wildwanderer wrote:For me a modern android smartphone loaded with oruxmaps and a inreach mini is the best combination.
I don't see the need to carry a dedicated GPS when my smartphone has the same capabilities and likely a bigger screen.
Inreach mini is reliable, compact and lightweight.
peregrinator wrote:wildwanderer wrote:For me a modern android smartphone loaded with oruxmaps and a inreach mini is the best combination.
I don't see the need to carry a dedicated GPS when my smartphone has the same capabilities and likely a bigger screen.
Inreach mini is reliable, compact and lightweight.
Is there any data comparing battery longevity between a dedicated GPS device and a mobile phone?
I'm not trying to be smart. I honestly don't know. And there are many variables of course, depending on how one employs these things.
wildwanderer wrote:Note I always keep my devices in padded cases. not strapped in the open on a chest strap. But others do this without issues. I just think it's to big a risk if you fall and smcash against a rock etc.
wildwanderer wrote:For me a modern android smartphone loaded with oruxmaps and a inreach mini is the best combination.
I don't see the need to carry a dedicated GPS when my smartphone has the same capabilities and likely a bigger screen.
Inreach mini is reliable, compact and lightweight.
peregrinator wrote:wildwanderer wrote:For me a modern android smartphone loaded with oruxmaps and a inreach mini is the best combination.
I don't see the need to carry a dedicated GPS when my smartphone has the same capabilities and likely a bigger screen.
Inreach mini is reliable, compact and lightweight.
Is there any data comparing battery longevity between a dedicated GPS device and a mobile phone?
I'm not trying to be smart. I honestly don't know. And there are many variables of course, depending on how one employs these things.
crollsurf wrote:I run with gaiaGPS on my phone and a compass.
You can be 20m off track but your phone will get you back ontrack. That's how accurate they are these days.
I don't ever rely on my phone in case it fails. I rely on observeration. Every time you hit a junction, walk 10m and look behind you, remember what you see.
Worst case, I've got the compass and my memory. Train your memory.
If you're convinced your memory is crap, get an Inreach Mini, pay money and get a battery pack to keep it charged.
Use your phone unless a loved one is freaking out and you need to message them that it's OK
wildwanderer wrote:Sorry Seamus, I noticed we didn't really answer your question.
If I was choosing between the 66i and a combo of inreach mini/dedicated GPS..
I'd get the 66i as it's 1 device that does two things and 1 device is easier to look after, keep charged, not lose.
Note I always keep my devices in padded cases. not strapped in the open on a chest strap. But others do this without issues. I just think it's to big a risk if you fall and smash against a rock etc.
I would consider checking to see if you can load andrewp's topo maps on it. As they are far superior to the ones Garmin provides as standard.
Also I noticed you mentioning sat phone, it's not really a sat phone as you cant make voice calls on it. You can only message. I assume you know this but thought I'd mention just in case
This is a fairly good pro/con review to check out if you haven't already.
https://hikingguy.com/hiking-gear/garmi ... iew-guide/
wildwanderer wrote:Seamus,
One thing I'd check on is your comparison between phone and GPS device battery life. Once you put a phone in flight mode, turn off Bluetooth etc you should get quite a bit longer than 7 hours. It's common for a new phone to have 48 hours+ of use in flight mode. (Not constantly with screen on)
It's a good point about cold, misty,wet conditions.
It's a tough environment, land features are hard to identify due to the conditions making GPS often the only option.
Those conditions for a electronic device are equally tough. It's hard to operate touch screens without removing gloves, battery gets used a lot faster. Even stopping to pull out a phone or GPS causes your body temp to drop.
Phones and dedicated GPS are going to suffer equally from the cold. They are both plastic uninsulated devices. You can mitigate this somewhat (as I'm sure you already know) by putting it in a chest pocket. Battery will still drain fast during use though..
It's actually the reason why I'm going to buy a Fenix 6x pro watch. Because it's on a wrist and receiving body heat it doesn't suffer from the cold, and the topo map on the watch face is good enough to do a quick check of position/bearing without stopping. The watch face is massive!
Also you can
- Select a spot on the watch map and it will give you bearing and distance to it.(and navigate to it if you wish)
- accurate digital compass, distance walked and altimeter.
- takes longer but you can even create a GPX route on your phone and send it to the watch so it's a useful backup to a full GPS.
ribuck wrote:The biggest advantage of the 66i is the transflective screen, which can be read in bright sunshine. Other than that, a phone has a bigger screen, a higher-resolution screen, better software, a wider range of maps, etc. A phone plus an InReach Mini is a great combo - and because you're not using the InReach for maps, you know that it will have plenty of battery available if you need it for an emergency.
seamus20 wrote:GaiaGPS crashed regularly, on a brand new, high-powered phone. This reconfirmed what I had suspected - there is no way that I would trust a phone to be reliable as a GPS device on a serious multi-day bushwalk. Phones are jacks of all trades, masters of none. They are simply not reliable enough, particularly since you are reliant on apps, rather than truly dedicated software.
Son of a Beach wrote:Having said that, a dedicated GPS is more rugged, and I'm sure would have better battery life than a phone, even with all the above mentioned considerations. These days, I take a spare battery to recharge the phone for long walks if necessary, but I almost never need to recharge, even when I also use the phone as a camera, and chat to my wife if I can get a signal from a mountain top.
(and yes, I still carry a paper map and compass, and even practice using them occasionally)
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