Better hiking, what needs to be invented or re-invented?

[Ronin83]

Ah! A small device purely for GPS and maps with a really long battery life and cheap

[jimbob]

Ah! A small device purely for GPS and maps with a really long battery life and cheap

A simless smartphone with a huge battery life ( or a backup battery) such as an Alcatel PIXDI loaded with Viewranger. Approx cost £25 - £35,
They do the job, at least mine does ( I got the large screen version. Dont have a sim in it Not needed when using GPS.

[Ronin83]

A simless smartphone with a huge battery life ( or a backup battery) such as an Alcatel PIXDI loaded with Viewranger. Approx cost £25 - £35,
They do the job, at least mine does ( I got the large screen version. Dont have a sim in it Not needed when using GPS.

Cant find an alcatel pixdi. Only pixie, which has a 1500mah battery, nothing special.


Did you spell it right?

[jimbob]

Sorry Pixi.

Battery lasts 24 hours in gps/location mode only. No sim so it doesn't signal hunt. (Although I found Kielder a bit of a nightmare for it hunting gps. But then so did my Garmin). Only app =viewranger.I also carry a very good solar battery bank. And on long walks of over a few days a 24w solar panel strapped to my rucksack which tops up my phone, my battery bank (if required) and the Alcatel.

[Ronin83]

Sorry Pixi.

Battery lasts 24 hours in gps/location mode only. No sim so it doesn't signal hunt. (Although I found Kielder a bit of a nightmare for it hunting gps. But then so did my Garmin). Only app =viewranger.I also carry a very good solar battery bank. And on long walks of over a few days a 24w solar panel strapped to my rucksack which tops up my phone, my battery bank (if required) and the Alcatel.

Im talking a battery to last a week. Like the old Nokias "back in the day". It shouldn't be too hard to make a device which ONLY has maps n GPS with a good battery for cheap. It would be quite a simple device.

[jimbob]

I wasn't recomendong the Alcatel per se. Just proposing you repurpose an existing piece of technology. (Using the Alcatel +bank as a working example) You can source phones with much, much larger batteries. For advice on makes try Google there are loads out there, though at a cost similar to a decent Garmin. I like and cope with my cheapie method.

[Ronin83]

Yeh, I'm sure we can make do, I just don't see why these Garmin's etc are so expensive. Theyre very basic

[jimbob]

Yeh, I'm sure we can make do, I just don't see why these Garmin's etc are so expensive. Theyre very basic

But very well made. Probably not put together by small children in a far eastern friendly "democracy" for  10p per day.

[Ronin83]

But very well made. Probably not put together by small children in a far eastern friendly "democracy" for  10p per day.

Nope. Mostly made in taiwan

[Owen]

A very lightweight but strong thingy to put over barbed wire on top of a fence to make it easier to get over without either tearing your breeks or falling off while doing wild contortions to avoid doing so.  Particularly important for those of us with shorter legs!

What you need is one of these, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHszRV5-bd4


sorts barbed wire out a treat.

[ninthace]

What you need is one of these, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHszRV5-bd4


sorts barbed wire out a treat.

That's an impressive bit of kit,  could be handy for clearing the way through crops and cattle too 
As for barbed wire - perhaps a plastic tube slit along its length?

[Pitboot]

A very lightweight but strong thingy to put over barbed wire on top of a fence to make it easier to get over without either tearing your breeks or falling off while doing wild contortions to avoid doing so.  Particularly important for those of us with shorter legs!

I can usually find a fertiliser bag to wrap around the wire, or a piece of closed cell foam which can also double as a seat, weighs nowt and pretty indestructible.

[wobblyknees]

A very lightweight but strong thingy to put over barbed wire on top of a fence to make it easier to get over without either tearing your breeks or falling off while doing wild contortions to avoid doing so.  Particularly important for those of us with shorter legs!

A metre or so length of central heating attic pipe insulation works well for me. Can be doubled and left protruding from backpack. I usually only bring it when I am leading a group. You will probably find some waste left over by the builder in your attic.

[Islandplodder]

Thank you for all the suggestions, I am away for a rummage in the shed!