whats the best trail mp3 player?

I've got a Sansa Clip Zip I use for working out/commuting/at work. Its itty-bitty, has a built-in clip, an FM tuner, accepts micro SD cards, and uses a standard micro USB cable for charging. Mine has pretty good run time. I've been able to listen to it for a couple hours a day for most of the week and just recharge it on the weekend. I really like that it uses the same charging/data cable as my cell phone and has expandable storage.
http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Sansa-Clip-Player-Black/dp/B005FVNGRS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378321652&sr=8-1&keywords=sansa+clip+zip

I paired it with a pair of JVC Riptidz headphones which claim to sweat-proof for a cheap, light, really good sounding set up.
http://www.amazon.com/JVC-HAFX8B-Headphone-Riptidz-In-Ear/dp/B005FDOVPM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378321866&sr=8-1&keywords=riptidz

If I happen to misplace it or break it I'm not going to be too upset since I've only got $50 or so invested including an 8GB micro SD card. Its certainly less flashy than the Ipod but if all you want to do it listen to sermons how many features do you need :D. And in that case, if you have a smartphone you can probably just load the MP3s on there and save yourself the cost and hassle of another device. My phone seems to get pretty good battery life if I put it in airplane mode.

Adam

Coby 4GB mp3. I like it because it uses a single AAA battery. I listen mainly to podcasts and lectures on the trail, rather than music and find I get closer to 24hr of use from a single AAA battery.

Yup. Ipod shuffle…

Its good, but the battery isn't replaceable.

I've got a Sansa Clip as well and have been very pleased with it. I like to download podcasts and books mostly. I sometimes take it when I'm going solo in the winter when it gets dark at 5:30. :-)

I normally carry an iPhone but also a small iPod shuffle. That combination works nice because I can either shuffle through the songs or play specific songs on the iPhone. The iPod allows me to keep the battery life which is nice because I use the iphone as a phone, camera, journal enterer and a few other things. The few gram weight penalty of the extra ipod is more than worth it for me.

I have a couple – used mostly for audio books – that run on single AAA each, which I like because I'm not limited by the battery life like you are with an Ipod. However, the interfaces on both of mine are junk, confusing and hard to find anything on there. An Ipod is okay for a short trip, but if you listen an hour or two a day as I usually do, you need more battery life than they offer.

+1 for the Coby mp3 player

Replaceable AAA batteries are a key feature to me and the fact that mine doesn't have any kind of display to add to battery drain is a plus (just buttons, no screen). The battery lasts a very long time.

The coby looks good but the specs on its batterie life are not so good. However you guys are saying itmay run for around 24 hours, while on amazon it reports only like 8-10 hours. How is an extra 14 hours possible?

For me none. YMMV

another vote for a shuffle. been using the heck out of my little one for a year, hiking, bike riding, etc. tiny, long battery life, plenty of storage. mostly filled with podcasts, but also some music. very happy with it.

>> The coby looks good but the specs on its batterie life are not so good. However you guys are saying itmay run for around 24 hours, while on amazon it reports only like 8-10 hours. How is an extra 14 hours possible? <<

There are a lot of different models of Coby players around. I picked up an old model that doesn't have a screen because I knew the battery life would be very good. The ones that can play videos will have a significantly lower battery life.

I've used the Sansa clip, and overall liked it. But now i would just use my phone (i finally broke down and got a smart phone after all these years), and bring an extra, rechargeable lithium battery powersource as backup.

I used to bring a Shuffle but found I was without power too often and I didn't like the interface that much either (although that was secondary of course). I went with a Nano and it is way easier to get to what you want and most importantly the battery life is quite a bit better. Also, when the battery life indicates the lowest capacity, it will still keep on going for a long time afterwards. It is also very thin and light, and for me the size is a bit easier to handle than the shuffle (of course there is a 7.5 gram weight penalty).

I'd ditch my smartphone and buy a cheap feature phone with great battery life, memory card slot and headphone connection. Maybe get one with built in light too.

Multiple use gear:

-Phone
-Flashlight
-MP3 player
-Alarm clock

and very cheap…

Nokia makes some with these features.

I'm about to get one myself :-)

/Peter

Yes, if the player has a video screen, it means shorter battery life. Don't get that type. I use standard Duracell coppertops with mine. Maybe I don't get a full 24 hours for each one but definitely more than 8 or 10. If you live in Sacto area, you can get the Coby players at Fry's.