Taking tablet computer on hike

[David M]

I was wondering, does anyone do this? Possible uses might be a combined GPS and camera and also some non-purists may want to surf the web in their tents at night if network access is available. I am not judging whether it is a good thing or not, just curious as to what your opinions are. Weight penalty for my Samnsung Galaxy Note 8 with case is probably about 400 grams. And, no, I haven't taken it with me yet. But I always take GPS, small camera and Iphone.

[Lindsay]

Maybe if you can combine GPS and camera functions it may be worthwhile as a weight saver, however I don't think you can get a full grid position/topo maps on a tablet, just a street directory with a position indicating dot. Also it is more awkward to use than an ordinary camera. As for net surfing...that's what I like to get away from sometimes.. Not a practical option to replace a dedicated camera and GPS I shouldn't think.

[Redtail]

... however I don't think you can get a full grid position/topo maps on a tablet, just a street directory with a position indicating dot. ...

Weight, battery life, ease of use and durability aside, it'll work fine as a stand alone GPS with OziExplorer installed. A 16Gb micro SD will hold all the maps you can eat, too.

[nickerr]

It really depends on how long I'll be gone if it is under a week probably not anything more then that Ill usually bring a notebook with me.

[sthughes]

I tried carrying a Google Nexus 7 for a while. I had both Ozi Explorer and Orux Maps software, but personally I found Orux much better (and cheaper). Apart from the usual Android glitchyness the biggest issue I found was waterproofing, so it spent a lot of time in my pack. Battery life was surprisingly good, even tracking throughout the day. I'm considering trying the concept again using an iPad mini 2 (when it exists) and a Lifeproof case, as the bigger screen is very good for navigation.

[GPSGuided]

You already have an iPhone. Learn to use that and bring an external battery pack or solar charger.

[GD4Up]

You already have an iPhone. Learn to use that and bring an external battery pack or solar charger.

I agree, there's always been a phone in my pack for the past 15 years and the phones have been getting smarter over the years but I still carry a real camera and GPS. Having said that, I sometimes bring the iPad if I have space as it has a really nifty astronomy app on it that is good to play with without artificial light interfering with the view.

[colinm]

As ever, and for the foreseeable future, the problem is batteries and charging them.

[Son of a Beach]

I don't think you can get a full grid position/topo maps on a tablet, just a street directory with a position indicating dot.

Not sure what you mean by this but there are apps that can display whatever maps you want (offline or otherwise) on a tablet or phone as well as full grid position in whatever datum and spatial reference system you choose.

Batteries are the big issue. I was given a solar charger / power pack last year for this. It's a bit weighty but should be useful for recharging. The solar part would be very slow and probably not much use if the weather wasn't great, but charging the pack at home before leaving would mean two or three charges for the phone even without the solar supplement.

[stry]

Here's a novel idea. Learn how to N A V I G A T E without all this electro stuff. Then you can find your way around using your N A V I G A T I O N skills.

Worked for Cook, DaGama, Columbus, the Polynesians, and countless others.

[Son of a Beach]

I N A V I G A T E by map and compass often. However I like the convenience of maps on a smart phone. I still carry paper maps, but most of the time I just pull the phone out of my pocket. Much more convenient.

Obviously being entirely dependent on fragile electronic gadgets for navigation is stupid.

Last edited by Son of a Beach on Sat 13 Jul, 2013 9:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[colinm]

Worked for Cook, DaGama, Columbus, the Polynesians, and countless others.

Yeah? Where did they bushwalk?

BTW, Columbus thought he was in India when he was in South America. N A V I G A T I O N ... hot dog!

[stry]

A tad blunt on the rejoinder there colinm

I was actually expecting a riposte based on the weight of a middle ages brass sextant compared to a probably lighter tablet .

Hadn't actually noticed that I had referred only to mariners. We could look at Lewis and Clarke, Marco Polo and a few others. I might pass on Burke and Wills though. And hey- at least Columbus found his way back, so not all bad.

Seriously, I recognise the value of the gizmos in situations such as bad or zero visibility, and I-phone maps have some appeal, although I'm not sure how one manages with the small screen, and as Sonofabeach pointed out, to have old tech backup is very wise.

My biggest concern with all this stuff, particularly with the GPS units, is that many people who have not grown comfortable with the bush tend to exist entirely "within" the machine, rather than being aware of the topography around them, landmarks etc. They do not develop a feel for the big picture. This is not theory on my part - I have seen it many times.The safety downside is that often there is no ability to think around the problem created by a machine failure. Another downside is a diminished awareness of what we are all there to enjoy.

[Spartan]

While I will often use a GPS at work, I don't personally own or use one when I head bush for fun (map, compass and pace-counting works fine for me). WRT the subject of this thread, I sometimes take my Acer tablet with me. I like to read a little before retiring, and the tablet enables me to take a veritable library of books for very little weight.

All the best.

[Gippsmick]

Check this out http://www.meetearl.com/
Ereader, gps, radio, weather station, survival guide etc... in 300grams.

[Ent]

Here's a novel idea. Learn how to N A V I G A T E without all this electro stuff. Then you can find your way around using your N A V I G A T I O N skills.

Worked for Cook, DaGama, Columbus, the Polynesians, and countless others.

And that is why in Tassie we have numerous ship wrecks.