recommendations for on road / offroad device
 

I have to confess that I don't know much about electronic equipment, but in previous years of travelling across Russia etc I have had to take many bulky paper atlases etc. If possible I would like to replace everything with just an electronic device.

I am planning a trip from UK to China and would like to take an electronic navigation / mapping device. I will mainly be hitch hiking and also want to do some walking in desolate places ( such as the wakhan corridor in afghanistan) So I need something that will work on and off road. It should also enable me to zoom in and out of scale easily and obviously work without an internet connection.

I am open to dedicated devices or phone based /tablet devices. Whatever will work the best.

How good screen do you need?

How often will you be able to recharge?

Is it motorcycling or trekking trails detailing you need?


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When I am on the road I will mainly be hitch hiking, or cycling on my folding bicycle, so definitely need something with roads.

When I am off road, I will be walking in very remote places across mountains (no roads) . As an example I plan to hike for a while in Afghanistan.

For recharging, I am thinking about a solar solution when off road, so battery life is a consideration. Otherwise when I am hitch hiking I will plug it into cars cigarette ports.

Most easy and versatile option is an android phone. Use "here" for offline road routing. Backcountry Navigator for off road. Or Locus if you want to use your paper maps. You can get as advanced as you want with only a little bit of homework.
But that's all I use for all my outdoor nav needs. Whether its riding single trail in Baja, adventure riding, mountain biking in the Rockies, hiking or ski touring.

Thanks for your reply. Do you have any recommendations for tablets?

No. Don't use them. I'll be getting a cheap Windows tablet for versatility. Changing my maps etc

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For your purposes I'd suggest a smartphone of your preferred flavour, although I would suggest you look for something waterproof and durable. Others have suggested good map applications. Pair it with a solar charger and a good sized portable battery pack.

Use the solar charger to keep the battery pack topped up, you can even bodge that onto the top of your backpack so the battery charges while you walk. Top it up every time you have access to mains electricity. Charge the phone from the battery. I would suggest you find the battery capacity of your phone (measured in mAh, milliamp hours) and multiply it by 4 to choose a battery pack.

If you get a dedicated device (perhaps as a back up in case of phone failure?) wait for the next generation of Garmin / Delorme tech, for your purposes it's the only thing that has any advantage over a phone as it give you SOS and satellite comms, could save your skin in a really bad situation. For every other purpose on your trip a smartphone will do. I say the next generation because Garmin's first Delorme device since buying the company doesn't seem very well received, but I've not done a lot of research.

Sat com devises also have poor mapping options. At least the delorme. Think about who you'd call and what they could do for you if you go that route though.

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People keep suggesting smartphones, but I am not so keen squinting at a small screen or forever zooming in and out. I once saw a guy in a cafe with maps on his tablet and it was great. It was just like looking at an atlas.

I only suggest a smartphone because they fit in your pocket and most people have one, tablets are just as good. The only difference between phones and tablets is size, so that's just a matter of personal preference.

Wait. You were looking for an electronic device. The screen on a smartphone is way better than a dedicated gps. The screen is also way more responsive. Besides. You don't need to scroll your whole route if you're trying to work out how to ride your next 2 turn offs.

Just fiddle with your current phone.

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You are right I was originally thinking about dedicated gps, but on further reflection I think I would like something a little bigger. I like the ability to a look at something like a real atlas without constantly scrolling. This is useful when planning a trip whilst on the road, as I often change my mind - even with regards to different countries! Having a large screen makes things so much easier.

Plus I don't see battery life as a big worry. If I am cycling a particular stretch, I can fire it up every so often to make sure I am on course. I don't think it will have to be on all the time. I am also looking into solar chargers, which should also mitigate some of the power worries.

An Android phone and 7" Windows tablet would be my choice.

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Not sure how detailed it is, with regards to hiking, but the app map.me is very good and works offline. It had a lot of info in central Asia.


You will need to load the maps using wifi but once this is done you are free to go! (works on tablets and phones). Again, not sure if these maps are detailed enough for your needs, but worth a look ,considering the app is free!


Combined with that you may need a gps of some sort to know where you are?

What do people think of the Asus ZenPad 3S 10 LTE

https://www.asus.com/Tablets/ASUS-Ze...pecifications/

It uses a Qualcomm MSM8956 Hexa Core, 1.8 GHz processor with 4GB Ram and claims a massive 16 hours battery life with a 7800mAh 30Wh battery.

It also has GPS and cellular capability, which probably means I won't even take a phone.

This seem quite high specs for a tablet and would be perfect for loading maps. I really like the bigger screen compared with a smartphone.

From what I read I don't think there is a better tablet out there in terms of cost / specs. On paper it looks as good as the ipad, but has a number of advantages such as expandable storage and battery life.

What do people think?

I'd still take a phone. Android has limitations as a master device

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Go mainstream. Millions can't all be wrong... So if something does break it is easy to fix or replace.
So either Apple or Samsung.
Android gives you more freedom, apple gives you an easier user interface.
If for you the size is ok, get a tablet. 10" is great for the available visual real estate. For Android there are dozens of free offline navigation apps, maps.me / mapswithmee has been mentioned before.

Personal use: Sony Xperia Z5 and Samsung tablet.

Not sure what you mean as I have read of many people travelling with just an Android phone and nothing else.

I take your point, but I have decided to buy the Asus tablet. I looked at a range of Samsung tablets, but the specs seem to fall behind the Asus tablet. I have also read a few articles directly bench marking the Asus tablet with a number of Samsung tablets. As for the iPad, it's hardware does not seem significantly better than the Asus tablet, also no internal card slot is a deal breaker. In light of this I would find it very hard to justify the cost.

Despite my thinking, I do acknowledge it may not be wise to rely on one device. As such I plan to take a very cheap Android phone (probably a few years old off ebay) as a backup in case the tablet breaks. But I hope with a waterproof / shock proof case the tablet will be fine.

Probably thinking of USB capabilities ... get one that has USB OTG so it can act as a master on the USB buss .. some as just 'slaves' on the USB buss meaning they cannot read stuff off the USB buss .. they can only be read over the USB buss.

Just my two cents but buyer beware. The build quality of the ASUS stuff isn't great. Sure, for the price you get a great spec and for sitting at home watching movies and playing Candy Crush that's all well and good - if it dies it's no great loss, you can send it in for a warranty repair.

Out in Whereveristan, when you are both putting greater physical demands on it and relying on it for navigation failure is probably a touch more inconvenient! I'd be going for a proven premium brand with a huge worldwide presence and known reliability, like Samsung.

Anything but a Windows platform only allows you apps, which by design are watered down versions of "desktop" software.
If you want to go of the beaten tell you may look into some GIS applications to get the base data into a phone or tablet which you can't do on any of the tablet options other than Windows.
In other words, an Android or iOS tablet cross over with a phone and don't complement.

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I sold my Garmin and bought an Android smartphone (Motorola Moto g 2/3gen waterproof). I'm very pleased with that decision. I use it with openstreet map OSMand (you can even download Wikipedia text integrated with the maps). I have the same software on my tablet. For a longer trip I'd buy a DeLorme Inreach for emergency satellite communication anywhere.

The phone is fantastic. One small device is GPS, phone, camera, watch, torch, notepad, Kindle, guidebook etc. Apart from the phone, it works totally offline (translation and sign readers are also available online). Because it does all that, I always have it with me.

I should be nervous about reliance on one device, and depending on the situation, I'll always have some "what if" plans.