View Full Version : What's your solution to save your device from dying？
wheelpell
10-17-2013, 05:47
We all have devices with batteries, and they all eventually run out. What's your solution to save your device from dying?
Lone Wolf
10-17-2013, 05:53
We all have devices with batteries
1 device. a headlamp. i ain't got no iphone thingy
hikerboy57
10-17-2013, 06:05
I keep it turned off.
I keep it turned off.
same......
hikerboy57
10-17-2013, 06:18
We all have devices with batteries
1 device. a headlamp. i ain't got no iphone thingy you are so not one of the cool kids
yellowsirocco
10-17-2013, 06:48
I have a power pack as well, but it is really only for my mp3 player since I listen all day. The phone mostly stays in airplane mode. I don't turn it off because it is my camera and also if the power button gets pressed in my rucksack then it turn on and tries to pick up a signal draining the battery. I also carry a spare battery for the phone (the inability to swap batteries is another reason to not use an iPhone).
Old Hiker
10-17-2013, 06:56
Extra batteries.
Starchild
10-17-2013, 07:37
About a 50,000 mah New Trent battery pack got my iPhone and Steripen (usb rechargeable model) through the thru without concern for power, also recharging Splash's 'dumb'phone on occasion, the iPhone was in airplane mode till I needed a signal.
In and around NY I had a strong enough signal to listen to streaming music while hiking without killing the iPhone battery.
Longest stretch between recharges 5 days for the 100 MW, and still had I estimate 40-60% remaining in the battery pack. I was not worried or close to running out of power.
Along with the above I carried a wall charger that had 2 USB ports and a usb cable that spilt into 2 connections (battery pack mini USB, steripen microUSB), and the iPhone connector, so I could recharge all 3 at once.
Aquaman12
10-17-2013, 10:33
+1 on starchilds comment. exactly what my wife and I do and plan on doing on our thru next summer.
We all have devices with batteries, and they all eventually run out. I have been using a RAVPower 14000mAh (http://www.amazon.com/RAVPower-Lightning-Thunderbolt-Incredible-connectors/dp/B00EP6SA6Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382002996&sr=8-2&keywords=ravpower+14000) to save my iPhone, galaxy tab, MP3 player from dying. It works great and not to mention it's cheap on Amazon. What's your solution to save your device from dying?
Use airplane mode.
jimmyjam
10-17-2013, 10:38
I keep it turned off.
+1. That is part of why I hike- to lose contact with the rat race.
Another Kevin
10-17-2013, 13:59
I run my smartphone in airplane mode. If it dies, I do without unless I need to send a text (this includes routine texts to my wife). When I need to send a text after my phone goes kaput, I recharge with a Minty Boost. (http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/)
On the trail, the smartphone is typically a toy GPS, running Backcountry Navigator and Peakfinder. Once in a while I'll use the camera or have a book on it.
Bushnell solar wrap mini.
Not hating or anything, but I really want to know: How on earth can you have a true wilderness experience if you're listening to music all day and journaling/blogging all night? It's like trying to watch Fox News while having sex; why spoil the purity of the moment with the trappings of modern society?
Not hating or anything, but I really want to know: How on earth can you have a true wilderness experience if you're listening to music all day and journaling/blogging all night? It's like trying to watch Fox News while having sex; why spoil the purity of the moment with the trappings of modern society?
Its called HYOH. Look into it. The OP was looking for an answer to his question not a philosophical retort.
MDSection12
10-17-2013, 16:35
Not hating or anything, but I really want to know: How on earth can you have a true wilderness experience if you're listening to music all day and journaling/blogging all night? It's like trying to watch Fox News while having sex; why spoil the purity of the moment with the trappings of modern society?
You can have sex without Fox News on? That's not what Glenn Beck told me...
'True wilderness experience' is tough to define. Some would say you can't have shoes on, or other such silly designations. I think yours is a little less silly, but still pretty arbitrary.
Ok, I should have said, "How can you have a quality wilderness experience if...." I know, I know, everyone hyoy and so on. How can you comprehend this experience if your mind thinks your at Starbucks?
yellowsirocco
10-17-2013, 17:09
Not hating or anything, but I really want to know: How on earth can you have a true wilderness experience if you're listening to music all day and journaling/blogging all night? It's like trying to watch Fox News while having sex; why spoil the purity of the moment with the trappings of modern society?
I'm not out there to have a wilderness experience. I'm out there for the challenge, to have unique experiences, and to meet interesting people. The AT is not even wilderness either, it is a hiker superhighway.
