Jason,
I have a crappy little LG phone that works more than 24 hours with moderate use without turning off the Bluetooth and data. That is not the issue. The issue is how will your phone work when it constantly search for a network that does not exist. If phone based works like nyker says it does, you are going to have to deal ton of dead spots in that canyon. Paper maps, altimeters and compasses do not have dead spots.
Most SAR people will tell you to turn your phone off when in the wilderness. Especially, if it your lifeline. I keep mine in Airplane Mode...but I carry a GPS with me, which is turned off with me on all hikes. The only reason I carry this dedicated unit is to report an emergency...it's set to long/lat and UTM, so that I may speak the language of those asking for coordinates.
I've owned GPS for years, it gets it used in the winter and when I am off the beaten track the other three seasons. You would be better off with an altimeter and paper map. If I know the key points of the trail, I know where I am when I glance at my altimeter.
Last edited by wbtravis; 05/06/14 09:22 AM.
