Mr Johnny Oat, Pay attention, step one...select a smartphone (you may have one already) that has REAL GPS imbedded it does NOT need a cell signal to operate.
step two...load Avenza or any mapping app
step three...use it.
Why, you ask? Better battery. Powerful fast operating system. Better screen graphics. Flexibility to send information to printer or another computer when you
do have a cell signal.
Google gps smartphones...they list brands and models that have real gps instead of just cell tower triangulation (for city folks)
I agree with all of this. I use an Iphone with Avenza. I simply download maps to it and go. Here where I live the mob which regulates public land hunting even produces public land maps which are pre-loaded with such features as no-hunting zones and boundaries, which is really handy.
It works fine without phone signal, in fact I switch it to airplane mode so it doesn't use up the battery searching for a phone signal when I'm out bush. A power pack is not a bad idea for extending battery life too, and mine's in a Lifeproof cover so it can stand rain or a dunking, or a bit of rough handling, and still keep going (though the latest smartphones claim to be able to stand up to all of this without a cover, a claim I take with a small grain of salt).
I'll usually throw my Garmin GPS in the daypack just in case, but I haven't had cause to use it for a fair while.
