Kindle on a thru hike

[vamelungeon]

I'm pretty much an electronics idiot, but I am capable of learning. The Kindle Paperwhite sound good. Seems as there are several variations. What does the WiFi feature do? Which one do you suggest I get and from where? I don't have a smart phone, and don't plan on getting one.

The wifi is how you get books (and any other content) onto your Kindle. You log onto a wifi network, then you can download a book from Amazon or a library. I recommend turning off the wifi any time you aren't actively downloading something in order to save the battery. Wifi eats that batter up pretty quickly.

[Hikes in Rain]

The wifi is how you get books (and any other content) onto your Kindle. You log onto a wifi network, then you can download a book from Amazon or a library. I recommend turning off the wifi any time you aren't actively downloading something in order to save the battery. Wifi eats that batter up pretty quickly.

Mine came with a dedicated 3G line, as well as wifi. It's really handy if you're somewhere you don't have wifi. No phone charges, but it takes a little longer to download (a couple of seconds instead of in the blink of an eye.)

[Rolex]

I have a bunch of them. I've currently dusted of the Kindle Keyboard with Wifi &3G I have and am planning on using it for these reasons.

It will download books on the AT&T network for free. No Wifi needed.

It can send emails also through the *.kindle.com address assigned to it for free with no WIFI signal

Super light and most compact of all I have (Fire, Fire HD, Kindle 1, etc) at 285 grams.

It doesn't have the backlight but the battery seems good for long term and I have started using lithium long lasting batteries in my headlight. Sleeping bag for only a bit is my reading to be done at night. I do enjoy a good warm daytime break and reading a bit also.

Don't get me wrong, I want a paperwhite but can't decide which one!

I wanted to add a couple of things I forgot.
The kindle Fire and HD is heavy. And the battery life seems to suck even turning airplane mode, dimming etc. I can't recommend it for hiking.
I shove my Kindle inside my sleeping bag for protection in the backpack. Seems to work fine. Also have a bigger heavy duty ziplock with longjohns, stocking cap and socks that I want dry that I store it in for protection and dryproofing a lot.

There is something else, If you have Amazon Prime, then you get books from the Lending library and good current books being sold for free. It's blocked to only let you download them to a Kindle. It won't download to a PC or Phone app.

I did get caught on one of my Kindles once. I had picked a bunch of books on the web, and sent to the Kindle. (I think the Fire was the one) I opened it and saw the books were there(I thought). Out on the trail, I discovered that the title/covers were only posted and not the entire book! So make sure you click into each book once and verify the first page opens. I think it's in a queue to download but actually doesn't until you click into the book. With the Fire and HD, I also had to have a WIFI connection to get anything.

[quasarr]

I love my Kindle for travel - it is much sturdier than an ipad or smart phone, and better for reading. However I am not sure it is a good idea to bring one backpacking. It depends on your style of hiking - do you spend a lot of time in camp? Are you alone or with friends? If you like to hike all day and only stop at dark (or after!) then you probably won't do any reading. And if you are with friends or want to meet new people, you will want to socialize instead of reading. But if you are spending a lot of time in camp, you might want something to read.

[Ellen_B]

I am a book blogger and you bet I will be bringing my kindle! I simply cannot go half a year without books. Totally worth its weight!

[Bluegrass]

I have the low-end Kindle from a couple of years ago (Wikipedia refers to it as the Kindle 5).

It has been great for traveling. I have taken it backpacking and would not be without it anymore. I tend to do a lot of solo backpacking, and being able to take a break and read for a bit has been great. I find that too often I do not give myself long enough breaks while backpacking alone, and the Kindle helps with that. Of course it is also nice during the evenings. I have had a couple of times where I have been driven to my tent or hammock by bugs well before bedtime. Having something to read at that moment is worth the weight.

I keep the Kindle in the top pocket of my backpack in a quart storage bag. That means it is easily accessible and is not getting crushed. I do not have a case/cover for it. They are fairly durable from what I have seen. The battery life is measured in weeks and months.

[denefi]

I want to be able to read, but blog also, and am actually thinking about bringing an iPad Mini with 4G. Something to consider -> more expensive but you can sell your phone and ditch that plan for a cheaper data only plan on the iPad, then use an app for phone calls. Food for thought... I doubt the service will be as good for 4G data as it will for normal talk service, but I don't anticipate making a lot of calls.

In fairness, I also don't think the screen will be as pleasant to read on as a Kindle. Just something to consider.

[QiWiz]

I'm a voracious reader on the trail, but I just use a Kindle App on my phone; I use an android, but I think Kindle apps are available for I-phones too. Works great, any font size you want, finger-swipe scroll, I even use my phone Kindle at home now in lieu of my actual Kindle.

Put it in white-letters-on-dark-background to minimize battery use.

One device fits all! Phone, camera, reader. 6 ounces of bliss plus two extra 0.9 ounce batteries.

+1

I use Kindle app on iPhone and have lots of other uses for iPhone on trail (navigation, music, nature references, guidebook pdf files, etc.) - I can even make phone calls with it once in awhile to let important people know I'm alive and well.

[Connie]

I have seen excellent Kindle displays on different models.

There are different models available.

The "paperwhite" looks good. The type font is clear. I never expected that.

Here, someone mentioned long battery life.

