Question: Weight savings of a iPod with with Garmin mini

Should work just fine unless you end up needing a cellular connection.  The touch has a small screen by current standards but that used to be the same as the flagship iPhone.

Personally I prefer the bigger screen and battery of the Plus-sized iPhone.

Ipod touch does not have GPS so the Gaia app won’t work.

It’ll work with compromises or an added dongle.

GPS: You can get GPS functionality on an iPod Touch with a Bad Elf Lightning connector GPS dongle. By itself (without charging cable and such), weighs .3 oz/8g. Costs $129.

Gaia: You can download maps to the iPod and view those maps offline without the above dongle, but you won’t get any GPS functionality (your position on the map, etc.).

Garmin app: This should work fine. Again, download maps when you’re home and you can view them offline, and also have GPS functionality via the inReach on the map.

Battery: Phones have bigger batteries and longer life. So your iPod Touch won’t last as long as your iPhone, but you’d be taking a charger for either, most likely, so might be moot, or might necessitate a bigger charger, depends on how much you use it.

Screen: This is a personal thing, of course. I really like the extra screen real estate of my 8+ – using it as a GPS is the only reason I go with the bigger phones. Worth it to me.

I wouldn’t trust a third party gps. Just use your phone.

“I wouldn’t trust a third party gps.”

Pilots do it all the time.

They use the iPod touch with the above mentioned GPS?

Just doesn’t make much sense leaving a working device at home and then purchasing an add on GPS to make the touch function similar to what you already have.

Well –  if I don’t need my Gaia Maps because I’ve already uploaded gaia paths to Garman prior to the trip then it might be an interesting weight savings still.

I’m not too concerned I have a 0.1 ounce 18650 battery charging case and a 0.2 oz 6” charging apple cable. In the summer when I’m not using my my zebra headlight much except for hanging food and camp breakdown in early am, if 6 to 8 hours of GPS wayfinding isn’t enough I can always charge off of the zebra battery. In the winter when I’m caring an extra 18650 battery anyway it should change the iPod 2x over at least in cold conditions.

So has anyone looked at the Garman app on the iPod screen and felt that it was usable? No weird cut offs or whatnot?

in a pinch I could copy the coordinates off my Garmin mini into my Gaia app as well.

“They use the iPod touch with the above mentioned GPS?”

From what I can tell, they use wifi-only iPads, not iPod Touches, but it’s the same thing.

Keep low power mode on your iPhone and you should be able to get much more than 8 hours of use using Gaia. I use it for 3-6 hours at a time and only use 20% or so. I turn off all radios as well-wifi, BT and cell.

“From what I can tell, they use wifi-only iPads, not iPod Touches, but it’s the same thing.”

Not doubting what they are using but it would make more sense to just buy a cellular iPad that is usually $100 or less more than buy an device that will monopolize the lightning port and in the end spend the same or more.

“So has anyone looked at the Garman app on the iPod screen and felt that it was usable? No weird cut offs or whatnot?”

Not sure why it would have weird cutoffs and such since you can scroll, pinch and zoom, etc.

But, really, folks are different, of course. What one finds workable someone else might not. If you’ve got the iPod Touch already, why not just download Gaia to it, download a map (if you have a Gaia subscription) and see for yourself? Would give you a much better idea on how it would work for you.

• Seems to me there’s definitely a use case loss of value, depending on your model of iPhone. You’re leaving a good camera behind. You’re leaving a mapping tool with a much larger brighter screen at home. You’re already carrying the same iPod-like functions in a better package. These days I feel like a smart phone is an essential tool, along with a real compass and a paper map. The Garmin mini is a nice product, but I’d leave that at home instead 😆.

I really would not want to venture into the backwoods without my iPhone, and now the Inreach Mini is another must-have item, as it offers a safety back-up and convenience communication. In addition, the battery weight savings of using the Mini for tracks more than makes up for the weight of the item. When I use the iPhone GAIA  for tracks on 12-hour days, I can use %50-65 of the battery, whereas the Mini is depleted much less (I don’t have an exact fix on it yet, perhaps %35-50?) and has a much smaller battery. I can charge the Mini up to three full charges off one 18650. So if you are sending breadcrumb tracks for security, the tracks for later use come with no weight penalty.

– (Cameron) yes I agree. Though I go a step further –  the functionality and saftey (recharging, sos, gaia uploaded paths, crumbs, gbs coordinates for good old hand mapping, and “sending honey I’m ok messages” ; but back to the question (since I don’t have an iPod to test)

– if anyone has a Garmin mini and an iPod I would appreciate any comparison compared to the experience on your iphone (screen cut off, maps too small to appreciate, compass use?, as there’s a possible of a smart 3.8 oz weight savings which depending on your approach could be a lot.

Use case losses:

– loss of 2nd gps unit, worse mp camera, screen size, battery size an issue if you aren’t carrying a 18650 (I which case it’s not an issue for me at least).

Use case gains

– Smaller footprint (subjective), 3.8oz weight savings, not risking your iPhone.

– Thanks for the interesting input, I appreciate everyone.

If you don’t have an iPod already but decide to go that route, suggest waiting before buying one as a new model is projected to be released this year, maybe next month (or perhaps you already knew that).

Exactly :)