 Poster: A snowHead
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Haven't skied for 5 years, so when I last skied smart phones were in their infancy.
I was an early adopter (windows CE) so I would have had one but don't recall what I did with it... Probably left it at home as I was en-piste and with partner or instructor. Suspect nowhere had WiFi on slopes. Certainly the year b4 that I took SLR away for pics.
Going in March. 4 year old kid. Feels like I should have phone with me so that I can be contacted when he is in ski school or if his mother wants to hunt us down...
Read a thread from a year ago with most people saying they just put it in a pocket either chest or trouser.
I've smashed a screen on a smart phone walking in the hills and falling down a rabbit hn waole landing on screen in pocket. So I know its not hard to do. The fall didn't hurt me and wouldn't feature in my brain at all if it hadn't trashed a phone. Have also cracked a screen when one fell out a shirt pocket when I bent over to pick something off the floor. That killed phone as it thought the screen was being pressed... So couldn't even take a call...
Clearly lots of people take phones with them without incident. A few use hard shells which turn an already bulky object into a stupidly large brick. I see you can buy rugged phones cheaply nowadays - non smart for £30 smart (but android 4.2 rather than 4.4) for £65. Wondering if anyone has any experience of these?
I sail during summer and do a bit of tricycling off road so rugged phone would have other uses.
For skiing not 100% concerned about waterproof as money in my pocket seems to stay dry. (Sailing with it would by 110% a different story.! But anyone got experience of how hard the screens are, how useable buttons are, for touch screen ones do they work if damp (e.g. snow in screen) or only once the screen has dried out...
Have two phones - one for work and one for life. Work is Nokia brick. Wouldn't take it with me as not working. But back in normal life could see some logic to dual SIM rather than carrying two phones about... Anyone any experience? Or anyone tell me why I can't redirect text as well as voice from one (work) phone to another?
I guess GPS makes sense to track where I went, camera for snaps and WiFi may make sense so I can get updated weather etc at a mountain hut at lunch... Or upload my pics to Facebook to make people back home jealous 
So open to you guys for thoughts...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I use an "Otterbox" case for mine. I don't feel it turns it into a brick although it is of course larger than a "normal" case.
My last phone was an iPhone which I used for 5 years during which time my daughter (who uses a "normal" case) got through three phones. Maybe I'm more careful than my daughter, but the first thing I did when I got my current Samsung was to buy an Otterbox case. So far, so happy
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Use moto g when skiing.Cheap gorilla glass screen good battery life.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Three ways to go, otterbox, tough phone like the moto g, or just get a cheap pay and throw for use on the slopes. 3 do a smart one for £79 but there are plenty out there.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I highly recommend the Otterbox defender cases. Ive used them on my past few phones (iphone 4, 4s, samsung s3)
I'm always dropping my phone when I'm setting up event shops from a decent hight and never smashed it and its taken a few big hits when out on the bike
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Look at a Griffin defender case, my iphone had been in it for 21 months dropped lots of times, gets dirty daily. I don't take the case off unless absolutely needed, last time I did, the phone looked brand new. 
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I`ve had a Samsung tough, and currently a Motorola Defy; they often get dropped, or submerged at work. Tough phones are exactly that ( bar the Samsung whose screen was soft), but the compromise is normally that they don`t do the other functions very well; crap cameras, slow smart phones etc. I use a case, even on a tough phone, so I would get the phone that you want, and buy a good case for it
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I had a Griffin defender around my first iPhone. That got stolen in Val d'Isere! With the second one I had a normal case and a ballistic glass screen protector which was fine. I've now got a Nokia which won't take a glass screen protector. What I'm thinking is that it lives in an inside pocket. That is between a padded jacket and soft old me. I don't think it'll get the sort of direct impact that would break the glass. And if it did it would probably have just saved my life.
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Ballistic do cases the same as Otterbox and Griffin so there are 3 manufacturers to look at and most do various levels of protection.
My Ballistic on the HTC EVO 3D is a brick with the rubber shield and the snap lock belt holster which gives max screen protection. But the snap lock can be left out and the rubber shield can be taken off. Now that does impact the water resistence but it means the phone has pretty good protection still without being bulky.
