How do you ruggedize your phone for the trail?

[AllDownhillFromHere]

Buy a Samsung Active.

[scrabbler]

Buy a Samsung Active.

Or S5 or S6 or S7 or S8, or wait for the new iPhone sometime soon.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

Or S5 or S6 or S7 or S8, or wait for the new iPhone sometime soon.

The Active has a built-in case.

[Feral Bill]

And instead carry your watch, your journal, your pen, your flashlight, your camera, your calendar, your trip notes, your maps, and your GPS, etc. Makes a lot more sense. Thanks.

I mostly hike where there is no cell service whatever. I use a proper camera, headlamp and paper maps. Yet I survive.

[Deacon]

Do you use a phone case for every day use? IMO there’s no need to ruggedize the phone o the trail any more than for everyday use. I kept mine in a shoulder pouch. Didn’t even bother waterproofing it and it was fine.


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[Uncle Joe]

I use an Otterbox on the phone itself and carry in in a flap-over type leather case. Often it's either clipped to my chest strap or in a hip-belt pocket.

[DownEaster]

Do you use a phone case for every day use?

No, I don't. The most protection it gets is in a pocket in sweatpants. Hence the desire to step up my game for the AT.

[Starchild]

I thru hiked with a naked iPhone 4. During rain I would either put it in my pocket under my rain kilt or in the document dry bag, depending on duration and intensity of the rain. It was one of the few pieces of gear that survived the entire trail and went on for many years, actually I still have it, though I upgraded to a new active phone.

My new phone I would use a glass screen protector and a silicon case, also would carry a document dry bag.

[swisscross]

Bought a lifeproof case for my new phone (drowned the last one fording).
Put the case on and removed it less than a week later.
Screen sensitivity was compromised, sounds were muffled, the case itself vibrated and pictures were not a crisp.

Threw the thing in the junk drawer.

Last trip I put the phone in a wool glove liner in my front pocket...worked well enough. I want to find a dedicated soft pouch.
I do use a slim protective back case. Zip lock if raining although my phone is considered very water resistant.

[Another Kevin]

My currrent phone is a Samsung Active. Since it's got a gorilla-glass screen and is IP68 tested, I just put a silicone case around it to give it a little more shock protection than is built in. That way I don't lose screen sensitivity, camera clarity or sound fidelity.

My previous phone was an S4, and I had a mil-spec case for it from a supplier that seems no longer to be around. Using a sealed case was a second-best solution for all the above reasons, but at least the phone survived a couple of bad falls and one dunking in a river.

[rocketsocks]

Otterbox...

[JoeVogel]

If you are looing for somthing with a slimmer profile this one looks pretty promising. While it doesn't look 100% waterproof it does look like it would hold up pretty well in a downpour.

http://amzn.to/2zDxbn8

[DownEaster]

If you are looing for somthing with a slimmer profile this one looks pretty promising. While it doesn't look 100% waterproof it does look like it would hold up pretty well in a downpour.

http://amzn.to/2zDxbn8

Thanks for trying, but this case is for the Moto G4 Plus instead of the Moto G4. Somewhat different phone with different case requirements (the G4 Plus has a fingerprint reader which the regular G4 lacks).

[Venchka]

I mostly hike where there is no cell service whatever. I use a proper camera, headlamp and paper maps. Yet I survive.

My role model! I want to be you when I grow up!
You forgot “cook with a SVEA 123 stove”. I have one too.
Wayne

[camper10469]

I mostly hike where there is no cell service whatever. I use a proper camera, headlamp and paper maps. Yet I survive.

2+

i go backpacking to get away from all that nonsense.

.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

2+
i go backpacking to get away from all that nonsense.
.

Good thing you guys chimed in on a thread about ruggedizing a phone then.

[Venchka]

The real world where most of use our phones 95%-99% of the time are far more hazardous to our phones than most anywhere that we backpack.
I’ve dropped my phone 8 or 11 times on cement or tile floors. I managed to fall in a lake with my phone on my jeans pocket. Those are the biggies that pop into my brain. The phone is unblemished and functional.
By comparison, I have done nothing to harm my phone while backpacking.
Fear of nothing and fear of things that won’t happen strikes the Internet.
Chill y’all.
Wayne

[poolskaterx]

I have a decent rubber case that surrounds the back and sides of my phone with a little lip that helps if dropped directly onto the screen. I have a waterproof plastic pouch I "can" put it in if weather gets that wet but generally my id,cc and money sit in the bag in my pocket. Biggest issue I have is keeping it insulated as the cold kills battery. Last trip on full charge my phone would shut off showing "no charge" in less than two minutes when taking photos. Had to get creative to warm it up... brrrrr it was cold, lol!

[Elaikases]

I have my mophie on my phone, and when hiking toss on a zip lock bag. Has worked great for the last four section hikes and some other events.

[QiWiz]

I use a LifeProof case - has worked great for me on multiple trips. I'm on my second one as I got a larger phone a couple years ago.