Log in

View Full Version : PPC uses for the great outdoors


lurch
07-07-2003, 05:21 AM
After a great, albeit wet, camping trip this 4th of July weekend, I realized something -- my beloved Jornada did not see anything except the inside of my glove box the entire time. Now that I'm "debriefing" (i.e. reminiscing) with my wife, I'm wondering what everybody thinks/knows are good uses for a Pocket PC in the great outdoors? The obvious one is GPS, which I didn't need this trip since I was fairly familiar with the territory, but other than GPS, and perhaps an alarm clock, what do you use it for out there? Or what creative uses have you heard tell of? Keep in mind that since we especially like backpacking, there's typically not any cellphone service, so anything "connected" doesn't work. :)
I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts!!

droppedd
07-07-2003, 05:37 AM
well, if you get lost and are freezing to death in a remote mountain pass, you can always boil and eat it before you move on to drawing straws to see which of you goes first.... :twisted:

nah, in all honesty, when I go camping it's to get AWAY from technology, not to develop new ways to use it even more. Unless I desparately need a GPS for some reason, my PPC will stay at home when i'm outdooring it.

xoiph
07-07-2003, 09:58 AM
you can always boil and eat it

Maybe if it was a Dell Axim; I doubt my iPAQ 1940 is enough to fill me up :splat:

GoldKey
07-07-2003, 12:28 PM
Flashlight.

I imagine you could write code to turn the backlight on and off to do an SOS.

Ratel10mm
07-07-2003, 01:05 PM
That's easy!

I'm a real bilbliophile - and while I much prefer the real thing to an e-book, I have become convinced that e-books can be great things, especially for any sort of trip where weight is an issue.
I would put some useful books on my PDA, on subjects such as tracking, living off the wild (recognising edible funghi from poisinous ones, that sort of thing), and a novel or 2. If you're going away for an extended time, then take a solar panel battery charger, too.
Some sort of quick reference guide for emergency signals and such would be a must, as well. It's too long since I was a boy scout for me to remember all that stuff!

lurch
07-07-2003, 02:43 PM
Flashlight.
I've used it for this before! But that was when there was a city power-outage and we were staying in a hotel somewhere.. :)

I would put some useful books on my PDA, on subjects such as tracking, living off the wild (recognising edible funghi from poisinous ones, that sort of thing), and a novel or 2. If you're going away for an extended time, then take a solar panel battery charger, too.
Some sort of quick reference guide for emergency signals and such would be a must, as well.

Excellent ideas!!!! Thanks!

aroma
07-07-2003, 02:46 PM
The best use for your PPC in this case is to keep your cradle company at home. Just my opinion, but when I go pack'n, it's to be with nature, not with my PPC. That's what being in the outdoors is all about. Besides, if you go on much of a backpacking trip at all, then the batteries aren't going to last that long, and who would want to end up carrying that much dead weight around?

- Aaron

KidKomputer
07-07-2003, 03:15 PM
Books (make your own first aid guide), recipies, alarms, www.geocaching.com, maps (especially points of intrest/restaraunts/hospitals), tunes...

ux4484
07-07-2003, 04:46 PM
Besides, if you go on much of a backpacking trip at all, then the batteries aren't going to last that long, and who would want to end up carrying that much dead weight around?

- Aaron

Which is why when I go on vacation, I take my Visor Deluxe, not all the bells and whistles of my Dell......but all my PIM, reservation info, and some ebooks that'll last a month on one set of AAA's.....and even if it breaks, I'm only out a fraction of what the Dell cost.

disconnected
07-07-2003, 04:47 PM
I saw an app somewhere that had recordings of birdcalls. I guess that might be nice for birdwatchers for identification purposes. You could also probably get pictures of birds, wildflowers, trees, etc. if you're into looking at that stuff.

lurch
07-07-2003, 05:46 PM
The best use for your PPC in this case is to keep your cradle company at home. Just my opinion, but when I go pack'n, it's to be with nature, not with my PPC. That's what being in the outdoors is all about. Besides, if you go on much of a backpacking trip at all, then the batteries aren't going to last that long, and who would want to end up carrying that much dead weight around?

I agree, BUT, everybody rings a "luxury" item when backpacking, and this is usually mine... I enjoy reading a good book at night (especially since when camping you usually go to bed earlier than normal) and this is a great way to do that... I hadn't even thought of that! This way I can bring several books, with no additional weight!

