Backcountry phone

[92xj]

How do you use your cell phone in the backwoods?
How long does your battery last?
Do you manually turn off  WiFi and 4g internet and turn on location?
Do you put in airplane mode?
How long does your battery last? I know it depends on your use, so what's your use and how long does it last?
I've never taken or used my phone in the Backcountry but want it take it this weekend to use for 95percent pictures and sometimes to turn on my topomaps and look. I'll have my gps with me and will be using that for waypoints and routes, but it just has the factory map, have only bought fancy mapping for Washington and I'll be out of state this weekend. I'm phone and technology stupid

[Oh Mah]

I turn the lights down,wifi off notifications are off with wifi off and that's the big one,ringer off.it last usually 4 days

[Magnum_Willys]

Airplane mode , lights down, notifications off.  But usually turn on location with onxmaps and thats a power sucker. Lasts like 6 to 8 hours using that.  Big battery pack.

[Jpmiller]

My brother has this rechargeable battery pack that weighs like 16oz I think and fully charged both our phones twice over a week time. I can try and get the name if you're interested.

[ctwiggs1]

I put my iPhone on airplane mode and it was at 50% after 3 days.  I also have a battery pack recharger - these are commonly available now for as little as like $20.

[boneaddict]

Id leave my cellphone at home if I had one.   Sometimes its nice to be disconnected from the world

[92xj]

Not taking it to be connected to the world.
Like I originally said, it will be 95 percent used for pictures, as I don't have a camera that is as light and takes as good of a picture, and potentially used to view a second topo map option.
I don't want to carry a battery charger on this trip, but potentially in the future. Please post your recommendation jpmiller. Thanks.

[Duckhunter14]

The battery life will depend on usage. In airplane mode it should last 2-3 days. But if your opening it up for lots of photos and studying stored maps, etc. It may only last a day. I use a small solar panel and battery pack to recharge my phone, headlamp, GPS and small light for camp when I pack in. When there is sun in the forecast it works well. Never have to worry about dead batteries.

[kentrek]

Id leave my cellphone at home if I had one.   Sometimes its nice to be disconnected from the world

but unfortunately sometimes that's not the world we live in.....solar charger for the long trips or battery pack for the short ones will go along ways

[pianoman9701]

Will you be in a phone service area for your provider? If not, you'll need to save maps to the phone of the area you'll be in before you go. The GPS usually works even when the network is out of range. But mapping works off an internet connection, hence the need for the saved maps. If you don't know how to save maps to your phone, go to youtube and search for "saving maps to my phone".

[SteelheadTed]

I've heard this works well:

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Charger-PowerPort-iPhone-Galaxy/dp/B012YUJJM8

[mburrows]

I use my phone almost exclusively as a my GPS unit now on airplane mode. Like has been said turn off all background run apps, turn down lights, use sparingly.  I carry a phone case with additional battery pack (I think 2500mah) and a portable USB charger which I think is 15,000mah and I can go 10 days easy using my phone as GPS and taking lots of pictures.

[mburrows]

Should mention i use the GAIA app for maps and its worked awesome so far on several trips both in the front and backcountry.

[Jpmiller]

Poweradd Apollo 2

It has a solar recharge on it I didn't know about. We never used it.

[Alchase]

I use an iPhone 7, others will chime in with their experience.
I turn off all notification or just use Airplane mode. I will plug it in when in the truck heading to town. Fully charged in 20 min. The only place in Washington I do not have service (ATT) is south of Randle, hunting elk, to about 10 miles outside of Trout Lake.
The 7-10 days hunting the Methow for deer, up Hearts Pass, Fall Creek, even over FS RD 37 to Conconuly
I do not loose signal.

FYI - I do not use phone apps for GPS, I use a Garmin 62st GPS.