Dead...everything is dead

[C-Stepper]

Went on a winter trip this weekend (car camping, so I guess this is sorta off topic). Stayed warm (that's positive!). The nice thing about car camping is ready access to firewood if you have $$$$. My phone died right away even though it was powered down. This wouldn't have been a problem except that's how I take my pictures when hiking! BAD! I kept it in my sleeping bag to keep it warm but this did not seem to help. Anything to remedy this? Also...stove didn't work at all, even though I kept it in my bag as well. Got very hungry! I guess I'll have to get a different stove for next time, but is there anything I can do about the batteries dying? It sounded like keeping them warm in the bag should help, but it didn't help me.

[soumodeler]

Is it an older phone? As batteries age they get more negative effects from the cold.

[ADK Walker]

Was it an iPhone 6? Apple is replacing those batteries for $29. Might help you.

[ADK Walker]

Here is a bit of info from Apple.

https://www.apple.com/iphone-battery-and-performance/

[Jayne]

One common problem with cell phones is that they use a ton of juice searching for cell service in areas that are spotty. I always turn my phone to airplane mode while hiking and then just turn airplane mode off if I need to make a call or check messages. One nice think about Guthook apps is that they work in airplane mode (the GPS locator only turns on when the app is open and it is independent of airplane mode.)

[Snowleopard]

Jayne is probably right, cell phones use a lot of battery searching for a signal in bad signal areas. You can turn it off in such places or get a car charger.

Stove: you're probably using a canister (butane/propane) 0stove. If the temp is below the boiling point of Isobutane-propane in the canister it won't work. There are tricks to raise the temp high enough to work, but if it is really cold you're better off with a liquid fuel stove (gasoline, kerosene) or wood. Alcohol stoves can work at fairly low temps but it gets tricky.

[ratamahattayou]

I know the coleman fuel canisters at the Walmart won't work in temperatures below ten degrees very well. It lit but had to crank the stove all the way up. Primus fuel didn't have a problem with.

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[DownEaster]

If you're camping rather than backpacking, there's no reason not to use a liquid fuel stove. For the phone issue, a backup battery bank should take care of those cases where you forgot to switch to airplane mode.

[ADK Walker]

For winter climbing I keep a Hot Hands heat pack in the pants pocket where the phone is kept. The toe warmers actually have an adhesive sticker to them that will stick to the back of the phone to keep it in place. I've had very good luck with this system.

[Dogwood]

Is it an older phone? As batteries age they get more negative effects from the cold.

Yes, but it's not just from the cold. Old cell ph/device batteries stop holding full charges after some number of charges. Might want to try a new - brand new battery or carrying two fully charged batteries especially if you rely heavily on a device for several important to you uses. Might want to turn the ph totally off when charging. Might want to fully charge between usage. Might want to turn fully off not just powered down? when not being used.

[Dogwood]

If you're taking pics with your device I assume it's not being stored in your sleeping bag during the day when apt to snap pics. As such where is it being kept during the day? Is it(the battery) being kept warmed during the day and on the way to your hike? If not that's when it can be getting drained.

[Dogwood]

Some worthy to consider hacks offered.

What kind of stove and what kind of fuel? If you used a canister stove were you using a cold weather fuel mix? It makes a difference in the temps we've been having in the S east lately.

[DownEaster]

The "Napoleon" chest pockets you'll find in some hiking shirts provide a convenient way to carry your cell phone so it stays warm in between pictures. My cold weather gear consists of a long-sleeve Merino wool shirt with such a pocket, and a zippered vest mid-layer. A couple of quick zipper tugs and I can reach the warm phone.

[C-Stepper]

The phone is a 6S but was powered off once I arrived at my destination Saturday lunchtime (fully charged from my drive) and I didn't turn it on again until Sunday morning, 8ish, when I was setting out to hike. It was completely dead. As I was car camping this time around I could have charged it back up but this would have taken up a good bit of my morning that I wanted to be out hiking, not screwing around with my stupid phone. Luckily, there wasn't really that much to take pictures of, but what if there had been? And, I don't usually car camp, this was just a sudden whim as my company, in a rare act of generosity, gave us King's bday off. I'm thinking if my battery drained while my phone was off, an extra set of batteries or a new battery wouldn't do me much good. I know alkaline batteries are no good in the cold, so I had switched my headlamp batteries to lithium and had no issues with that.

I knew my canister stove would be difficult...I got it lit, but after 20 min of heating my two cups of water in my mug, the water wasn't even lukewarm. When it's 20 degrees and windy, it's certainly a bonus to have a hot breakfast! Oh well...next time.

[Deacon]

The phone is a 6S but was powered off once I arrived at my destination Saturday lunchtime (fully charged from my drive) and I didn't turn it on again until Sunday morning, 8ish, when I was setting out to hike. It was completely dead. As I was car camping this time around I could have charged it back up but this would have taken up a good bit of my morning that I wanted to be out hiking, not screwing around with my stupid phone. Luckily, there wasn't really that much to take pictures of, but what if there had been? And, I don't usually car camp, this was just a sudden whim as my company, in a rare act of generosity, gave us King's bday off. I'm thinking if my battery drained while my phone was off, an extra set of batteries or a new battery wouldn't do me much good. I know alkaline batteries are no good in the cold, so I had switched my headlamp batteries to lithium and had no issues with that.

I knew my canister stove would be difficult...I got it lit, but after 20 min of heating my two cups of water in my mug, the water wasn't even lukewarm. When it's 20 degrees and windy, it's certainly a bonus to have a hot breakfast! Oh well...next time.

I have noticed that the iPhone can, though very infrequently, refuse to turn on even though the battery is not dead.

Did you see the red battery drained symbol at the center of the screen, or was is totally black?

There is a recovery procedure if the phone refuses to turn on. Hold the off/on switch and the lower volume control button simultaneously for ten seconds, and that will wake up a “dead” phone.


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[C-Stepper]

It was the red empty battery symbol. Had to charge for 20 min or so in the car before it would even turn on.

[Tundracamper]

iPhones are only designed to operate above freezing. I recently took mine outdoors when it was around 23F. The charge was initially around 90%. Within 5-10 minutes it was showing 10% charge and then it just cut off. I think it has an internal temp sensor that shuts it down when it gets too low.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201678

[Highland Goat]

With pressurized fuel, a winter blend will work in cold temperatures, but it still will loose some efficiency. White gas or another liquid fuel is the way to go, since you provide your own pressure.