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  1. #1

    Default Phone Protection on the Trail

    In fair weather conditions, will the standard hip belt pocket protect an unused phone from dust & dirt when carried in a backpack? Is a ziplock bag (or similar) a cleanliness necessity?

  2. #2

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    I take my cell phone out hiking and also Orienteering. I turn on what ever GPS route tracking tool I'm using to record my route/hike. Then put it inside a Zip-Lock Freezer (heavier) bag, compress out the air and put in my pocket (day hiking), my Orienteering day/water pack or my backpack. Keeps off the dust, dirt, grass debris and such and I don't worry about sweat getting on it or have to stop to protect it when it starts raining. Cheap insurance.

    Edit, and I've used an Otter Box on it since I've had cell phones. It's protected the phone from drops to hard floors, me falling while hiking, me rolling down a rocky trail while out orienteering.
    Last edited by rhjanes; 08-17-2021 at 23:37.
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  3. #3
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    Risks for technology

    1. Water
    2. Dust
    3. Heat and cold
    4. Physical damage

    The first three you can generally protect from in a variety of ways like a plastic baggie mentioned and some phones have good weather protection as we.l.

    But if you fall could you could crunch your phone in your hip belts with a corner impacf. A beefier case would be smart to consider. One with hard corners gives a little extra peace of mind like the otter is defender series

  4. #4
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    Otterbox and similar are pretty good protection. But they also increase the size of the phone and are relatively heavy. Many phones are, IMO, big and heavy enough already, to the point that you often can't get the newer bricks in a normal pocket even without a protector. Add that most phones these days are pretty water resistant in normal use all on their own. My personal choice is just a gorilla glass screen protector and a silicon skin that provides edge and corner protection and a tackier surface so it doesn't slip out of my hand. Maybe put it in a ziplock when fording large streams or if it's raining cats and dogs.
    "That's the thing about possum innards - they's just as good the second day." - Jed Clampett

  5. #5

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    I have been rough on cell phones over the years. A typical I phone can hold up to heat and cold and some dust but water and physical damage is another story and since they not designed to be repaired they do not hold up very well for hiking. There are military spec rugged Android phones out there that are "waterproof" and built to be dropped but the screens are still vulnerable. I have inadvertently tested both the waterproof and drop features and the phones survive. In order to protect the screen you need a Otter box shell and hard cover for the screen. This makes the phone less convenient to use. I currently have a Samsumg Duo phone that meets Mil Spec and have it in an Otter Box mostly to protect the screen. A heads up is OtterBox is a much larger form factor. IMHO, the relative fragility of cell phones in the outdoors is a major reason why hikers should not depend on them. Better have backup plan.

  6. #6

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    Put it in a ziplock bag in the ̶h̶y̶d̶r̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ map pocket of your pack.

  7. #7

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    I walked from GA to ME with my iphone in an otterbox, on the hip belt clip, attached to my sternum strap.
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  8. #8

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    I bought a hyperlite phone pouch. Light and waterproof, attaches to pack shoulder strap. Also has a mesh pocket for sunglasses or other small items you want handy. It's been on about 15 White Mountain day hikes so far this summer and is nice to have quick access to the phone to take pictures. I just need to remember to zip it back shut before taking the pack off so the phone doesn't fall out!
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  9. #9
    Is it raining yet?
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    I like the Nite Ize waterproof phone pouches. Weigh nothing:

    https://www.niteize.com/collection/r...roof-cases.asp
    Be Prepared

  10. #10

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    The working life of a phone and level of abuse seems to be quite variable between individuals. I know folks with I phones that rarely make it a year before they douse the phone and brick it, others get far longer. My mil spec Android phones lasted long enough that I worried about things like replaceable batteries. The reason for me replacing the phones was obsolescence rather than not working. Everyone of my phones have gone for a swim and been dropped several times. The trade off is mil spec phones usually lack some of the latest and greatest features and the big carriers rarely carry them as they are in the business of retaining customers by leasing them phones as part of the monthly fee. I buy outright so I can move around carriers to some extent. Right now the big push is the switch to 5G capable phones even though current 5G tech is not practical to deploy except in dense urban settings as a high band 5G antennas has at best a line of sight range of 1000 to 1500 feet. 5G can work at longer ranges but the bandwidth is no better than 4G.

    Sure a phone can survive buried in the back of pack but with the emergence of Guthook and other aps plus camera capability I see most hikers keeping the phones ready at hand. There are areas in the whites where two hands are needed and in some cases rock hugging, this all means that the phone needs to be hands free protected. Folks have carried far more fragile 35MM full body cameras on thru hikes successfully, its just requires more planning and gear to protect them.

  11. #11

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    Are you starting out with some form of case on the phone Recalc?

