QUESTION for HIKERS: I-PAD or I-PHONE

Aug 30, 2015

[Yosemitest]

I want to know what is best to use for a long hike, the I-Phone or the I-pad.
I have NOT owned or used either.
I want to be able to make and receive phone calls, access the internet, shoot video, edit video, and load video.
I'd prefer the larger screen in the I-Pad Mini over the I-Phone, but I also need to be able to make and receive calls, and I'm not sure if the I-Pad Mini can receive calls.
If you have experience with both, please let me know the advantages and disadvantages of each.
I also want to use it to be a GPS navigation with topo maps, and use it as an altimeter.


iPhone 6/iPhone 6 Plus vs iPad mini 3 comparison

[Yosemitest]

I haven;t made my mind up on which one to buy.
My cell phone is very old and a basic phone.
The Garmin device that caught my attention was a heart monitor with altimeter, but it was not GPS.
But the Suunto Core All Black is the watch I want.

Suunto Core Wrist-Top Computer Watch with Altimeter, Barometer, Compass, and Depth Measurement

[Yosemitest]

Thanks, but with what I have at home, and with weight considerations I’ll stay with Apple.

[Caipirabob]

iPhone 6 plus with full memory. It’s a mini tab and has an excellent camera with panoramic capability.

[dennisw]

You get an ipad mini that connects to 4g networks. You can make calls from it via skype or google voice/hangouts. FINE! All this works great on your hike if you are able to connect to the 4g cell towers. Lets say this all works out.

Now you are back in town. You are signed up for 4g access on a ipad mini. Are you sure you will be able to make use of this in town? Are you going to sign a long term 4g contract then find you only made use of it during a 14 day hike out in the mountains?

[captain_dave]

Paper topographic map and compass.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

It has been my experience that when you get out of range of cell towers your battery life plummets. Seems like the phone goes into hyperdrive looking for a signal. I used to charge my flip phone once a week but when I went up in the woods to work on a truck if I forgot to turn my phone off the battery would drain in a few hours. That was with several different brands but I have never had an iPhone.

[Yosemitest]

Thanks, but would big hands matter, operating the typing function when doing text?
That's one of the main reasons that I was looking at the I-Pads, with the thought of waiting until the newest release comes out some time right after Christmas or the New Year, and before most people get their tax returns.
Video editing is another reason I'm leaning towards the I-Pad

[Yosemitest]

I'm retired, and I need the exercise for diabetes.
I'm pretty sure this won't be my only hike, and it won't be just weeks.
It'll be months.
My only real concern is the needs of my aging patrons (both passed 70 years old, years ago).
I'm retired with no wife, and no kids, so what's holding me back?
I want to do it before my knees won't let me do it.

[Yosemitest]

I've done that before, but if I need a phone because of my parents, I might as well meet several needs in one device.
I won't be without a paper map for my area, but on a long hike, there's only so much weight you want to carry, and every ounce counts.

[Pikachu_Dad]

I was thinking of a backup for those emergency cases where the s hits the f.

Nothing is more worthless than a dead battery iPhone.

The iPad definitely has longer battery life and a better antenna.

[Yosemitest]

Unless I need my phone and I'm between restocks, it'll be in sleep mode most of the time to stop the tower pinging.
That's why I'm leaning more towards the I-Pad, and because I'll use it more for a computer to edit video, and type a log or journal, for later own, when I might want to compile it into something else.

[Yosemitest]

"... a better antenna"

Now that's information I can use.

[mpreston]

Plan for no cell service, no iPad and no electronic topo maps.

What is your strategy? Especially with health issues.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

No GPS in the iPad, though. Google “30000 mah bank” to see the monster batteries you can throw in the pack. I like the idea of the solar charger. If I was back out on long multi night trips, I’d probably stick w paper maps, a dedicated camera, and a couple of spare batteries so I didn’t have to trust the electronics.

The old Mercury cells in my old Canon EF SLR lasted for years and a spare pair fit in a tiny case on the strap. How times have changed.

[Caipirabob]

Well, we hike a lot and it's been very handy for us. Just don't place much hope in reception in the wilds. It's good where it's available, but once you descend into canyon walls or get above cell phone towers in the mountains it's hit or miss. Also, you can buy Keyboard apps - possibly something that will give you a larger typing surface so it's easier to use. Maybe one of these?

iPhone Keyboard Apps

[Yosemitest]

Like I said in Comment #69, I won't be without a paper map for my area.
The phone is not so much for my emergency needs, but for my parents' needs.
Call messages waiting when I get back into a resupply area is how they can get in touch with me.
I'm retired military and also grew up in the woods, so the woods aren't a problem .
Diabetic II plans is to carry 3 months supply of medicine and emergency hard candy and peanut butter, as well as my testing equipment.
Peanut butter will recover you from low blood sugar faster than anything.
Water needs is making sure you're well supplied and have filtration equipment, which I've already purchased.
Other than that, the 10 Cs cover the subject well.

The 10 C's of Survival Gear ( 6:01 )

[Pikachu_Dad]

Supposedly it does “It is simple. The iPad (mini or otherwise) comes in two versions, wifi-only and wifi+3G/4G. The wifi-only iPad does not have GPS hardware in it. The wifi+3G/4G iPad has GPS hardware.
“

[CurlyDave]

Every year I hunt, way out in the boonies, further out than most hikers ever go, for two solid weeks. We have generators in camp to charge stuff at night, but cell phones are pretty much useless for navigation. We all carry them, but reception is very spotty.

Anything with a built-in compass is pretty near useless for hiking. They are very slow to actually take a bearing. If you are in open country where you can see for miles, they might be OK, but a good old-fashioned magnetic compass gives you a bearing in seconds, and if you are in any kind of woods or brush will keep you on track where the electronic one will keep you lost in the woods for days. Get one that is adjustable for declination, learn what declination is, and how to use it. Have a paper map that you know how to use with the compass.

We go in a group, and we all have Garmin Rino GPS/radio combination units. Pricey, yes, but we know where we are and can communicate with each other. Plus other group members automatically show up on the GPS map. If you are alone, get a GPS without the radio, but get a good one. Cheap GPS units have antennae that will not hold a signal if there is any kind of tree cover or if you are in a canyon. The good ones hold a signal like a mother-in-law’s curse.

At a minimum, get a FRS/GMRS radio. If you have an emergency one of these will let you communicate with rescuers within a couple of miles of you. If you have a GPS and know how to find your global co-ordinates from it, you can tell emergency services your exact position within 25’ or so.

Before you ever leave home you should know how to navigate with whatever means you choose and practice for several day hikes.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Thanks. I didn’t know that. Guy at my favorite coffee shop has the 3G/4G version and gets data. Mine is basic wifi, so no data in the coffee shop. So I didn’t realize the top model has GPS. Puts a whole new spin on things.

I really like the 6 Plus and it isn’t much smaller than the iPad mini. As good as the screen size it, it starts feeling small.

[Yosemitest]

Here's Dave:

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