Rather than buy a new phone why not buy a secondhand android / IOS phone from places like Cash gen and Cash Conv. You can pick up a pretty reasonable one for well under £100 ( quite often around the £50-£60 mark. Great as a backup afterwards just buy a new battery £5-£8.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Well I'm using a Moto G that was bought as a quick replacement for a Samsung Galaxy II. Wasn't meant as a keep me phone but its actually the best phone I've had. Never studied the glass spec and it's great that it's gorilla. If its in my pocket facing me rather than outwards I suspect it would take a MAJOR fall to trash it.
May look at a box for it as they seem pretty common (loads of people at work seem to have them) so hopefully a specific box available.
I can buy a rugged sim free for not much more than a burn phone so would go with that if need be, or a rugged smart for similar to a cash convertor hobby... So again see more logic in buying new low spec rugged than an old once high spec...
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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One thing to consider is that a cheap non smart phone can often go for a couple of weeks without needing charging.
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Rugged phones?
They're called radios. 
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You know it makes sense.
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We've got a 3 year old really small Samsung Galaxy S Advance (model GT-19070) in our cupboard, used but 8/10 condition boxed and in perfect working order, my wife's old one, any use? orange (EE) maybe you could get it unlocked? really simple to use. Stick it in a sealable plastic bag in pocket, it's all I ever do with my iPhone 5. Yours for a steal, happy to do a deal.......takes photos, has no buttons other than on/off, makes and receives calls, don't think it bounces or likes sailing incidents in water though (not many do!)
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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But what about skitrax? Can you use that on a 'rugged' phone?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Iphone lives in my chest pocket when snowboarding and often in my shorts pocket when mountain biking. Basic rubber backing case. I do about 100 days a year on the board and 120 or more on the bike. Haven't broken one yet.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@stevomcd, yep. Chest pocket without any mishaps, because 99/100 you don't land on your chest.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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There is no perfect protection - I know people who've cracked ribs falling "just wrong on a phone in their pocket.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Another vote for the Otterbox defender cases. My HTC 1 survived falling out of my pocket on a very fast decent (on a bike) without a scratch.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Highly recommend just taking your normal phone, if it breaks, pay for a repair. Cheaper than the more expensive cases and means you don't need a god-awful case.
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Just ask the person next to you if you can borrow theirs, its a lot cheaper.
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I had a cheapish Samsung semi smart phone, I put one of those grippy rubberised cases on it, low bulk, good grip in gloves, I've dropped it, used it slightly wet etc. Still lasting well after 3 years and holds a charge for a long time as it hasn't many power hungry features.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Another vote for the Otterbox defender. Kept my phone warm enough to work as well in a very cold Canada and survive a few drops and falls totally intact. The Griffin Survivor is good too (small child has one on his Itouch so is practically indestructable)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@polc1410, guess that's a no then 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Sorry @MarkyMark29 I can probably find an old Nokia 2810 in a drawer. So was thinking if I'm buying something to go rugged as you say it would be more tolerant to sailing etc.
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Iphone in a life proof nuud case. Fully waterproof while being able to use all it's features and not the size of a brick. I work in the bottom of a muddy hole most days and it gets regular use / abuse. Cost £70 but think its worth it when the handset replacement cost is £500. Many a time its ended up in the bottom of said muddy hole and after a quick rinse its as good as new.
Ive had an otterbox but did not rate it for durability. Found the O-ring that sealed it temperamental and dust & moisture worked its way in, but they do take a beating off me!
Will dig up my ex cases and put some pics up 
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You know it makes sense.
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| dode wrote: |
| @stevomcd, yep. Chest pocket without any mishaps, because 99/100 you don't land on your chest. |
I did..cracked rib  , phone was ok though
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I use a Griffin Survivor case on my iPhone for skiing, running and so on, and it has survived being dropped etc many a time. When out of the case for evenings out the phone looks like new. Makes it bulkier but worth the little extra size for the confidence of knowing my phone will cope with whatever abuse comes its way.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I have found that touch screen phones eg the Motorola Defy do not work in the rain, thus making them useless exactly when you really need them to work.
I do a lot of mountain hiking and carry a Samsung "brickies" phone with a keyboard. The JCB version seems to be the same phone.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Mrs DJL has an iPhone 5 in an Otterbox. She got out of the car this afternoon after a little nap in the passenger seat with the phone on her lap. Phone fell onto the drive and bounced under the car. At the time we didn't notice. I went to fill up with petrol half an hour later. When I got back home I found the phone on the drive with tyre print on it (don't worry I had winter tyres fitted!).
No damage to the phone. Turned it on and all working as before. Otter box virtually good as new after wipe down. Impressive product validation.
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FAQ