    Peakbagger makes a great point about personal wear and tear. I am my households "phone manager" so I know who breaks what and how often. New phones immediately get some form of case determined by previous issues as far as how rugged it need be. I have myself generally had rugged cases, up to the Otter Box level. No hardshell aluminum though or military spec but I do have household member for whom military spec is a great idea. I used to lean towards waterproof cases but Samsung has been good with waterproofing so I relaxed that some. What I generally find is that after a few days, dirt and dust work their way through most openings in the case. If the case is waterproof with port protectors, maybe not but even then there are still some cutouts where dirt gets in, depending on the case. Same with water. Water can be annoying if the screen protector is part of the case, it gets underneath and won't dry. I find I need to break down the case and clean it out on roughly a weekly basis. Of late I have gone the same route as 4EB with a silicon skin and glass protector. I have the least mishaps with my phone out of my household though, and my phones have been in some very hot and dry conditions.
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  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Alligator View Post
    Are you starting out with some form of case on the phone Recalc?
    For years, my silicone encased phone was placed inside a ziplock bag inside the hip belt pocket of a Ohm II pack. Received the benefits of dirt protection from the ziplock. Setup bought me a lot of good hiking days.

    Last fall, made the switch to a small sized Gossamer Gear Gorilla pack which has smaller hip belt pocket (small size only) so space inside the pocket is snug. Was thinking about only using a ziplock only when rain was imminent, since my phone is supposedly waterproof. Above responses infer this is a bad idea.

    On last hike, I tried placing the phone in a water resistant shoulder strap case (manufactured by REI). Worked really well, but concerned about the possibility of a faceplant destroying the phone.

    Personal preference is to go as light as possible and I have yet to drop or destroy a phone.

  13. #13

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    I have one phone fail many years ago but it was a blank screen problem, never cracked one. I did crack the screen protector glass recently, corner bump. Eventually I expect to crack a screen but I am pretty careful.

    On the shoulder pouch setup, consider that if you ALWAYS put it in the pouch with screen facing to your body it'll have some additional padding based on your body type.

    If you have an REI Mastercard and pay your monthly cell bill with it, you get free damage protection up to I think $800 with some other total limit and two claims per year, maybe $50 deductible. Read the fine print. I just used it because someone decided to bring their phone on a ride at the fair and the claim went smoothly. I've loosened up my case criteria some because I have that insurance.

    The built in hip pockets are rather small on several packs I have purchased so I understand that can be a problem. I use the top pocket as I always make sure to have one for organization.
    "Sleepy alligator in the noonday sun
    Sleepin by the river just like he usually done
    Call for his whisky
    He can call for his tea
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  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by flyingember View Post
    Risks for technology

    1. Water
    2. Dust
    3. Heat and cold
    4. Physical damage
    5. Me.......

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by flyingember View Post
    Risks for technology

    1. Water
    2. Dust
    3. Heat and cold
    4. Physical damage
    The 4-riders of cell phone apocalypse and should be heeded.

    To which one can add "other people" as a separate category or sub-category under #4. For whatever reasons I have seen a few phones fumbled and damaged (some to the point of inoperative) over the last few years by people who borrow phones for calls, texts, emails, or GPS. I hate to be stand-offish, but if asked I simply apologize and say Unless it's a medical or survival emergency I do not share things like my phone, trail mix bag, or toothbrush with others as a health precaution. Norovirus and other avoidable illnesses are spread via hand contact, most people will understand this as opposed to stating concern for damage and the predictable argument of how safe my phone is in their hands.

    From the "you can't make this stuff up" department, the last time I was assured how safe my phone would be in their hands (despite two others in his group who were using their phones) I asked where is your phone now? Answer: I let my friend use it and he dropped it.

  16. #16
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    I use the Hyperlite shoulder pouch. When it is raining hard I put the phone in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air, and put that in the Hyperlite shoulder pouch.

  17. #17
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    I found this brand and thought of the thread

    https://coldcasegear.com/collections/rugged-phone-cases

  18. #18
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    I'm carrying my smartphone in the thigh pocket on all hikes, and it never got damaged so far.
    The phone is waterproof, but in heavy rain I'd put it in the shirt pocket beneath the rain coat.
    The phone rests in one of those typical plastic covers, the screen has an additional "Panzerglass" protection.
    My main concern is that, if I'm exhausted, the phone might slip off my fingers when I'm fishing it out of the pocket.

    Workshop work, onsite-work and rock climbing are activities much harder on the phone in the pocket, and I've damaged some this way.

    Again, being exhausted and inattentive is the biggest issue I'm seeing.
    It happened occassionally that I slipped the phone in the pocket while the screen is still active, then the sweaty warmth of my body does lots of nonsense on-screen like activating latest phone calls etc.
    One time I was seriousely doubting my mental health when hearing this tiny voice calling my name in the middle of nowhere...

  19. #19
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    I've done an entire AT thru with a naked iPhone 4. Currently my I's have a basic case and screen protector, that's it, works great it has. The case prevents the phone from 'flat landing' on the screen as the corners stick out just enough to prevent that. Hiking, the phone stays in the pocket, though may find itself put in a more water resistant location if it rains.

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