Also if you have any kind of modern gear then you are bringing technology out into the woods and you can't have a 'true wilderness experience' either. I mean my sleeping bag has just as much tech put into it as my mp3 player.
Its called HYOH. Look into it. The OP was looking for an answer to his question not a philosophical retort.
Ok. Then let me say this. Don't carry all of those gadgets that weigh you down, will probably break/get wet, and ultimately just distract you from the amazing place you chose to go and 'get away from it all'.
HYOH....laugh out loud. If I never heard that phrase used again it would be too soon.
I'm not out there to have a wilderness experience. I'm out there for the challenge, to have unique experiences, and to meet interesting people. The AT is not even wilderness either, it is a hiker superhighway.
Also if you have any kind of modern gear then you are bringing technology out into the woods and you can't have a 'true wilderness experience' either. I mean my sleeping bag has just as much tech put into it as my mp3 player.
You, my friend, are hilarious! Please tell me this entire post is a joke...
The last trip I was on someone had a poweradd solar charger it worked out well for him.
The Snowman
10-17-2013, 18:43
turn it off when not in use. All the way off don't just put in sleep mode. Works great.
Not hating or anything, but I really want to know: How on earth can you have a true wilderness experience if you're listening to music all day and journaling/blogging all night? It's like trying to watch Fox News while having sex; why spoil the purity of the moment with the trappings of modern society?
I would never watch Fox News...so no worries about sexual interruptions.
A true wilderness experience to me is relaxing in the wilderness. Relaxing might mean listening to music at night or playing a video game in my hammock while the breeze rocks me. Relaxing also might mean covering miles during the day listening to Armin Van Buuren or Dash Berlin. After an hour, leaves crackling under the feet all sort of sound the same. Music helps quiet the voices in my head when no one is with me.
I do turn the phone part off, I don't want texts and phone calls in the woods. I've never done a blog entry in the woods, but on a several day adventure I might. I like putting photos in them, so it's hard to do with a phone in the woods, and not usually worth the trouble. I can get three or four days out of a phone charge, only using it at night. My gps is different, it's on all the time, so it lasts about two days on batteries, so I just bring spares.
But it's my hike, if I want to read about the Grand Unified Theory and strange quarks and do Sudoku puzzles to relax, I'm going to. I won't, because that would give me a headache.
Likeapuma
10-17-2013, 18:49
The problem I have is how quickly the cold drains the battery, even if off. I like to put it in the bottom of my pack & forget it until I need it.
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
Ok, I should have said, "How can you have a quality wilderness experience if...." I know, I know, everyone hyoy and so on. How can you comprehend this experience if your mind thinks your at Starbucks?
Some of us have jobs that require being reasonably in touch every few days or so. In exchange for good pay, benefits, 4 weeks vacation.
Others here have family responsibilities that require being in touch also.
Another Kevin
10-17-2013, 19:21
Not hating or anything, but I really want to know: How on earth can you have a true wilderness experience if you're listening to music all day and journaling/blogging all night? It's like trying to watch Fox News while having sex; why spoil the purity of the moment with the trappings of modern society?
I don't usually listen to music on the trail. I didn't bring a transistor radio in the 1970s, either.
I kept a hiking journal long before there were smartphones. I used a notebook and pencil.
Now I find it more convenient to use a smartphone, so that I can transcribe my notes more readily.
I don't really see how that differs from what I did before, which hikers have done for centuries. But it upsets some people. (I try not to do it in front of others, because I know that it does. But I don't understand why.)
Wise Old Owl
10-17-2013, 19:31
We all have devices with batteries, and they all eventually run out. I have been using a RAVPower 14000mAh (http://www.amazon.com/RAVPower-Lightning-Thunderbolt-Incredible-connectors/dp/B00EP6SA6Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382002996&sr=8-2&keywords=ravpower+14000) to save my iPhone, galaxy tab, MP3 player from dying. It works great and not to mention it's cheap on Amazon. What's your solution to save your device from dying?
Well to be honest, you already had the answer. Curious why did you ask the question?
I'm not hiking the trail to get away from society. I'm hiking the trail for the adventure. Some miles are pretty boring. Audio books and podcasts get me through the tough parts. I carry three Mophie battery packs that hold a combined total of 14,000 mAh. Usually gets me through a five day stretch.
MuddyWaters
10-17-2013, 22:45
I keep it turned off.
++
I keep my $15 phone turned off, except to send a text in the evenings, etc. Lasts weeks.
