Expedition Electronics
In day to day life, we have more and more little gadgets that plug in and recharge and such; more and more electronics all the time. These things somewhat enhance our lives, even when in the wild. But, choosing, using, and powering them in the backcountry can be mystifying. I get questions in the lead up to expeditions about general and specific electronics selection and use. Here are some of my thoughts. Focusing on group trips of a week or more in length, beyond cell signal. With some notes on considerations for shorter trips sprinkled in.
First, like with much expedition gear selection, think of things in terms of group choices and individual choices and think of how all the parts work together. There are some items that every person needs, and some items that we need only one of for a whole group.
On individual equipment:
Each person, bring your smartphone. Ideally, it is in pretty good condition. Especially in terms of battery health. Smartphone lithium batteries break down with time. Keeping your 5 year old smartphone is a noble cause, but its battery will be annoying in the wilderness. Use your smartphone to capture photos, navigate (with an offline, mapping-enabled app. Like Caltopo, Gaia, OnX, etc) and, entertain yourself (with books, audio books, podcasts, tv, movies. All downloaded for offline use), and interface with your satellite texting device (more on that below). For entertainment, you can also bring paper books, an e-reader like a Kindle, or even a tablet. But these things are redundant with what your smart phone is capable of. A dedicated device for entertainment is unnecessary. Be prepared to carry your phone with you all the time, in a protected, warm spot. Mine lives in a chest pocket, turned on, all the time in the wild. Day, night. In action and at rest. In technical climbing terrain, I attach it to myself with an elastic leash.
Think about capturing images and videos with something more than your smartphone. But think long and hard. One must carry a pretty bulky, expensive camera and use it with intention and attention in order to beat the quality of images captured by a handy, accessible, modern smartphone with a clean lens (form the habit of quickly wiping off the lens of your phone camera before photos; it’ll make a big difference). For photographers, a real camera is often worth the bulk and effort. But it isn’t always worthwhile. GoPro style cameras are fiddly and vulnerable to the cold. Yes, they are small and can capture unique content. Bring something like this only if you are well-versed in its use (and care and maintenance and issues in the cold) and have a good reason to be diverting attention to your camera. Essentially, care and optimization of camera gear in the wild is a set of skills of its own. I have pretty robust skills, but even then don’t always choose to bring the bigger camera gear on every trip.
Headlamp. Bring one. Maybe bring two. Choose carefully. I like those that are from France, use a cord-rechargeable battery, have a few different brightness modes, and are relatively compact. My system, on a big, dark trip (whether one day or many) is to use a Petzl Actik as the primary one with a Petzl Bindi living in my first aid kit as a back up. The Bindi is lighter, more compact, and more versatile than extra batteries. If you are adventuring at high enough latitudes, in the summer, you might not need one. Even on such a trip, consider if you might have to visit a darker area (for instance, a glacier crevasse…).
Headphones. Optional. Wired ones are simpler, in terms of charging and such. But wireless earbuds are nice for tent/sleeping bag use; no cords to get tangled is pretty darn liberating.
Watch. Optional. I like using a modern mountain/sports watch for recording activity and as my morning wake-up alarm. On my wrist, a quiet and vibrating watch alarm is more effective and less disruptive to my tent mates than a phone alarm. Recording activity with the watch consumes a great deal less battery power, overall, than recording with my phone. If neither of these things (recording activity and a wrist alarm) matter to you, a watch is likely unnecessary. For any sort of meaningful battery life, you need a watch designed for outdoor use. Mass-market smartwatches have very short battery life that isn’t useful in the wild.
Cords and extra battery power. Each person brings the cords they need for their devices. Choose short, durable versions. Steer clear of “wireless” charging, as this is less efficient than plug-in charging and the chargers are more bulky. Further, “wireless” charging is more likely to become dislodged in a tent, pocket, or sleeping bag. I’ve tried little adapters for different types of charging connection points. For very seldom-charged electronics with specialized fittings (like most sports smart watches), the adapters are suitable, worth the hassle, and save weight. For more frequently charged items like your smartphone, a full, proper cord is worth its bulk and weight. Each person brings a small, external battery pack. 5000 to 10000 milliamp hours. 4-8 ounces. Compact. From a reputable brand (Anker, GoalZero, BioLite are a few that I’ve found to be reliable). Yes, a team could share batteries and cords. And, on relatively short trips, this might be worthwhile. But on the longest of trips, sharing gets tedious. Also, cords and batteries fail; having redundancy across the group is valuable.
