Looking for a tough ebook reader to bring on adventures

[NicholasV]

What do you mean "backpacking"? If you mean in the wilderness, hiking on difficult terrain, exposed to the elements, obviously paper books are still king, because eventually you will fall a few times and there are not gonna be military spec e-readers for a long time that can handle that abuse.

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

The Boxwave case looks pretty tough.

Seriously. This is the straight dope. You don't need anything else.

[dancalli]

If you don't mind not going the e-ink path, you can get an all-weather android phone, e.g. Sony Xperia Active or Motorola Defy+. Disadvantages are, of course, smaller screens, glare, battery life (get a solar charger), but you can read in the dark and get useful apps like maps and gps.

[quicksilver]

I expect to be doing some extreme activities during my travels, including rock climbing etc...but I wouldn't be carrying my e-book reader with me!

The reason why my old reader broke is because the cover for it was flexible and, because my backpack is always fully packed, the screen flexed and shattered.

I don't really need my device to be water-proof since I have waterproof bags for these sort of things. I'm more worried about the screen breaking.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by quicksilver

The reason why my old reader broke is because the cover for it was flexible and, because my backpack is always fully packed, the screen flexed and shattered.

There's a lot to be said for this small reader with its hard shell cover. Stuff it inside a padded neoprene sleeve for max protection.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by NicholasV

What do you mean "backpacking"? If you mean in the wilderness, hiking on difficult terrain, exposed to the elements, obviously paper books are still king, because eventually you will fall a few times and there are not gonna be military spec e-readers for a long time that can handle that abuse.

But there are certainly cases that can handle it.

[quicksilver]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

There's a lot to be said for this small reader with its hard shell cover. Stuff it inside a padded neoprene sleeve for max protection.

The Pocketbook 360 sure matches my requirements, especially with its size. But with it costing $160 vs the Kindle at $80, should I just go with the Kindle since it is cheaper and is from a more renown company?

[ProfCrash]

I would guess that the Kindle is also lighter, even with a more rugged cover, which is important when backpacking.

I think you will be fine if you have the right case, a couple have been suggested here, and you take some care with where you place it in your back pack. Heck, Kindles have been going to Iraq and Afghanistan since the K1 and have done just fine with men and women serving in some of the more challenging areas of the war zone.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by quicksilver

I'm looking at the
PocketBook 360 (http://www.pocketbookreader.com/PocketBook_360.html) and it seems to fit my needs.

Are there better readers out there for me? What do you recommend?

Well, PB360 is very tough little reader, but, tough is a very relative word here.
You have to take into consideration that the screen - ANY e-ink screen, mind you! - is built on a glass substrate. So, you have 90x120mm large piece of very thin glass indide your reader.

I have got several cases for my reader. The sturdiest one is built from 5mm thick plywood. I have laminated plywood sheets from inside and the finished box from outside. The box is padded strips pieces of 3mm thick foam.

I have cut the pywood to size. Then I have laminated one size using thick glass fabric (500g/m^2) and good quality epoxy. Then I have pressed the result to get rid of excess epoxy. I have built the box with the short side opened (as it were a sleeve), in such a way that laminated side of plywood is facing inside. I have assembled the box and then laminated it from outside as well. I think that it can withstand anything that can happen to reader in a backpack.

I have also purchased waterproof bag for maps - see last link. I have bought several of them, there were for sale for very low price. The bag is wateroof, but I wouldn't want to submerge the reader in this bag. It is more a protection against drops of water on beach, or dirty hands, or sand, or perhaps a light drizzle outside.

I have another case - a metal box I have bought in hardware store. There were some thread tapping tools inside.

See following threads for pictures:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&highlight=box
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13056
Originaly I have used those cases with my Sony PRS-500 reader, now I use them with PB360.