I keep my light on lowest settings possible when its used at all.
for trips over 2 weeks I will take a spare camera battery, about 1/2 ounce.
no problems.
Autummyst
10-17-2013, 23:05
You, my friend, are hilarious! Please tell me this entire post is a joke...
Why would that post be a joke? I think Yellow brought up some great points. First of all, everyone is out their for different reasons. And yellow is right. The Appalachian Trail is not considered wilderness. And finally, are you hunting animals and harvesting their skin for a coat? Or using what you find in nature along the way? Or are you carrying the super ultra light weight materials that are considered hi tech?
Everyone has different lines as to what a quality wilderness experience is. And unless you are going to live off the land as you go, hunt animals, etc, then you are participating in the technology modern, industrialized life has provided. What line you draw as to how much technology used is just that, an arbitrary line that you feel is good for you, that's it.
Anyway, back to the actual reason this thread exits....I remember someone on WB recommending this device:
http://www.newtrent.com/store/iphone-external-battery-iphone-portable-battery/newtrent-imp52d-itorch-iphone-portable-battery.html
I have it saved in case we bring our Iphone on the trail as an option.
Why would that post be a joke? I think Yellow brought up some great points. First of all, everyone is out their for different reasons. And yellow is right. The Appalachian Trail is not considered wilderness. And finally, are you hunting animals and harvesting their skin for a coat? Or using what you find in nature along the way? Or are you carrying the super ultra light weight materials that are considered hi tech?
Everyone has different lines as to what a quality wilderness experience is. And unless you are going to live off the land as you go, hunt animals, etc, then you are participating in the technology modern, industrialized life has provided. What line you draw as to how much technology used is just that, an arbitrary line that you feel is good for you, that's it.
Anyway, back to the actual reason this thread exits....I remember someone on WB recommending this device:
http://www.newtrent.com/store/iphone-external-battery-iphone-portable-battery/newtrent-imp52d-itorch-iphone-portable-battery.html
I have it saved in case we bring our Iphone on the trail as an option.
Ever wonder what all that stuff is on either side of the trail? You know, trees and plants, creeks and rivers, wildlife, that sort of thing? I, and others, call it wilderness. The AT (trail itself) is but a narrow footpath which ribbons its way though a much bigger picture (Appalachian Mtns, much of which some folks consider 'wilderness'). Now, most people choose to wander along that narrow ribbon, meeting like-minded folks along the way, staying in comfortable shelters, enjoying the occasional vista of mountains and valleys (wilderness), and dropping into town every few days to get a recharge of the real world (not wilderness). Being in the wilderness isn't about wearing a loin cloth, trapping squirrels and drinking dew off of rhododendrons. I didn't say you had to go primal. But wandering along the footpath, thinking about the playoffs that you're missing in town, what people think of your latest facebook/blog post, while listening to music/podcasts is a cheap experience (to me) compared to observing, comprehending, and meditating on nature as you go along, and not repressing that voice in your head but focusing on it, focusing on you and your present experience. If you're not out there to be in the wilderness, why not just walk interstates/backroads? You'll have much better cell coverage and it's so much easier to hitch. Your facebook friends will be impressed, promise.
Concerning technology, you're repeating all the things you've read on so many posts. I never said anything is wrong with technology, ever. You need a sleeping bag to stay warm, a tarp/tent for shelter, a bag to carry it all. Grandma Gatewood used technology. As did Muir, Daniel Boone, Roald Amundsen, etc. We have amazing chemicals that turn stank water into potable water. We can even make light when it's dark, truly amazing. I'm talking about superfluous technology; tablets, smartphones, luxery items that *may* distract and detract from your experience. Of course, to someone who isn't comfortable in the wilderness, these things might be considered 'necessities' to make them feel safe, less vulnerable, and connected. Just as these same people flock to hotels and hostels as opposed to sleeping in the woods. It's all relative to comfort levels. I know the AT is a heavy use trail (I grew up 10 miles from Punch Bowl Shelter), but people have been hiking it for 70+ years without needing a frickin' battery backup!
I see people all day, everyday, living life from behind a touchscreen and oblivious to the life and loved ones around them. To see that on the trail, is, well, sad. But hey, enjoy yourself out there! You'll have plenty of company.
Autummyst
10-18-2013, 14:15
Oh boy Poedog...in one post you manage to be both judgmental and presumptive.