Avalanche Transceiver. Terrain and conditions and trip specific. Keep it from getting real cold (sleep with it, for instance) and bring extra batteries. I consider transceiver batteries “sacred”; I’m not going to use them for anything but the transceiver.
Group gear.
Communication beyond cell signal. In this day and age, a group should have a good, redundant plan for at least texting to the outside world. Or, at the very least, a good reason to not have a plan for this. It isn’t wrong to go sans comms, but that is a serious, aesthetic choice at this time in history. Professionally-led trips basically never choose to go without satellite communications. There are four major categories of communication devices. Most of them share the same technology but are carried/used in different forms.
First, the outlier. Radios. Radio use in the backcountry is increasing for communication within a group and between adjacent groups but is decreasing as a means of connecting with the outside world. If your group will separate far enough to require communication technology, radios are the best way to do that. If you are in a situation where radio communication between groups is common practice (Denali, for instance. Also, some backcountry ski/ski mountaineering locations), radios are worth having. Otherwise, they are unnecessary. Radio choice and use is a morass of technological limitations, terrain limitations, and regulatory matters. Well beyond the scope of what we’re talking about here.
Next, three different kinds of satellite communication devices/technologies. In order from most common and useful to the least. There are other options also. Mainly using older technology/platforms. I disregard here those outdated options and focus on what I feel is relevant to current expedition travel. Know that all satellite communication is limited by terrain, vegetation, and, to some degree, position on the earth. Learn more on that elsewhere. Mainly, texting via satellite is much slower than via cell/wifi, coverage isn’t fully universal, and messages fail to transmit/receive some of the time. Make sure your loved ones at home understand the limitations of your satellite communications.
Stand-alone, two-way satellite texting devices. Like the Garmin inReach and such. I’ve written comparative reviews of devices like this at OutdoorGearLab for years now. See that site for far more information than I can put here. In short, each team should have a standalone satellite texting device. Paired to a smartphone app and activated and subscribed appropriately. In some circumstances, a team might have multiples of these; it is sometimes nice for each individual to communicate with home on their own device and plan.
Satellite messaging built into a smartphone. There are a few options out there. None of them are proven and/or established enough for me to recommend them as your primary communication mode. But this functionality built into your smartphone is a good back up to your primary device. Know how to activate it, test it, and deploy it before leaving civilization.
Traditional satellite phone. For satellite voice communications, a larger device and associated service/subscription is required. Larger expeditions with need for more nuanced comms back to civilization might choose to have a sat phone. Most small, recreational teams on traditional expeditions are not using voice-ready satellite phones any longer.
Water treatment? One of the best options for treatment of wild water is a UV light stick. The “SteriPen”. This is an electronic device. Some models use dispoasable batteries, some are rechargeable. Build this into your electronics system also, as needed/desired.
Solar power. For a typical, modern expedition team, carrying a solar panel will be worth its weight and hassle only on trips longer than 5-7 days or so. If it is shorter than that, carry enough battery power to get you through and don’t worry about solar panels. Choose one solar panel for every 2-4 people. A good way to allot solar panels is to have one per tent team. Make sure you have the cable(s) required to get power from your solar panel to the team’s batteries. Shop carefully. I wish I had more authoritative recommendations on solar panels. I use a “Big Blue” brand panel and it works reliably. But it is heavy and bulky. I can’t recommend the “BioLite” panels that have built in batteries. Those batteries can overheat in direct sun and stop working when they get too hot. Otherwise, I don’t have any strong recommendations.
A checklist, summarizing my thoughts.
Use this to pack up:
Smartphone. 1 per person. Each configured for offline navigation, offline entertainment, capturing photos/video, and, as necessary, syncing with satellite device.
Headlamp. 1 per person. Plus an extra for the group.
External battery. 1 per person.
Headphones. Optional.
Watch. Optional.
Charging cords. Micro USB, USB-C, Lightning. These three cover most needs. Plus whatever specialized cords might be required for watches etc.
Satellite texting device. 1 or more for the group.
Back up satellite emergency communications. Built into your phone, or as a stand-alone option.
Radios. Optional. Included as part of a plan/protocol for communicating within and between field groups.
SteriPen. Optional/trip-specific.
Avalanche Transceiver. Optional/trip-specific.
Camera. Optional/trip-specific.
Solar panel. 1 for every 2-4 people.