Janak Parekh
07-07-2003, 06:09 PM
Besides, if you go on much of a backpacking trip at all, then the batteries aren't going to last that long, and who would want to end up carrying that much dead weight around?
Which is why when I go on vacation, I take my Visor Deluxe, not all the bells and whistles of my Dell......but all my PIM, reservation info, and some ebooks that'll last a month on one set of AAA's.....and even if it breaks, I'm only out a fraction of what the Dell cost.
In my case, I'll bring a charger. :D A car charger would work perfectly, and I've used it on trips before.

--janak

ux4484
07-07-2003, 06:14 PM
In my case, I'll bring a charger. :D A car charger would work perfectly, and I've used it on trips before.
--janak

Well, for me the PDA is a rarely used item on vacation, once, maybe tops twice a day.....or maybe for reading a book while fishing.....and if my Visor falls out of the boat.....I won't be cryin'.......well......not as much as if was my Axim.

Kati Compton
07-07-2003, 06:14 PM
You could bring one of those star chart programs that have been recently metnioned on this site.

Janak Parekh
07-07-2003, 06:26 PM
Well, for me the PDA is a rarely used item on vacation, once, maybe tops twice a day.....or maybe for reading a book while fishing.....and if my Visor falls out of the boat.....I won't be cryin'.......well......not as much as if was my Axim.
It depends on the type of vacation, right? Unfortunately, I usually need to be connected while I'm on a trip, and an original Visor wouldn't do. :cry:

--janak

lurch
07-07-2003, 07:01 PM
I also almost got one of those hard protecting cases (a while ago) that have the clear front so you can still see/use your PDA. With one of those it's protected (waterproof, shockproof, etc) and still usable.

Here's an idea... my wife and I could each bring one that's WiFi enabled, have an ad-hoc network set up between us, along with a CF camera in each, and use MS Portrait to chat as we walk about 300 feet apart from eachother!! YEAH! ;)

Also, if we're doing a long hike (i.e. several weeks) I can bring my new 2210 (which I'll get someday if someone buys my jornada (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14442)) and a BT cellphone and when we come across the occasional town with cellphone access we can check in via email, arrange for food deliveries, etc.!!

Crystal Eitle
07-07-2003, 07:40 PM
Which is why when I go on vacation, I take my Visor Deluxe, not all the bells and whistles of my Dell......but all my PIM, reservation info, and some ebooks that'll last a month on one set of AAA's.....and even if it breaks, I'm only out a fraction of what the Dell cost.
Wow. Almost wants to make me pick up an old Palm. I've always wondered what I'd do if I went camping for a week and wanted to have some eBooks along - my Pocket PC's batteries will last me through one or two days, but that's it.

Janak Parekh
07-07-2003, 08:22 PM
Wow. Almost wants to make me pick up an old Palm. I've always wondered what I'd do if I went camping for a week and wanted to have some eBooks along - my Pocket PC's batteries will last me through one or two days, but that's it.
I believe people have done battery life tests on the original Visors -- I think the results were somewhere between 30 and 50 hours of battery life without backlighting, with very little drain when it's off.

Of course, pick one up and you'll see why you got a Pocket PC in the first place... :D Reading ebooks at 160x160 is not nearly as much fun, IMHO.

--janak

ux4484
07-07-2003, 09:17 PM
Of course, pick one up and you'll see why you got a Pocket PC in the first place... :D Reading ebooks at 160x160 is not nearly as much fun, IMHO.

--janak

HEY.....that's why it's called "roughing it" ;)

dean_shan
07-08-2003, 12:30 AM
When I travel I use my PPC as an alarm clock, note taker, music player, games, PIM, and I also use it in conjuntion with my Digital Camera. I can put the little video clicps on my ppc storage, free addition space to my CF cards by transfering photos to my SD card, and if I am traveling in a city, send emails with phots back home.

PetiteFlower
07-08-2003, 01:41 AM
I'm going to Pennsic in a few weeks(some dorks will know what this is, others can visit www.pennsic.net to be enlightened) and will be out in the woods for a week. I don't normally read ebooks but I think I might get 1 for the trip since reading with a flashlight kinda sucks. I'm considering getting an extra battery for the trip but then again it IS an Axim, the chances of me running out of batteries from reading for a half hour a night and maybe playing a game or 2 are pretty slight! Other then that I'll probably put the schedule of classes that I want to take on it to keep me organized but I'll be leaving it in my tent the whole time; no need to be THAT modern to be carrying it around in the open! There will be a place I can charge it if I really have to but I'd rather not have to go to the trouble....if I can find an extra battery cheap I'll just do that instead :)

dh
07-08-2003, 02:40 AM
Am I dumb or what? I checked out the website and, other than dressing up in armour and beating the shyte out of people, I can't quite get to grips with this.

