Recommend a tablet for Off Road

[robburns76]

hey Rob, the point I was trying to make above and will do again is this - when we go off roading we go to lots of places (hundreds/thousands of square miles) where there's no cell service (e.g., Death Valley, etc.). Having an iPad or iPhone, etc. isn't really going to provide the results needed. That's why a GPS receiver is a great solution.

That is why I mentioned making sure you get the cellular model. While it is the cellular model, even when we are out in the middle of nowhere where we dont have service, the GPS in that unit still works fine. While I do have the cellular model ipad, i dont have service on it so the cellular part never works but the GPS for mapping works fine, even in the middle of nowhere.

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[jurfie]

Lol...I think we are all saying the same thing. Nothing like arguing about something we agree on!

 

[Moabite]

What mounts did you use? How is it in the passenger seat?

I used RAM Mount components. The main mount is a stalk that attaches to a passenger seat bolt. It was a bit shakey by itself off-road so everything is stabilized by a RAM Mount clamp attached to the grab bar above the glove box. Passengers tell me it is not in their way. My setup is overkill for mounting a tablet only, but I needed it for the additional radio equipment. The Carolina Grab Bar mount I saw mentioned in another post looks like a good option for mounting just a tablet...coupled with a RAM Mount arm of the appropriate length.

And as some have mentioned, make sure the tablet you get is able to access the GPS satellites unless you want to buy a separate GPS receiver. Cell service is non-existent in many areas around Moab. You don't need cell service for the cellular-capable iPad to function perfectly navigating in the backcountry. You do, however, need to pre-load the maps and trails for your area. I have hundreds of 7.5-minute topo and orthophoto maps pre-loaded. I prefer the satellite images on the orthophoto maps since they often show trails and features not on standard USGS topo maps.

I've been impressed with the capability of the Gladiator's wi-fi hotspot. Even when I have no service through Verizon on my phone or the tablet, I've been able to connect through the vehicle's AT&T hotspot where I have an unlimited data plan.

As for apps, Gaia and Avenza are the best I've seen for backcountry navigation. I use Gaia sometimes, but Avenza most of the time simply because I already have all of my maps pre-loaded into that app. One advantage to Gaia however, is that you don't see borders between maps. I'm often on a trail using Avenza and drive into the white space on the border of the map, so I need to manually scroll to the next map and hit the location button again so it will center me on the screen and continue to follow.

 

[WhatExit?]

If you have a wifi only iPad and are sitting with a wifi connection your iPad will likely target your location via wifi triangulation. You can see this is Apple maps, Google Maps, Gaia, etc. Hop in your vehicle and then see what happens. Tethering to your phones hotspot will not work. Pretty much any Bluetooth GPS receiver will work including the Garmin InReach. Dual GPS, Garmin Glo, and Bad Elf are popular options.

On WiFi only devices some functionality in the map apps will be lost without cell service

 

[Moabite]

The OP asked for recommendations for a tablet to use off-road. My recommendation would be to get one that includes GPS functionality without being connected to cell service. Period. That would include most Android tablets and any Apple tablet with cellular connectivity. You will pay about $130 more for an iPad Mini with cellular capability. You don't need to connect it to your carrier if you don't want that additional monthly expense though I have found it to be very useful.

If you buy a tablet for navigational use that requires an external GPS receiver to navigate (which is just another piece of equipment to deal with, mount, charge, etc.), you will not save enough money to make it worthwhile in my opinion. I see little sense in buying a tablet for navigation and then having to buy another device to be able to navigate with your navigation tablet. I prefer everything to be self-contained in one unit. That way, it's easier to just grab the tablet and go hiking and have the same functionality I had in the vehicle.

Though some external GPS receivers claim to be faster and more accurate than in-device GPSs, neither of those claims makes a bit of difference in the real world of hiking or off-roading. You're talking seconds and inches. By the way, I teach navigation classes for Search and Rescue and spend a huge amount of time hiking, biking and Jeeping in the backcountry around Moab. My iPad Mini has done everything I've needed it to do when navigating and/or recording trails.

Wi-Fi triangulation is pretty much useless in an area with few cell towers or nearby hot-spots. That includes the vast majority of backcountry off-road trails. In either Avenza or Gaia, you lose no app functionality (other than the ability to download maps) without cell service as long as you have a GPS-enabled tablet.

 

[erinoutdoors]

I use an iPad Mini with Avenza, but there are several good apps. I've downloaded every 1/24000 topo and orthophoto map in Grand County (Moab) onto it and also have every trail in the county on the maps. It took a while to set it all up but was worth the effort. Photo of installation:

I use an iPad Mini with Avenza, but there are several good apps. I've downloaded every 1/24000 topo and orthophoto map in Grand County (Moab) onto it and also have every trail in the county on the maps. It took a while to set it all up but was worth the effort. Photo of installation:

How many gigs do you have on your iPad mini? Is 64GB enough or do I need to get a bigger one?

 

[FR33DOM]

I'll throw a wrench in here (but maybe not). It seems that the GaiaGPS app is now beta testing to add CarPlay functionality. I have their first beta V2020.1 and it does work OK. There are not really any options on the CarPlay screen so far except zoom in and out and it will display the track and recording trace as you go. However, no stats or other options on the 8.4 screen, and North is always up...

I'm guessing they'll add more feature over time. Depending on how hardcore you want to be, this could be an option in the near future without having to add another device/screen to the cab...

 

[Oscar Indy]

Gaia has their app in beta for carplay

 

[Moabite]

How many gigs do you have on your iPad mini? Is 64GB enough or do I need to get a bigger one?

I have 128Gb...,but 64 is plenty. I probably have more maps on mine than most and have used less than 17Gb with everything that is on the iPad.

 

[Moabite]

I'll throw a wrench in here (but maybe not). It seems that the GaiaGPS app is now beta testing to add CarPlay functionality.

Not a wrench at all. You're still going to need a phone or tablet in the vehicle. Gaia is a great app. I have it on my iPad and sometimes use it...just not as often as Avenza. The main reason I've used Avenza is because I'm more familiar with it and already have a ton of maps downloaded. If just starting out, it would be a toss-up. Thanks for the heads-up on the Gaia CarPlay app. I might consider expanding Gaia on my tablet and trying it out.

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