's a good compromise of reading and weight.
I've thought of this, Rasty. How long does your phone stay charged?
I generally hike 4 to 5 days at a time and take two spare batteries and can read two hours if I want to. I've never had to touch the third battery.
RodentWhisperer
03-30-2013, 18:24
I generally hike 4 to 5 days at a time and take two spare batteries and can read two hours if I want to. I've never had to touch the third battery.
Interesting... I mean that in a good way. Does reading for two hours take two batteries? And do you mean two hours per day (8-10 hours total, using your 4-5 day standard), or 2 hours over the course of your hike?
RodentWhisperer
03-30-2013, 18:25
Sorry for stealing your thread, Jingle Jangle. Rasty, feel free to send me a PM.
I generally hike 4 to 5 days at a time and take two spare batteries and can read two hours if I want to. I've never had to touch the third battery.
Interesting... I mean that in a good way. Does reading for two hours take two batteries? And do you mean two hours per day (8-10 hours total, using your 4-5 day standard), or 2 hours over the course of your hike?
Two batteries over five days using the phone as a book, camera and phone. Easily get 10 hours of reading over five days.
Chaco Taco
03-30-2013, 18:51
paperbacks
I went with an e-ink Kindle last year on the AT. Stashed it in a water bottle sleeve inside a ziplock with extra maps and a tiny clipboard as a stiffener. Did fine, charged it once every week or so.
DavidDillow
03-30-2013, 18:57
You won't be carrying any books very long. Paper is heavy and you'll be amazed how tired you are at the end of the day. Weigh everything you're going to put in your pack. Every ounce counts and mounts up.
You won't be carrying any books very long. Paper is heavy and you'll be amazed how tired you are at the end of the day. Weigh everything you're going to put in your pack. Every ounce counts and mounts up.
Until I got a kindle app I always carried a paperback. Sacrifice something else for a book.
max patch
03-30-2013, 19:02
You won't be carrying any books very long. Paper is heavy and you'll be amazed how tired you are at the end of the day. Weigh everything you're going to put in your pack. Every ounce counts and mounts up.
Not true for those of us who like to read. I carried 2 paperbacks at all times. If I was in town on a Sunday I took the Sunday paper with me to the trail. I used maildrops (won't do that again) and had the latest Sports Illustrated sent with the food.
paperbacks
Pun intended - you can't kindle a fire in an emergency with a Kindle (must think "multiple use") ;)
Book, notebook, pen. Weight be damned.
paperbacks
Pun intended - you can't kindle a fire in an emergency with a Kindle (must think "multiple use") ;)
I'm pretty sure I could light one up!
RodentWhisperer
03-30-2013, 20:59
Two batteries over five days using the phone as a book, camera and phone. Easily get 10 hours of reading over five days.
Cool-- by any reader's standards, I'd say!
Crusinsusan
03-30-2013, 21:44
Warning: noob weighing in (pun intended)...I hated the idea of a kindle over a book I could curl up with in bed, but 5-6 months on a trail, and me trying, trying, trying to cut weight, caused me to buy the paperwhite. Turns out, with it, the waterproof case I got for it, into which can also fit my cell and charges, comes to 16.8 ounces. Not bad, considering I've been known to read a 20 pages of a book, only to think it stinks, and want another. With a 1100 book capacity, I'm happy with the paperwhite.....says a person who has never backpacked...so that that FWIW.
Mountain Mike
03-30-2013, 21:55
You won't be carrying any books very long. Paper is heavy and you'll be amazed how tired you are at the end of the day. Weigh everything you're going to put in your pack. Every ounce counts and mounts up.
Always had at least one in my pack on a hike.
Mountain Mike
03-30-2013, 22:00
I am switching to kindles. My current fire has limited battery life but a basic one lasts for weeks. Lighter than a single paperback, able to load a lot of books & a buttload of free ones out there.
Old Hiker
03-30-2013, 22:08
Looking at a kindle or nook, but if I can download books to my smart phone, I may just do that. I carried 2 extra batteries but only used 1, once. I could always recharge the phone in town somewhere.
Mountain Mike
03-30-2013, 22:27
Looking at a kindle or nook, but if I can download books to my smart phone, I may just do that. I carried 2 extra batteries but only used 1, once. I could always recharge the phone in town somewhere.
Go to amazon & get a free kindle app for your phone & try it. Do a search for free books in any category you want on amazon & you will get numerous choices. If you don't like it on your phone, then buy a regular one.
Not a fan of the Kindle - But I don't even have cable T.V., I use the pages I finished the day before to light my campfire.
