Bushwalk Australia

Do you take a tablet with you when you walk? What flavour: Android, ipad, Windows, other? What do you use it for: Navigation, eReader, other?

What's best, what would you recommend?

Kindle sometimes, but only on mickey-mouse walks where I don't expect to be destroyed at the end of most days.

+1 for kindle, it may only function as an e reader but it does that really well and i would prefer something that does one thing well over something that does many things poorly. The kindle isnt backlit so is easier to read and the battery last for ages.

I'm old school and take a book. Simple reason- a kindle is useless if you run out of toilet paper
In all seriousness I am thinking of getting an ereader for trips as you can pick up something not too bad for $50

Ah damn, saw the title of this thread and thought we were talking about drugs.

ILUVSWTAS wrote:Ah damn, saw the title of this thread and thought we were talking about drugs.

I take an asprin. If it's real bad, I take a Nurofen. Never tasted them, so cannot comment on flavour.

Been playing with a Nexus 7 for the last couple of walks, and previously tried an iPad.
The iPad was just too big for bushwalking in my opinion.

The Nexus 7 is a perfect size and the battery lasts 2 days of continuous satellite tracking no problem. A lot longer if only used now and then. I use it mostly for mapping, but also with Zinio and some music. Bought Ozi Explorer for Android - not a fan. Now back to Orux Maps and Memory Map. As an e-reader it does chew battery much quicker than proper e-readers. Jelly Bean on the Nexus is the most stable Android I've ever used, but still not up to IOS standards, and generally speaking the apps are often a dogs breakfast compared to equivalent ones on iPad. The screen can get a bit picky when it's at all dirty too, registering phantom touches etc. also accessiries are scarce. But it is a fantastic thing for navigation when loaded up with high res Tasmaps.
If the rumoured iPad mini (7 inch) ever comes to fruition I'd be jumping at it.

I use an iPad but consider it too heavy to carry on a walk. Found it very handy though on a recent self-guided trip on the UK Coast-to-Coast. The ability to download photos and review at the end of each day was very handy. Having convenient internet access was also good.

sthughes wrote:If the rumoured iPad mini (7 inch) ever comes to fruition I'd be jumping at it.

I suspect you won't be the only one. The smaller size would make it convenient for a lot of uses where the regular device is just a little too big and bulky.

Will the smaller size be the smaller price? N7 is a little tab; but big on the value. Hope that memory-map will have special offer for their Topo maps users, those willing an upgrade. I have used mine for several years.

Sudafed & Panadeine.

north-north-west wrote:Sudafed & Panadeine.

Ex-Lax?

photohiker wrote:I take an asprin. If it's real bad, I take a Nurofen. Never tasted them, so cannot comment on flavour.

Then there's nurofen plus for a legal dose of coedine, then Panadeine forte for a perscription dose, then (not that I've used them) endone & oxycontin, leftovers from the operation... Heavy *&%$#!, you won't be doing much walking.

And no, I don't take a tablet, iphone the biggest I would consider.

tasadam wrote:And no, I don't take a tablet, iphone the biggest I would consider.

Could be painful..least the new phones got no sharp edges..

Voltaren Rapid and if that doesn't work, vodka

I don't like the idea of anything larger than can be easily held in my hand and clipped to my belt or chest strap, therefore weather/knockproof. Have been thinking about a kindle or the like for nightime though.

frenchy_84 wrote:The kindle isnt backlit so is easier to read and the battery last for ages.

It is now:





Kindle Paperwhite

Released early October, not available for sales outside the US yet

dplanet wrote:Will the smaller size be the smaller price? N7 is a little tab; but big on the value. Hope that memory-map will have special offer for their Topo maps users, those willing an upgrade. I have used mine for several years.

It will be used as a back up only on challenging walks and, in particular, on those that require the appropriate paper topographical maps that are not available. If I am correct, you have to be one of the mapping software users, for example, memory-map or oziexplorer (do like Rooftop maps too). It is great that both run on Android apps and I wish in the near future Mudmap will do so. At present, you can use Mudmap on the click of the search button.

Having said that, other benefits of N7 for bushwalking as well as other outdoor activities include features of (1) offline mapload which is good for navigation on road from and to walks (2) search for POIs while on the go, and (3) wheather apps providing forecasts, tides and snow conditions.., and (4) save files, docs of the info . I rarely use my droid phone.