We all have devices with batteries, and they all eventually run out. I have been using a RAVPower 14000mAh (http://www.amazon.com/RAVPower-Lightning-Thunderbolt-Incredible-connectors/dp/B00EP6SA6Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382002996&sr=8-2&keywords=ravpower+14000) to save my iPhone, galaxy tab, MP3 player from dying. It works great and not to mention it's cheap on Amazon. What's your solution to save your device from dying?
I so want to expound philosophy or make some snarky remark but the straight forward answer is I bounce box ahead my camera battery and ph battery charger(s) ahead about every 30 days down the trail WHEN I HAVE DECIDED TO TOTE THESE ALONG. I carry three spare Lithium Ultra AAA batteries total(*the longest lasting AAA batteries, by far, I've ever come across!) for both my headlamp and mp3 player which I replace occasionally with new ones that I usually have included in a mailed resupply box. It should be obvious, with basically the only chance I have to recharge my electronics being about every 30 days that curtails their use. I'm out to long distance hike not feed into an electronic addiction. For example, on my last 200 mile hike I used my ph twice when in towns to call back home to get gear shipped to me ASAP and to check on a job status. And, I don't always carry a camera or cell ph. It's freeing. It allows more time to discover and rediscover other things like yourself, nature, a higher power, personally interacting/socializing with others, your place in the Universe, etc. You might try that too. The very few times my electronics did die on the trail I felt it wasn't all that critical which told me I must be doing something right. Think about that. If you routinely absolutely CAN NOT go out on hikes without being leashed to electronics what might that be telling you about yourself?
WOW POEDOG over the top in some respects(you had to know you would be stomping on some feet with that last post!) but nevertheless I'm GLAD you said it. It wasn't me for a change. Sometimes, I feel we need to be frank/direct, even in way that some may find to be personally offensive, in order to elicit change or simply to get others to see things they may be missing out on.
We all have devices with batteries, and they all eventually run out. I have been using a RAVPower 14000mAh (http://www.amazon.com/RAVPower-Lightning-Thunderbolt-Incredible-connectors/dp/B00EP6SA6Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382002996&sr=8-2&keywords=ravpower+14000) to save my iPhone, galaxy tab, MP3 player from dying. It works great and not to mention it's cheap on Amazon. What's your solution to save your device from dying?
I carry an Anker battery and a Brunton Solar charger. I can charge up to five items with the charger including the Anker as long as I have good direct sunlight....
The problem I have is how quickly the cold drains the battery, even if off. I like to put it in the bottom of my pack & forget it until I need it.
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
I don't know much about batteries but the Lithium ones work better in colder temps than the alkaline batteries, they hold a charge longer when new, and are lighter wt too by about 1/3.
Feral Bill
10-18-2013, 15:24
you are so not one of the cool kids That's quite a complement, really.
hikerboy57
10-18-2013, 15:39
I know .
MDSection12
10-18-2013, 16:14
Ever wonder what all that stuff is on either side of the trail? You know, trees and plants, creeks and rivers, wildlife, that sort of thing? I, and others, call it wilderness. The AT (trail itself) is but a narrow footpath which ribbons its way though a much bigger picture (Appalachian Mtns, much of which some folks consider 'wilderness'). Now, most people choose to wander along that narrow ribbon, meeting like-minded folks along the way, staying in comfortable shelters, enjoying the occasional vista of mountains and valleys (wilderness), and dropping into town every few days to get a recharge of the real world (not wilderness). Being in the wilderness isn't about wearing a loin cloth, trapping squirrels and drinking dew off of rhododendrons. I didn't say you had to go primal. But wandering along the footpath, thinking about the playoffs that you're missing in town, what people think of your latest facebook/blog post, while listening to music/podcasts is a cheap experience (to me) compared to observing, comprehending, and meditating on nature as you go along, and not repressing that voice in your head but focusing on it, focusing on you and your present experience. If you're not out there to be in the wilderness, why not just walk interstates/backroads? You'll have much better cell coverage and it's so much easier to hitch. Your facebook friends will be impressed, promise.Concerning technology, you're repeating all the things you've read on so many posts. I never said anything is wrong with technology, ever. You need a sleeping bag to stay warm, a tarp/tent for shelter, a bag to carry it all. Grandma Gatewood used technology. As did Muir, Daniel Boone, Roald Amundsen, etc. We have amazing chemicals that turn stank water into potable water. We can even make light when it's dark, truly amazing. I'm talking about superfluous technology; tablets, smartphones, luxery items that *may* distract and detract from your experience. Of course, to someone who isn't comfortable in the wilderness, these things might be considered 'necessities' to make them feel safe, less vulnerable, and connected. Just as these same people flock to hotels and hostels as opposed to sleeping in the woods. It's all relative to comfort levels. I know the AT is a heavy use trail (I grew up 10 miles from Punch Bowl Shelter), but people have been hiking it for 70+ years without needing a frickin' battery backup! I see people all day, everyday, living life from behind a touchscreen and oblivious to the life and loved ones around them. To see that on the trail, is, well, sad. But hey, enjoy yourself out there! You'll have plenty of company. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wildernessThe AT, particularly near me, need not apply.