Captain Skivvies
03-30-2013, 23:21
I would recommend the Nook. I have the simple model with the back light. It can hold a charge for up to a month, even using the light. I took it to Canada for 8 days last summer and had no problems. I'll be carrying mine on the AT this year and no worries about batteries. Also get the extended warranty. It will be replaced if it gets damaged(wet) They replaced mine after the dog bit it.
Crusinsusan
03-30-2013, 23:22
I didn't want to use my phone, simply because I expect my battery would not last long, not even a day on my cheapie phone. Got the paperwhite because the battery lasts for 8 days. It's only a reader though....no watching movies, as I understand other kindles can do.
I just want to read...and the backlighting on the paperwhite makes that possible in sun, clouds and complete darkness. Lovin' it. So far. All of one week, mind you.
WalksInDark
03-31-2013, 16:49
I like my Kindle (much lighter than the 3-4 paperbacks I would take on a weeks outing); but if I had to do it over again I would go with a paperwhite.
The accessory cover with light on my Kindle works fine, but the little plastic stick that the light is mounted on looks like it would take a quick dump if I dropped it or rolled over it in my hammock.
BTW, I get several weeks of reading 2 hours nightly on my Kindle before I need to recharge it.
Wise Old Owl
03-31-2013, 20:44
Kindle on a Motorola - like Rasty.... Now if we could get the 40 pounds of AT maps on Kindle.... Priceless!
SonrisaJo
03-31-2013, 21:41
I have carried a Kindle for a thousand miles now, and I would not give it up. The number of free books I have access to, and the ability to download any book I'm craving is too delicious to pass up. I have not been terribly careful with my Kindle - it has been damp, crushed, and frozen, and it is still 100%. I keep it in a ziploc and have had no problems. It uses the same charger as my phone, and I only charge it every-other town visit. The battery has never dipped to even 50%. If you want to read at least an hour a day, I'd say it's worth it.
That being said . . . I do miss the euphoria of getting to a shelter and finding a book left behind. The left-behind-library in the AT shelters forced me to read some good (and some terrible) books.
SunnyWalker
03-31-2013, 23:51
I've had several ebooks, latest is a Kindle. However, though I like to read I can't imagine bringing it with me on the trail. I might pick up a paperback though to read, maybe. I guess it seems too 1)valuable to bring on the trail where it could get damaged or lost, 2)I want to be busy hiking not lazing around, 3)part of a culture I need a break from (constant need for entertainment, electronic media infringement upon every moment of my life it seems like), 4)diversionary from what I am attempting to do (experience nature as much as I can, get silent, return to my center, and meet others). This is not to say I do not receive much pleasure from using my Kindle, but these are some thoughts. Good conversation.
srvand02
04-01-2013, 00:10
Paper bound books all the way. What good is a book if you can't share it with someone? Take some of your faves and when you come across the right person, trade em.
Kindle paperwhite for me. And I read about 2 hours a night and the battery lasts 2-3 weeks.
But I am also going to carry an external "recharging" battery like: http://www.ebay.com/itm/330827820091?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649 which I have tested a few times over the past week and it was able to recharge my Droid Razr MAXX HD 2 times when it was down around 15% left.
And since it is a standard usb port I can charge my kindle, camera and MP3 Player with it also and not have to carry a bunch of other spare batteries for each device. This one weighs just under 8oz.
Rock Lobster
04-01-2013, 00:41
I'm a fast reader, so the Kindle is a must for both weight savings and content. Mine broke last summer mid-hike and I ended up re-reading Hatchet 4 times before the next stop where I could get another book.
One great thing about Amazon is that although the Kindle could break, their return policy is as no-hassle and user-friendly as can be. During the warranty period, I twice broke the screen and both times they sent me a new kindle along with a prepaid return box for the old one, all within a couple days. I found it to be pretty durable with reasonable care - both times it broke because I had it in an outer pocket and slammed my pack on concrete like a dummy.
I had a book at all times. Sent some to myself, found some in shelters, traded with others, bought for a buck or so at local libraries, and once got a hardback study about foie gras for $5 in a TN gas station.
vamelungeon
04-01-2013, 06:57
I have one of the 2nd gen. basic Kindles (I think it's called a Keyboard) and a Kindle Fire, and I was going to sell the basic Kindle but am keeping it JUST for hiking and traveling. I used to carry paperbacks when hiking and traveling but since the Kindle can carry an entire library it's a great choice.
