I started a thread recently seeking input regarding the possibility of replacing my current Garmin GPS with a more modern Garmin. It was a great thread and the input I received caused me to completely change my thinking. I have decided, at least for the time being, to use my iPhone and iPad as my GPS on canoe trips. I have embarked on the learning curve associated with the transition. I have learned a few things that others making the same change might find helpful. I am by no means an expert - far from it. I'm hoping this thread will attract folks with experience in this area to help me develop my skills.
I come at this with a bias for map and compass. I will always have map and compass and I believe it is extremely important to keep your map and compass skills alive. This is your ultimate back up, and sometimes it is the #1 choice. GPS is a frill, a luxury. It can make things quicker and easier and with an iPhone or iPad with a big screen you can get an outstanding view of things. However, if you rely on gps skills alone, and if your device goes south, you are potentially in a bad situation unless you have a map and compass and the skills to use them. GPS is great for getting you into the middle of nowhere - but if you don't have the navigational skills to get out if the device dies you are in a pickle.
I will start it off with a summary of what I have learned from you all so far, combined with my reading. I will be talking iPhone and iPad because that is the realm that I am living in and I don't want to make a major change. I know that Android devices probably also will function as GPS devices but I have no experience with them so I will leave that to others. One downside of the iDevices is that they do not have a usb port which may come in hand from time to time.
It turns out that newer iPhones and iPads that are both wifi ready and cell ready (not wifi only i-Pads) have a gps chip that enables them to function quite well as gps devices even where there is no cell service or wifi available - ie. in the bush. (You need not activate the phone service on your cell ready iPad - it is not necessary to do that.) You can test your device by putting in airplane mode which turns off cell data and wifi data and then start up an app that displays your position coordinates. Google Earth for example. One nice little app for the iPhone is called "UTM Grid Ref Compass." Go outside with a clear view of the sky and walk around - is your phone reporting the changes in your position as you walk? If so you are all set and your device will work as a GPS in the bush.
I come to this from the perspective of a paddler which almost always means there is a good view of the sky easily available. I have no clue whether the chip in the iDevice is better or worse or the same than a dedicated Garmin or other gps device as far as pulling in a gps signal under a canopy. I would be interested to hear the experience of others on that issue. My experience though is that the iDevice chip works well if there is a good view of the sky and so it meets 99% of my needs.
So at this point you know that you can carry your iDevice in airplane mode which dramatically improves battery life and you can get your UTM coordinates and place your self on a paper map. Frankly, on river trips, that is all you really need to have. But, there is more, much more.
The next step is to get yourself a good gps app. For the iDevices (and I think also for the Android devices) the program that has come forward as a leader is Gaia GPS. There are others. This app has a good interface. You will quickly be able to locate and download free canadian and us topo maps and other maps as well. Recently I downloaded the canadian topos for a trip in the Yukon. They work really well, seamlessly zooming from the 1:250000 scale to the 1:50000 scale. Very good function. There are other maps out there and this is where I am working now to improve my knowledge. But these topos are great and they are free (the app costs about $20 US for a one time download).
The next step after that, for me anyway, is getting arieal shots off google earth or google maps and importing them, geo referenced, into Gaia. With this, I expect to be able to look at my position in the field with a google map or a topo map separately, or together, or maybe with some apps on a split screen. This to me is pretty much the ultimate. This is the area that seems a bit technical and over my head but I am quite confident it can be done. Once you have that - you have got one heck of a gps device - especially if you use an iPad or iPad mine or similar tablet.
There are issues with this. First, battery life. Second, waterproofing. Third, glare.
Battery life. There are a lot of things you can do in the field to dramatically improve battery life and make it so that the iPhone, and even the iPad, is a workable solution. Also, there are new, light weight and small, recharge batteries on the market today. Also, on some long trips, a solar panel can be used. Bottom line, with some care and thought and the right equipment the battery life issue pretty much evaporates. Anker makes some really lightweight recharge batteries, there are others.
Waterproofing. iDevices and water don't mix well. But, in the modern world, it turns out that there are really good rugged waterproof and floating cases available. I have a Lifeproof Fre on my iPad mini and my iPhone. I also carry an accessory for each by Lifeproof called the "Lifejacket". They are both really excellent and provide solid waterproofing and protection against rough treatment which is the norm on canoe trips. Not absolutely fool proof I suppose. But pretty darn good if you ask me.
Glare. There is one other issue using a screen which is glare. This is something I am not yet sure how to deal with. There are glare reducing screen protectors, but how they actually perform I do not know. Everyone is different - but I tend to look at this device mostly in camp under the tarp so glare is not a big problem. But yes, when paddling and looking for way-points of interest for example - glare is an issue to deal with.
Anyway - there you have it. I think I have most of this right but I will gladly stand corrected if I'm off base with something. I expect to use this system on a trip in the Yukon this summer so we shall see!
P.S. Another related device is the deLorme inReach. This device will turn a wifi only ipad into a full gps device. Also, your iPhone and iPad will connect to the inReach and can be used as an interface to draft and send and receive short text and e mail messages over the reliable iridium satellite network where you have no cell service or wifii meaning virtually everywhere in the Canadian north. The ability to use the iPhone or iPad in conjunction with the inReach device, and to have various resources available such as bird books and the like, is a real luxury.
P.P.S. A related issue has to do with keeping the wild in the wilderness and the impact that all these devices - garmin gps units, iDevices, etc. - can have on that issue. Something to think about. It calls for life style practices. Use the device sparingly. Save the aesthetic of the northern river and save battery all at the same time.
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