GPS battery life. Reducing weight and risk.

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shaffe48

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Right now I use the GPS unit from my dog tracker. But this has used up to 4 aa batteries in a single day. So battery weight for my week long hunt this spring was more than I'd like.

My inreach also has a GPS but an internal reachargeable battery. But I'm afraid this battery wouldn't last for a long hunt.

Does anyone do something better?
 
A lightweight usb battery stick from anker or jackery gives you a full recharge on most handleheld devices with minimal weight and minimal space/waste.
 
VikingsGuy said:
A lightweight usb battery stick from anker or jackery gives you a full recharge on most handleheld devices with minimal weight and minimal space/waste.
Click to expand...

Perhaps I will look into a gps that runs of an internal battery. Or how to get better use out of my inreach gps.
 
1.learn your inreach, no need to double up on gps units. Or. ..
2. Get onx on your smart phone.
 
406LIFE said:
1.learn your inreach, no need to double up on gps units. Or. ..
2. Get onx on your smart phone.
Click to expand...

I had a lot of luck last weekend using onx for driving around and day hiking searching for grouse and deer spots. That is after I coerced it into downloading the offline maps. But for pack or fly in over several days a cell phone is out of question for me due to durability and weather issues.

I do need to look further into my inreach and what sort of maps I can put on it. I don't think the options for my garmin will work. Worse case I buy a better in reach with better GPS features.
 
VikingsGuy said:
A lightweight usb battery stick from anker or jackery gives you a full recharge on most handleheld devices with minimal weight and minimal space/waste.
Click to expand...

I bought an anker unit that weighs about 3oz. I havent done any extensive testing but it has recharged my I phone 6 from 20% to 100 twice.
 
Boarmaster said:
I bought an anker unit that weighs about 3oz. I havent done any extensive testing but it has recharged my I phone 6 from 20% to 100 twice.
Click to expand...

That might be enough for a week's hunting if it will charge my in reach even if I'm using it regularly as a GPS unit.

They claim I can download a 1:24k topo for it but this certainly isn't preloaded like it should have been so I'll see if that's the case. I'd like to have birds eye imagery but I'm yet to actually get this to work on my other GPS anyhow as I ended up hunting a different area than I downloaded for.

With today's technology and no more than a GPS unit actually does, it seems they should have a highly rugged, waterproof, low energy,and lightweight unit for about $100. I guess I'll have to do my own company and do it.
 
Using lithium batteries in your gps will reduce both battery weight and extend battery life. I used to use alkalines in my 64S and was amazed at how much longer lithium batteries lasted.
 
Paper map and compass to remove any reliance on batteries other than for a headlamp.

Between those and flagging, you should be able to get into/out of any place in the woods.
 
rideold said:
Using lithium batteries in your gps will reduce both battery weight and extend battery life. I used to use alkalines in my 64S and was amazed at how much longer lithium batteries lasted.
Click to expand...

This is definitely a great point. If you can't do rechargeable Lithium AAs are the next best thing.
 
I'll look into different batteries also. If nothing else, I need a rechargeable options when I'm tracking the dog.

Sorry, but won't be going back to shooting azimuth anytime soon:) That's hard enough in thick cover. Throw some hills in no thanks.
 
I have been using a Garmin handheld GPS with the two-way radio built in (not sure the model offhand) for years with great success. I would carry it with an extra battery pack, and never had any issues out for a few days. I decided to download the free trial of OnX this year on my phone on the last couple of scouting trips and I couldn't be more happy with the performance, marking waypoints, saving maps to use in offline mode, and the kicker is that when I login on my computer it has synched up all of my data without having to do a thing. I always carried my phone before for photos, or the occasional cell service on a mountain top to check in with the wife, but now I just lightened my pack. I will just carry one of the battery packs that I use while traveling and bingo, I am set.
 
I'm a huge fan of the InReach/OnX combo. I have a Dark Energy Poseidon battery back up that will keep me in electronics quite easily for a week. The ability to connect the two together via bluetooth is awesome, because the screen on the InReach is so small it might as well not be there. With the bluetooth connectivity I can send/receive messages from my phone, have OnX right there, and have a much better screen to view the Garmin GPS map. My phone sits in a compartment on top of my bino harness, and the InReach is stashed with the antenna out of a side pocket on my pack. Battery life is extended on the InReach because I don't actually use it much, other than as a service provider.

I've done 7 days in the backcountry off that set up, and would feel comfortable extending it out another 7 if I had another battery back-up.
 
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