MDSection12
10-18-2013, 16:15
Well that got screwed up... http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wildernessThe second definition is particularly interesting for this discussion.
MDSection12
10-18-2013, 16:15
I give up. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wilderness
Autummyst
10-18-2013, 16:16
Poedog and Dogwood, it's not that I disagree with your personal perspectives, I just thought it was unreasonable to say something like "the post is a joke" with regard to Yellow's post as if a personal perspective is the only right perspective. I don't make judgements about how others consume technology even if it is different than how I make a conscious choice about what technology I will or will not participate in. And although the at has "trees", it is not classified as wilderness except for one small portion of the trail (I was speaking to the actual definition of wilderness).
You both incorrectly made drastic assumptions about me simply based on the fact that I stated each person is out there for their own reasons and that we 'might' bring our iphone. For example from Poedog "You'll have plenty of company." and from Dogwood, "You might try that too". Maybe actually ask for someone's personal philosophy before deciding you already know what it is and then making incorrect judgements about it.
For example, my husband and I share one car and mostly ride bikes to where we are going, we don't have a microwave because we think it's unnecessary consumption, we are going to keep a blog on the trail because we are hiking to raise awareness to the rates of childhood obesity and have raised money to fund schools nutrition/exercise education programs and those students will be following our journey, we have members of our family who are disabled and are excited to read about our journey. We don't plan on being tethered to our phone if we bring it, but if we do, we will bring a back up battery for emergencies since we are starting in a time period where it will be cold and the battery drains faster. We aren't going to the trail to escape society because we have already found a way to live in society while staying true to our ethics.
Just because that's our philosophy doesn't mean it has to be everybody's. And everyone is at different points in their life who are hiking the trail. Some people are leaving a loved one behind for 6 months and want to be able to keep in contact with them while they are out there. And some people are making small steps towards the ideas you spoke about. It's not a bad thing if someone isn't at the stages you are talking about, it just means we are all in different parts of self discovery. I'd rather support people than judge them for not being at a certain place I have deemed is 'good'. I'm also aware that what I have deemed as 'good' is only one way of going about life and happens to work for me. There are many, many ways of reaching the same goal.
Someone asking for battery advice is not immediately the detriment of all environmentalism or out of touch with nature.
MDSection12
10-18-2013, 16:20
You're doing it wrong! :p(Kidding of course.)
Autummyst
10-18-2013, 16:36
You're doing it wrong! :p(Kidding of course.)
:P ha! ::hangs head in shame::
Alligator
10-18-2013, 16:55
Upon closer inspection, the OP was shilling their product.
Autummyst, don't equate ALL what POEDOG said with ALL my statements or ALL of how I feel. You might think about why I said this: "WOW POEDOG over the top in some respects(you had to know you would be stomping on some feet with that last post!)..." I don't agree with all POEDOG said nor entirely how he said some of it. Likewise when I read your posts I agreed with some of your pts too. You both make valid pts to me. I actually come down somewhere between what each of you are saying. I wasn't attempting to specifically disparage or disregard ALL that you said. As far as me saying: "And, I don't always carry a camera or cell ph. It's freeing. It allows more time to discover and rediscover other things like yourself, nature, a higher power, personally interacting/socializing with others, your place in the Universe, etc. You might try that too." I stand by what I said but know it wasn't specifically intended for you but for the OP and the general audience. This can happen in group discussions on the net. When one is speaking to one individual another can assume it was totally meant for them and the reverse can happen - you're intending a message for the general audience and it's taken very personally. I could have made it clearer who I was speaking to at various times as I waivered back and forth in who I was mainly intended to address.
Upon closer inspection, the OP was shilling their product.
THX. I wasn't aware of that if it's true. How do you know these things Confucious Mr Gator?
Alligator
10-18-2013, 17:35
The user profile looked normal but the link was suspicious as was the first post by the OP into an 8 year old thread. So I cross-checked some other info and got a cross-match for an email for the product's sales department.