[paola]

Originally Posted by kacir

Well, PB360 is very tough little reader, but, tough is a very relative word here.
You have to take into consideration that the screen - ANY e-ink screen, mind you! - is built on a glass substrate. So, you have 90x120mm large piece of very thin glass indide your reader.

having said that... my P360 has fallen several times, once being literally thrown off me while I slipped on a train platform - a corner has been "grated" all right, but the screen still looking gorgeous (mind you, it is not Pearl): I must have been really lucky, but the tough screen cover and the smallness probably saved the day. It is very ligth, including the cover it weighs 193g on my kitchen scale.
When taking it for me for hikes in ths alps, my only extra protection has been to wrap it in a wollen scarf. If you get the old model (no wireless) you'll find it cheap-ish, and the sd card will give you plenty of space for your library, wherehver you are in the world. As you can see, I'm quite a fan

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by dancalli

If you don't mind not going the e-ink path, you can get an all-weather android phone, e.g. Sony Xperia Active or Motorola Defy+. Disadvantages are, of course, smaller screens, glare, battery life (get a solar charger), but you can read in the dark and get useful apps like maps and gps.

That might work camping, but it won't work backpacking. Battery life is way too short and those solar chargers are slow and only work in the sun (which might be okay for a desert hike, though, but not hiking through the woods. Also, if you need a gps for hiking, you should get a real outdoors one - like a Garmin GPSmap 60 - one that is actually submersible, not just "water resistant".

Originally Posted by NicholasV

What do you mean "backpacking"? If you mean in the wilderness, hiking on difficult terrain, exposed to the elements, obviously paper books are still king, because eventually you will fall a few times and there are not gonna be military spec e-readers for a long time that can handle that abuse.

The problem with paper books is that they are heavy and you might need several to be safe if you're out for a week or so in bad weather. I don't think I've ever fallen backpacking...although I have watched people's packs take some pretty big falls when then set them too close to a cliff.

Originally Posted by quicksilver

I expect to be doing some extreme activities during my travels, including rock climbing etc...but I wouldn't be carrying my e-book reader with me!

The reason why my old reader broke is because the cover for it was flexible and, because my backpack is always fully packed, the screen flexed and shattered.

I don't really need my device to be water-proof since I have waterproof bags for these sort of things. I'm more worried about the screen breaking.

Something I started doing a few years ago is taking a small mp3 player loaded with audiobooks with me. The weight can't be beat, it's easy to protect (put it in a plastic soap carrier inside a ziploc bag), and I find it more relaxing to lie in my tent at night in the dark listening to a book than I do with my headlight on inside the tent.

[tomereader]

My first ereader was an Ectaco Jetbook lite and it was/is pretty sturdy
one of the things I like most about the JBL is that it runs on AA batteries

so add a JBL

http://www.ectaco.com/ectaco-jetbook-lite/
http://www.jr.com/ectaco/pe/ECT_JETBOOKLITE/
http://www.amazon.com/Quality-JBL-EN...2846955&sr=8-1

one of the cases/sleeves mentioned in an earlier post

stick the cased JBL and a 24 count blister pack of batteries (get a reccharger and 2 sets of batteries for home use) into a waterproof case

http://www.waterproofgear.net/
http://www.thewaterproofstore.com/?g...FRNb7Aodmi8Ung http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/brows...ers|USA&rid=20

The JBL will need a book light as it is not back-lit

Jetbook Lite - Recommended Book Light?
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...bl+night+light

Subject: Jetbook Lite - Recommended Book Light
http://www.ectaco.com/posts/list/19458.page

with a few sd cards of books, enough batteries for the JBL, and the book light and you would be set with no need for a pc or outlet plug

[tomereader]

tubemonkey posted yesterday about the refurbished kobo wifi for $39
that price is hard to beat for a 10,000 page turn battery life, almost makes the device disposable like those cameras at a convenient store


https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=159734

http://www.kobo.com/ereaders/kobo-wi...furbished.html still showing in stock

Kobo Wifi review
http://www.the-ebook-reader.com/kobo-wifi.html