Wise Old Owl
04-01-2013, 08:10
I have carried a Kindle for a thousand miles now, and I would not give it up. The number of free books I have access to, and the ability to download any book I'm craving is too delicious to pass up. I have not been terribly careful with my Kindle - it has been damp, crushed, and frozen, and it is still 100%. I keep it in a ziploc and have had no problems. It uses the same charger as my phone, and I only charge it every-other town visit. The battery has never dipped to even 50%. If you want to read at least an hour a day, I'd say it's worth it.
That being said . . . I do miss the euphoria of getting to a shelter and finding a book left behind. The left-behind-library in the AT shelters forced me to read some good (and some terrible) books.
umm - you should mention which kindle you are using - it sounds like the first one.
whiteout
04-01-2013, 08:53
Rasty has the best deal, because you can"t call on a Kindle or a book.
I'm old enuf to have carried "europe on $5 a day" and to have had Thoreau's "Walden" in my backpack in the early 70's. They were heavy, got wet and had small type. Now with adjustable fonts and the ability to carry 800 books on a trip, carrying a paperback seems pretty dumb.
staehpj1
04-01-2013, 09:46
In the past I have just left books home when backpacking, but on coast to coast and other long bicycle tours have experimented with other options. I have used audio books on a iPod shuffle, audio books on cell phone, and ebooks on a kindle. I even read a paperback once.
All those options worked fine. Since phones have become better and better eReaders, audio players, cameras, and a ton of other things I'll probably use the phone next trip leaving the stand alone camera, kindle, GPS, and other electronics home. Battery life is pretty good if you use it in airplane mode when it is on and not making a call and power it off most of the time. A couple spare batteries are pretty light. I'll have my maps, guide books, and so on on the phone with only the minimal backup maps and directions on paper.
Oh and I find I read way less on biking and hiking trips than at home so it isn't a huge hardship to do without as I have done on some trips.
Swordpen
04-01-2013, 12:56
I have one of the 2nd gen. basic Kindles (I think it's called a Keyboard) and a Kindle Fire, and I was going to sell the basic Kindle but am keeping it JUST for hiking and traveling. I used to carry paperbacks when hiking and traveling but since the Kindle can carry an entire library it's a great choice.
I also have a Kindle Keyboard, I think its great & much more versatile with the keyboard.
you get the exceptional battery longevity of a Kindle (not the kindle fire)
You get a keyboard
with the keyboard you can also type your journal.
I also listen to audiobooks with it.
Now, my iPhone can use the Kindle app, but the Kindle apps are watered down versions of what the Kindle is allowed to do. I can't listen to a kindle audiobook with the Kindle app on an iPhone.
jingle jangle
04-02-2013, 09:20
Okay...so I took the step & bought a Paperwhite. If I wasn't hiking the trail I would never buy one. As others pointed out above, I think eReaders lack a certain romanticism. You can't curl up to one. You can't smell the freshness of new pages ...or the dankness of old, musty ones. And you certainly can't share a great story once you're done...all things I love about books. However, I am an avid reader. I don't want to gamble on whether or not I will find a good book...no matter how romantic the notion of stumbling upon an amazing read in the strangest of places:)
Thanks for everyone's input, keep on keepin on.
Okay...so I took the step & bought a Paperwhite. If I wasn't hiking the trail I would never buy one. As others pointed out above, I think eReaders lack a certain romanticism. You can't curl up to one. You can't smell the freshness of new pages ...or the dankness of old, musty ones. And you certainly can't share a great story once you're done...all things I love about books. However, I am an avid reader. I don't want to gamble on whether or not I will find a good book...no matter how romantic the notion of stumbling upon an amazing read in the strangest of places:)
Thanks for everyone's input, keep on keepin on.
I never really "liked" to read until I bought one. It is just so much easier. Now I am addicted to reading.
For my 2014 thru hike I plan to scan the AT Data Book to pdf file(s) and load on to my Nook and load the "thru hiker companion". Also I will have a few novels to read along the way. I will load the same info on two different SDHC cards for backup. That's the plan anyway.
Decisions Decisions Decisions i guess it depends on how many books you typically read while on trail. For example do you really find it necessary to take along UMPTEEN different books whether they be in paperback or electronic form on a hike? And, how often you MIGHT use a Kindle for things other than reading a book. I hear Kindles make great, but PRICEY, cutting boards and, perhaps, personal mirrors. A kindle could be used as signaling device too. A good ole small paperback and WP Writing Journal are all I need.
Gotta be careful going down that "THIS IS ALL I NEED ROAD" or this can happen.
http://movieclips.com/vaBbp-the-jerk-movie-thats-all-i-need/