What the heck is it all in aid of? Mind you, dressing up in armour, fighting and drinking in the evenings might be rather entertaining.

GoldKey
07-08-2003, 02:46 AM
Petite, looks way cool. If you don't mind my asking, what kind of a persona are you there? I agree leave the PDA in the tent, wold kind of take away from the realism.

Janak Parekh
07-08-2003, 03:23 AM
I'm going to Pennsic in a few weeks(some dorks will know what this is, others can visit www.pennsic.net to be enlightened) and will be out in the woods for a week.
Hey, that sounds like awesome fun. I wish I could do things like that, but I don't have time. :( Take pictures for us and make sure your Axim comes home safely! :)

What the heck is it all in aid of? Mind you, dressing up in armour, fighting and drinking in the evenings might be rather entertaining.
Don't forget the social aspect. If anything, it's a setting to meet other people. Nothing like a Middle Age setting to do that. :lol:

--janak

Crystal Eitle
07-08-2003, 03:36 AM
We are all one big geeky family. :grouphug:

(okay, I just wanted an excuse to use the new group hug emoticon :D )

PetiteFlower
07-08-2003, 04:55 AM
DH--it's not in aid of anything, it's just a vacation :) Some people go to Disneyworld, I go to Pennsic. It's incredibly relaxing to just get away from the world at large for a week and be surrounded by people in period dress, it really feels like you're a million miles away from everything you're familiar with and when you rejoin the world it's like your batteries have been recharged :) Plus you get to meet new people, and learn new things(lots of classes), and just spend a week with no decisions more important then whether you should take the sewing class or the dance class, or whether you should go to this party first, or that one, or which attractive member of the opposite sex(or same sex, if that's your thing!) you'd like to get to know better :) Basically it's just fun with no higher purpose...well other then a chance to show off my sewing skills!

aleib
07-08-2003, 04:02 PM
Used mine as a flashlight before.

dh
07-08-2003, 04:24 PM
...well other then a chance to show off my sewing skills!

Ah... gotta have those sowing skills.
The whole thing seems really cool. I had no idea such events existed. As Janak says, you have to post lots of pictures when you get back to the 21st Century.

PetiteFlower
07-08-2003, 11:09 PM
Well, I'm going to bring my camera but I don't usually take very many pictures since I don't like to actually carry it around with me most of the time :) Plus I have no server to host the pictures on....but anyway I'll try :) I have some pics from last year somewhere that I can dig up if someone wants to host them for me.

Mithrankittycat
07-09-2003, 08:49 AM
I'd use pocket livejournal to record my day in the outdoors. When I get back home, the journal entries get posted to my livejournal through avantgo and activesync.

piperpilot
07-09-2003, 12:25 PM
I use my iPAQ a lot while camping because I can have several books and magazines with me without having to carry all that extra weight and use all that extra space in my backpack. Plus, I don't have to wear a headlamp to read in the tent at night. It gets dark awfully early in the great outdoors and while I don't spend hours reading--I'm usually tired after a long day backpacking--it's nice to get in 20 minutes or so of reading to get me settled in for a long night's sleep. With an extra battery, I have found that I have plenty of juice to keep the iPAQ going for a typical long weekend trip.

bmhome1
07-10-2003, 01:06 AM
I use my iPaq 3955 to transfer large digital camera files from CF card to 5GB PC card hard drives in a dual sleeve to free-up cards and to view images at 1:1 full file display to check focus, etc. Have done this with many GB's of files and works great (using PocketLoupe and Pixfer from Glasslantern.com). Having several NiMh AA cell power packs provides enough juice. Kit is much smaller than lugging laptop, no booting up required and screen is useable in daylight. Its my best use of the PPC outdoors. Also having books and MP3's is the bonus.

PetiteFlower
07-10-2003, 01:43 AM
Well I'd do that except I don't have a digicam :) If I ever get one though it will use CF memory so I can view the pictures on my ppc!