iphone app for canoe camp? Best?

Generator or a real long extension cord
I love my iPhone, but if I’m camping and think I might need it, I’m turning it off. The battery is it’s weak point, and if there is nowhere to recharge, I’ll save it in case I need it rather than burn it up on music or apps.



I’ve used Runkeeper to track paddling trips and it is definately a great app, except that it just about sets the battery on fire. If you have Runkeeper up for two or more hours, you are probably going to kill the battery.



GPS? Does the iPhone really have GPS? It seems useless when you are off the network. If it is really getting position from the satellites, why is that?



If you want to record the location of camp sites, use the map app and email yourself the location. You can fish the coordinates out of the URL embedded in the email. Why it doesn’t just tell you the damn coordinates is beyond me.



~~Chip

Troglodyte with an iPhone

A couple
I second the River Guide app; it doesn’t have projections like the NWS site does, but still gives you the most recent data and trend. Also use Tidegraph which gives you tide info including level, sunrise and set times, etc.



I have the older version so no true magnetic compass built in. With mine I have to be moving fast enough for the satellites to track. My wife has the newer version (S?) which has the built in compass, I would probably add an upgraded GPS app if I had that one instead.

Several Reasons
My GPS is waterproof and floats. The phone has to be kept in a dry pouch and even then I worry about condensation. It’s not all that easy to operate while it’s in it pouch either.



Also, the GPS on the phone kills the battery very quickly. I can start a paddle with a full battery and if I’m tracking the whole time I can kill it in 6 hours. On the plus side the phone plots about twice as many points as the GPS, so it’s more precise, but that’s not very helpful if it dies before you get back to the launch.



One benefit to the phone over the GPS is that if you have cell signal you can get an aerial photo of where you are. This has helped me after getting turned around in some marshes where my chart wasn’t detailed enough to find my way out.






booz
booztalkin on Mar-09-10 10:44 PM (EST)

I love my iPhone, but if I’m camping and think I might need it, I’m turning it off. The battery is it’s weak point, and if there is nowhere to recharge, I’ll save it in case I need it rather than burn it up on music or apps.



Amazon.com supplemental battery chargers abound (search battery pack) which for about $60 can give 4x the chZArge for iPhone. And Amazon also have solar chargers–search solar charger–for iPhone and iPods specifcically fro about $60 also. See reviews–I have never owmned one of thiose. I do have a recharger pack and love it though. Very powerrful–full of "juice

before I leave amnd get 4 recharges oput of it (look for teh ones with highest mH charge power).



So, yes, booz, for $50-60 you can have your music and not have milk it along on your trip.



PS I agree with you about poor innate battery life in iPhone Ipod Touches.


Riverguide App
http://coolkayaker1.blogspot.com/2009/10/riverguide-app-for-iphoneipod-touch.html