Wireless (Bluetooth) Keyboard Suggestion...

[ndstephens]

Hi All,

So during my southbound hike this year i'll be bringing along my iPhone 5s. Primarily it'll be my camera, but will also use it for numerous other things. I'm toying with the idea of also using a wireless keyboard since i'd like to do journaling along the way. Now first off, could you all please not mention about pen and paper, "it's not necessary", etc. It gets a little ridiculous. I'm just considering the idea and also not asking about alternatives. To save weight i can deal with typing on the screen, but it can be frustrating. And using the voice-to-text feature is fine, except i then have to listen to my own voice...which is annoying and i forget what i wanted to write the first place

What i'm looking for is any info on lightweight/portable wireless keyboards. I've done some searching online, but so far haven't come up with much. So if you know of something that's light, small, portable, etc, please let me know. I really appreciate the help.

Thanks,
nate.

[Wise Old Owl]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...140531024950:s

[Miner]

BlueTooth Neptor folding Keyboard is ~7oz (199g.). The only issue is the B key is on the wrong half and I have to think about it when I type.

[rocketsocks]

how bout this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naNzgrbmT_M

[rocketsocks]

Oops.....My Bad


http://search.aol.com/aol/image?q=+keyboard+portable+&v_t=comsearch

find the one that appeals, click on it then track it down.

[Ricky&Jack]

make sure its compatible with your devise. I saw one that says compatible with windows...... so it would be worthless on an ipad/apple i think.

Also, if its bluetooth, then it'll drain your iphone 5s alot faster.

if its in the budget, try an ipad mini or something. they arent hard to type on, and you can type without using bluetooth and killing you iphone battery

[Starchild]

make sure its compatible with your devise. I saw one that says compatible with windows...... so it would be worthless on an ipad/apple i think.

Bluetooth should be universal, not saying it is, but it's suppose to be. There is competing wireless tech, I forgot what it's called but I'm typing on it now, that uses a USB dongle and connects without bluetooth pairing, it just works right out of the box, that would not work on a smartphone.

Also, if its bluetooth, then it'll drain your iphone 5s alot faster.

I'd like to know if this is true, bluetooth is suppose to be a low powered wireless protocol to help preserve battery life, far more efficient then WiFi or cellular. Yes it will take more power, but I would like some experence if it actually drains it 'alot faster' (as you put it).

[ndstephens]

thanks for the replies. rocketsocks...i often use that sort of search technique as well...doing an image search then clicking on things that look interesting. i didn't get too far with it, though. most of the stuff is only from strange websites that don't offer much in customer reviews. looking around Amazon i came up with two different models from SHARKK. one is 6oz, but has a strange keyboard layout and no backlight. the other has a normal layout, offers backlight (which can be turned off) and weighs 8oz. i may keep looking.

thanks for the link to the folding one, Miner. so far that looks pretty good as well. you wouldn't happen to be the "Miner" in Yogi's Colorado Trail book???

still looking. so far leaning towards the 8oz SHARKK. every oz counts with me, but there's also no point in saving an oz or two if the usability is sub-par.

[MikeN]

I just bought an AmazonBasics Bluetooth keyboard. It works great, is easy to pair with your smartphone, and it comes in two versions, one for Android and one for iPhone. It's a little on the heavy side at 9.6 ounces, but it's very sturdy and high quality.

ColinsDadMike

[MikeN]

Forgot to mention, the AmazonBasics keyboard uses 2 AAA batteries, so it won't be a drain on your phone's power.

ColinsDadMike

[Theosus]

What about just taking apples keyboard? It's solid, which means you can prop it on your legs or on a log or anywhere else not flat. Uses two AA batteries which will last a long time. Just take them out when you aren't using the keyboard. No folding mechanism to break or jam.

[Starchild]

Forgot to mention, the AmazonBasics keyboard uses 2 AAA batteries, so it won't be a drain on your phone's power.

ColinsDadMike

Bluetooth devices commonly have to be self powered because it is a wireless connection there is no way to get power from the phone to the device, so the device won't drain the phone, but the phone must use power for the bluetooth radio transmissions which will use some of the phone's power (but I don't think it is much).

[ndstephens]

MikeN: does that weight include the two batteries? usually it doesn't. and how would another model drain my phone's battery? the keyboard wouldn't be using the phone's power, but its own power supply.

Theosus: main reasons i'm not getting the Apple model are weight and price.

[MikeN]

ndstephens: I'm pretty sure the weight doesn't include the batteries, like you said, but I don't have a scale that small so I can't confirm it. I got the Android version of the keyboard, and it uses the smaller AAA batteries, unlike the iPhone keyboard mentioned above by Thosus which uses AA batteries. My Android keyboard cost $31.99. The Apple version of the same keyboard is the same weight, 9.6 ounces, but costs less at $25.99 (likely because of economies of scale). Another keyboard model probably wouldn't drain your phone's battery either. I only mentioned that because someone else brought it up earlier.

[Miner]

thanks for the link to the folding one, Miner. so far that looks pretty good as well. you wouldn't happen to be the "Miner" in Yogi's Colorado Trail book???

Not that I'm aware of. I'm the "Miner" in Yogi's PCT Handbook though.

[ndstephens]

I think that's what i meant. I was just looking through both and remembered which one incorrectly.

[Riocielo]

I have an Anker wireless keyboard that I love. It works well with both my phone and my tablet. I have never purchased an Anker product that I wasn't thrilled with and their customer service is outstanding.

Mine is model #K1280C. It is 11" x 5" and weighs 11oz. Anker may well have smaller versions.

[Kerosene]

How about a laser projection virtual keyboard? I have one and the projector is no more than 2x2x4"; I'd guess the weight at 4 oz. Of course, the cost is hefty at $120, but it does work.

[Colter]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...140531024950:s

I notice it says Use at 20-50% humidity. That would make that particular keyboard useless much, if not most, of the time on the AT.

[ndstephens]

How about a laser projection virtual keyboard? I have one and the projector is no more than 2x2x4"; I'd guess the weight at 4 oz. Of course, the cost is hefty at $120, but it does work.

i think those are pretty interesting, but it costs too much for me. besides, i'll be using the thing mostly while sitting in my hammock, so projection won't work.

I finally bought one.
http://www.amazon.com/Lumsing-Ultrat...eless+keyboard

It's similar to others by i think Ankar and SHARKK that look just like it. They're all just rebranded. It's not perfect, but it's light, cheap, has some good reviews online, there's glow-in-the-dark paint on the keys, etc. good enough. after using it for a bit i'll be happy to report back if anyone is interested.

I appreciate everyone putting in some suggestions. very helpful.