1. How much long battery life?

2. What models, how much long battery life?

[Harrison Bergeron]

I've used a Samsung Rugby smartphone to read on my vanpool (two hours a day) for the past year, using the Kindle app. I check out my books for free from the library (through Overdrive). With the data and bluetooth turned off, it lasts about a week on a charge, which is probably good enough for the AT. It's waterproof and shockproof and the camera is as good as most point-and-shoot's. Plus, it recharges with a standard USB cable and the charger only weighs an once. It takes a 32gb SD card, which is enough to hold my entire CD library. The only downside is that it's discontinued. But I think you can still buy it from an unlocked phone vendor.

[grandvizier]

I just got my Paperwhite waterproofed: http://waterfi.com/waterproofing-ser...dle-paperwhite for $100 (they do ipods too)

I'm still not convinced the 8oz for a Kindle is worth it, but if it doesn't get used, I can just ship it home

[Bluegrass]

I have a non-PaperWhite Kindle. It is difficult to figure out battery life since by the time I need to charge it again, it has been so long since the last time that I cannot remember the last time.

I would say that moderate reading (0-1 hours a day) gets me about 4-6 weeks on a charge.

A friend has a PaperWhite model and probably gets about 4 weeks on a charge.

[Elewolf]

I'm not a huge smart phone fan, but I recently got the new big iPhone 6 plus to shoot video and read books on the trail. I've done both and it works really well. I was going to tote around a kindle until I started reading on this thing.

[Teresa&Lisa2016]

I have two questions, about battery life and price. In doing all the price comparison of memberships to audio book sites, or buying e-books for iphone with kindle app, it seems that it is actually more cost effective to just buy a kindle. with a student prime membership, which I already have, there is the free lending library, and then Kindle has all those free books already on it. My second question is about battery life -- my iphone has to be charged every night if it is using wifi or 3G, because I use it a LOT for a ton of different things. It seems like having all those audiobooks would be a waste if the device dies after a day. Anyone know how long an iphone 6 stays alive in airplane mode? Will audio books play in airplane mode?

THANKS for any advice! We start our hike in a month!

[RockDoc]

There are hikers who camp, and campers who do a little hiking. Taking accessories like Kindles seem to put you in the second group, although there's nothing wrong with that, and you certainly won't be the first to carry one.

[Southeast]

I have two questions, about battery life and price. In doing all the price comparison of memberships to audio book sites, or buying e-books for iphone with kindle app, it seems that it is actually more cost effective to just buy a kindle. with a student prime membership, which I already have, there is the free lending library, and then Kindle has all those free books already on it. My second question is about battery life -- my iphone has to be charged every night if it is using wifi or 3G, because I use it a LOT for a ton of different things. It seems like having all those audiobooks would be a waste if the device dies after a day. Anyone know how long an iphone 6 stays alive in airplane mode? Will audio books play in airplane mode?

THANKS for any advice! We start our hike in a month!

I use an android phone but it shouldn't matter.
Audio books will play in airplane mode, assuming you download the book first.
They also don't use much battery, because it doesn't require the screen to be on.
I was signed up for Amazon's audio book membership for awhile. I really liked it... One thing was they frequently have other offers ( for say, $3). I ended up with a lot of books in my library and stopped my membership until I get thru them.
A kindle, like the paperweight (I think that's the name) will definitely last longer.
Good luck choosing.

[Walkintom]

I use an android phone but it shouldn't matter.
Audio books will play in airplane mode, assuming you download the book first.
They also don't use much battery, because it doesn't require the screen to be on.
I was signed up for Amazon's audio book membership for awhile. I really liked it... One thing was they frequently have other offers ( for say, $3). I ended up with a lot of books in my library and stopped my membership until I get thru them.
A kindle, like the paperweight (I think that's the name) will definitely last longer.
Good luck choosing.

A few thoughts. The Kindle 3G is the model that we have. My father-in-law purchased it new years ago and when he died, my wife saved it from the donation pile and I've been using it ever since. It connects via wifi or 3G (3G is free via AT&T network, no plan). With my reading 2-3 hours/day I get about 3 weeks of life before it needs recharging. It's excellent in this regard. It's also smaller than it looks and I can fit it in many pockets where you wouldn't think that it would go.

The Kindle apps on smartphones and tablets all seem to be pretty good. I've used Kindle apps on Iphone, Ipad, and android and have been pleased with them all. You can adjust font size for comfortable reading and get good results easily.

If you're a dedicated reader and expect to read more than an hour each day, I'd say take a Kindle of the paperwhite variety. The battery life will serve you well.

If you plan to read less, you may just want to take a smartphone with the Kindle app. You can dim the screen and get quite a bit of life out of some phone batteries if in airplane mode. This is the route I went, and carried a Newtrent 10,000 ma battery backup to recharge our phones with - it did the job despite reading more than we really thought we would.

[Poedog]

As an avid reader, love to have material available to peruse. But honestly, I have found that at the end of the long hiking day after making camp, eating, checking gear, all I care to read is the next day's trail map, and then off to blissful sleep.

I'll second this.

[Hikes in Rain]

One of the downsides of a Kindle is that when I'm reading in bed and doze off, it hurts more than a paper book when it bounces off my face. Other than that, it's all good.

[Sly]

No. You dont need a kindle, all you need is app. .

Or a paperback. They still make them?