I love it. On point. All hail Mr Gator.
damonsecloro
10-18-2013, 19:24
Poedog: people also bring their iphones on a trail for safety reasons, if they get lost or stuck somewhere and they need help, they can always contact the proper emergency personnel to come find them, and smartphones do have GPS tracking so emergency can pinpoint exactly where they are. So having a USB battery or a solar charger like the one Suntactics sells and bring it along with a smartphone or some type of positioning system to call for help can be lifesaving. You never know, you could get chased by a bear or a pack of wolves, and have no idea where you are.
Poedog: people also bring their iphones on a trail for safety reasons, if they get lost or stuck somewhere and they need help, they can always contact the proper emergency personnel to come find them, and smartphones do have GPS tracking so emergency can pinpoint exactly where they are. So having a USB battery or a solar charger like the one Suntactics sells and bring it along with a smartphone or some type of positioning system to call for help can be lifesaving. You never know, you could get chased by a bear or a pack of wolves, and have no idea where you are.
Man, you never give up do you? Pack of wolves? Clever. Gator, we got a live one here...
Don't let Poor Puppy get to you. He was an abused child. Take his main points in context with his entire post and intention. Here's the gyst of what he is saying to avoid: ".... wandering along the footpath, thinking about the playoffs that you're missing in town, what people think of your latest facebook/blog post, while listening to music/podcasts is a cheap(ened) experience (to me) compared to observing, comprehending, and meditating on nature as you go along, and not repressing that voice in your head but focusing on it, focusing on you and your present experience...."
"Concerning technology, you're repeating all the things you've read on so many posts. I never said anything is wrong with technology, ever.... I'm talking about superfluous technology; tablets, smartphones, luxery items that *may* distract and detract from your experience." Notice what he astericked!
That's what he's talking about and regardless of how electronic addicts(I use that word deliberately because that's what it CAN be - an addictive drug!) attempt to play off this addiction it's a rampant addiction in this culture. His post here stems from what he notices; I see it too. LOOK at what he says here: "I see people all day, everyday, living life from behind a touchscreen and oblivious to the life and loved ones around them. To see that on the trail, is, well, sad.
Opinionated? YES. Judgemental? You betcha. Harsh in the way he communicated his opinion? YES. Nevertheless, he's correct in noticing MANY folks are entertaining a rampant addiction that keeps them from experiencing so much more in many regards.
hikerboy57
10-18-2013, 21:02
always been that way, always will.most people are held captive to the walls theyve created themselves around their own lives. most too fearful to go outside their comfort zone.
its their life, their hike. my brothers have both worked for the same company their entire lives, both have houses with white picket fences, dogs, cats,safe and secure, retirement well planned.
they think im insane.
i still love em
Poedog: people also bring their iphones on a trail for safety reasons, if they get lost or stuck somewhere and they need help, they can always contact the proper emergency personnel to come find them, and smartphones do have GPS tracking so emergency can pinpoint exactly where they are. So having a USB battery or a solar charger like the one Suntactics sells and bring it along with a smartphone or some type of positioning system to call for help can be lifesaving. You never know, you could get chased by a bear or a pack of wolves, and have no idea where you are.
Thank you Canine Boner, but I'm off my soapbox here. Look at this guys only other post, he is obviously affiliated with Suntactics (which makes crap gear btw) I'm just calling out a schiller, and most likely, the OP.
Turk6177
10-20-2013, 08:39
I keep the iPhone off all day unless I am on a mountain top and want to try to text my wife. I carry a camera so I don't need it on for photos. At night, I keep the phone in airplane mode, I keep the brightness as low as possible and write my journal entries on the notepad app on the phone. Once I am done, if I have a signal, I upload my journal and then shut the phone off for the night. I have heard a lot of people carrying one of the Newtrent power packs. By the time I attempt a thru hike, I am sure technology will have changed considerably.
I keep the iPhone off all day unless I am on a mountain top and want to try to text my wife. I carry a camera so I don't need it on for photos. At night, I keep the phone in airplane mode, I keep the brightness as low as possible and write my journal entries on the notepad app on the phone. Once I am done, if I have a signal, I upload my journal and then shut the phone off for the night. I have heard a lot of people carrying one of the Newtrent power packs. By the time I attempt a thru hike, I am sure technology will have changed considerably.
This is what I do also. I would suggest however, that instead of typing on "notepad", use "Pages" instead. It is much more helpful and easier to type into than notepad. Pages is the Apple version of MIcrosoft Word. You would have to pay $20 however to buy it from the Apple Store, but I think it's well worth it.