Time comes for rubber to hit the road for that camping getaway and one thing that you will want to bring a long is your cellphone. But have you thought about how to protect your phone? A mobile phone like Samsung Galaxy 8 has become a revolutionary piece of equipment that we cannot leave behind, even when going to extreme outdoor sojourns.
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Bring your smartphone
Ok, so you have entertained the notion of going a few days without your electronics, to have some you-time, have you? You know it is unbearable. Anyway, it is good sense to carry your smart phone with you when hiking, trekking or camping so that you can catch up with people back home so they can know you are safe.
There are other benefits of bringing your phone on your beach camping and other outdoor adventures. It carries a means to communicate, to take and store photos and videos. It also carries a means to reach the emergency services should something nasty happen to you.
Your phone also packs a lot of entertainment to keep you jovial when busy or resting. From music, videos, games to books … the smartphone is indeed king, and an adventurer’s best companion.
What you should be seeking to know is how to protect your phone from theft and damage. And that is why you are reading this short post.
Here are a few ways to get your phone through the elements in one piece:
Know the risks
If you do not know the risks, you cannot counter them. Consider accidental drops on rocky trails. Should that happen, you will bid the expensive screen goodbye. Also prepare for harsh weather elements like rain, sleet, sand, a lot of sunshine and even snow.
Many people worry about moisture, but there are more dangers out there. For example, did you know that your smart phone is not made to withstand extremely cold temperature? If you are going hiking or camping in winter, keep the mobile close to your person so that it can absorb your body heat and stay operational.
How to protect your phone against water and humidity
Thankfully, many dry bags designed for smartphones today are built to last and to ensure that you can use your device without taking it out of the bag. Look for a popular, highly rated bag like ALOKSAK MultiPack, which has been certified waterproof for up to 200 feet by diving schools. It will protect your phone against moisture caused by humidity, water, showers and snow.
Before you buy a dry bag for your smartphone, read a few user reviews to know whether you will get good value for your cash.
Buy a hard-shell/leather case for accidents
When every iPhone is released into the market, case manufacturers release a case for that series. This means there is a case for every phone in the market, but cases are sold separately. Buy a well-reviewed case and it may just save your phone from damage when you drop it accidentally. Tumi, OtterBox and CaseMate are just a few of the hard-shell or leather cases available for smartphones.
Buy a screen protector
And make sure it is waterproof. This is the best protection for your smartphone when you are going for a short day hike. Should you be caught in a shower, your phone will stay dry. On the trails, you are likely to splash water around a lot. The screen protector keeps your phone safe.
Toss it into a ziplock sandwich bag
Actually, just put it in gently. It is a delicate piece. A sandwich bag is a cost effective way for how to protect your phone if you forgot to bring a long a special dry bag for it. Like most dry bags in the market, the sandwich bag is transparent, allowing you to use your phone without taking it out.
If you are on the beach and would like to keep your phone sand-free, use a sandwich bag. It should do the trick nicely and should it rain, it will protect your gadget from water.
How to protect your phone from sunlight
Your iPhone does not need a tan, does it? Keep it in cool shade. Exposure to direct sunshine can cause the phone to develop battery and other circuiting troubles. You can keep it under the umbrella or inside your pack in a lockable compartment.
Keep her in the pocket
If it is in the pocket, the risks of dropping it are minimal. Anyway, the reason why it is called “mobile” is so that it can stay in your person even when on the move, in your pocket. If you are not using the mobile phone, keep it in your pocket. Smartphone safety means being smart.
Use a jack plug to keep sand away
When camping on the beach, small sand particles will find their way into the phone one way or other. The most obvious places include the charging port and the headphone port. Best thing is to use a headphone jack to prevent sand entry. For the charging port, well, you can always find a way to plug it up. As for the other crevices, well …
Prepare to do a remote wipe
Hardly likely, but things do go belly up and you end up losing your phone. Today, the phone has your bank information, as well as crucial data that you wouldn’t want to fall into the wrong hands. For safety, download a remote wipe app. That way, should your smartphone get lost, you just need to access the internet from a computer and authorize the app to remote-wipe all data in the phone.
Keep the phone charged, always
There is not much sense in taking a cellphone without a means to charge it. It will most likely be dead weight most of the time. Buy a solar charger for your outdoor adventures.
Enable cloud storage and backup
You would not like to lose all the photos and videos that you have shot on your camping trip. There are many android, Blackberry and iPhone apps to help you in that regard. Find an app that allows real-time backup so that as you take photos, they are backed up immediately.
When you are not using the phone, make sure it is switched off. That not only preserves the charge, but the life of the battery as well. It also keeps the cellphone out of danger.
That is it for now. If you have other tips for how to protect your phone when camping, let us know please, will you?
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