Just returned from a family vacation... we spent two weeks tent camping in beautiful Oregon (USA). I was happy to have my iPhone 3Gs along for the ride as it came in handy a number of times. Though I had to practice maximum discipline to not check my business email or voice-mail while on vacation - I did use several of the apps and features to benefit our family experience.
Here is a 'real guide' to how and what I used my Smart Phone for while on vacation:
Camera - ok, so this may be one of the more obvious choices, but I took some fun snapshots of our family and the beautiful surroundings in Oregon. You can find some samples in my SmugMug gallery here. A key to getting decent photos in the iPhone is to keep as stable (still) as possible and also avoid high-contrast (lighting) situations.
Weather - when camping in a tent, the weather forecast is of particular interest! When 'protected' by a thin nylon fabric at 6,000' elevation you want to know the overnight low so you know how many layers of clothing to wear in your sleeping bag! It also helped us plan when we would take the boat ride at Crater Lake (they cancel the rides for thunderstorm activity)
Web Browser (Safari) - I used my web browser several times during the trip: when we took the liberty to change our plans I used the web to look-up and review ratings of campground sites (I avoided the campgrounds where the review started "When we drove up to I was actually afraid to register here..."). I also used the 'net to find a Whitewater Outfitter for our rafting trip down part of the Rogue River (and what a find! We highly recommend Noah's River Adventures)
Compass - I used the simple compass several times to gauge where the sun would rise and set while positioning our tent and while hiking as well.
iTalk Lite - I used the free (lite) version of this app to record a summary of each day's experience. This was a fun new tech tool for me -- I will be using this as I build a video of our trip, incorporating facts and info that I might have forgot to include. You'll find more info on this App here: iTalk Recorder
Planets - I came across this app a couple of months ago and really got to use it in all it's glory while camping far away from the city lights. I can hardly believe this is still free! It is essentially a star/sky guide in your pocket - but more than that, it uses the GPS and time technology in the phone to show you the night sky where you are! We were able to locate and identify stars and constellations that would have been a challenge otherwise. I _highly_ recommend Planets - check it out here: Planets 2.0 by Dana Peters.
So, yes - your SmartPhone can truly be an asset on your next vacation, even if it is a camping trip!
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