Alaska - iPhone or (yet another) new Garmin?

[+KathnKen]

Hi - hoping to bag some geocaches whilst on an Alaskan cruise. Haven’t done anything for ages, so the batteries have rotted 2 of my 3 Garmin’s and the other one doesn’t easily support geocaching. I’ll have my iPhone with me (I’ve bought extra data) but does anyone know if this will be adequate? I’ll only be around the port areas inSeward, Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan. 
thanks in anticipation

[robertlipe]

I probably took that same cruise back in 2002 or so. :-)  Since you're presumably always within walking distance of the docks, I'd assume cell coverage would be adequate, though you can always check the coverage map for your provider.

At the time I went, there were comparatively few physicals (no locals to maintain them then) and mostly virtuals that you could have handled with (gasp) paper or just downloaded/pinned Google Docs (or Everkeep or whatever note-taker you like) and even the crudest GPS app. You're just not likely to be scampering off a boat and into a 13 mile hike in the bush that NEEDS awesome reception or superpowers.

If you're concerned about coverage, you can still use pocket queries and offline maps even on your phone.

Enjoy.

[+KathnKen]

10 hours ago, robertlipe said:

I probably took that same cruise back in 2002 or so. :-)  Since you're presumably always within walking distance of the docks, I'd assume cell coverage would be adequate, though you can always check the coverage map for your provider

 

Thank you - I’ll stick with the phone then and see how I get on. 

[+Mineral2]

BTW, I don't know what batteries you've been using with your Garmins, but stop putting regular alkaline batteries in there. Eneloop rechargeables don't corrode the way alkaline batteries do.

[+geodarts]

We will be driving to the Yukon and Alaska later this year.  I am making pocket queries since our route includes many areas where we will be offline. Apart from a watch, I have not had a garmin for years so you should be fine without it. An app like Cachly (iOS) makes it extremely easy to plan trips, download maps, cache offline, and decide what caches you might be most interested in doing.   

Edited May 1, 2023 by geodarts

[+Red90]

The phone works fine.  You can load caches and maps for offline use, so do not need cell connection.  The biggest advantage to the dedicated handhelds is they are more accurate and make finding easier.

[+Mineral2]

On 5/6/2023 at 6:46 AM, Red90 said:

The biggest advantage to the dedicated handhelds is they are more accurate and make finding easier.

That's not really true these days.

The advantage of handhelds is that they are inherently more durable than most phones without the need to purchase bulky and expensive cases. But for most geocaching uses, it's hard to justify the GPS anymore, and I say that as a GPS lover and user.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Mineral2