I’m looking at purchasing a Kindle Fire and was considering taking it on the trail with me. I figured it would be nice to have something other than my phone that I can go online, update my trail journal, and do all that email stuff with as well as having a few books onhand without having the weight of books onhand. Thoughts?
a-ka
I bought a Kindle for the trail last year. It lasted about a week before it fritzed out in the cold. So I bought another one. It lasted about 2 weeks. In all fairness, I dont believe they like getting super cold since moisture can condense inside them. My opinion…
APPLE
Thank you, Apple. That is good to know. 
I wonder if there’s any way of making sure it stays warm? I would hate to invest in one and having it die out there, lol.
a-ka
We carried Kindles with us on our bikes from Alaska to Argentina. Well no, we got them in Colombia so we carried them the length of South America. We went through the high Andes in the dead of the coldest winter on record - dang cold! The Kindles did fine. We had regular Kindles, not the Fire. I wonder if that’s the difference?
Apple - how were you carrying it? Did you have a padded pouch of some kind? We are planning to carry Kindles on the trail this summer as well.
Nancy from Family on Bikes
I think the problem is that I frequently got it cold and then took into a warm humid tent. That is a no-no since it can cause condensation inside the unit. ( I think). It might be OK if you left it in a backpack and let it warm up slowly. Or maybe I just got a couple of lemons. Kindle is good about replacing bad units. But I got mad when mine kept resetting and flung them across the tent. That tends to void the warranty. :mad
APPLE
It may be that Kindles don’t like the moisture. But a year or so ago, Kindle had problems with the covers that didn’t have the light. Mine broke after a month or two. Amazon replaced both the Kindle and the cover with one that has the light. (I love having the light.)
gershon
Protect it. I didn’t do a good job of protecting my Kindle. The first time I fell and my pack hit the ground hard, I lost about a quarter of the screen. The second fall I lost over half the screen and tossed the Kindle in the trash.
Wingo
Wow! I’m surprised you’ve had so many problems with the Kindles. We carried our Kindles on our bikes for many thousands of miles. One of ours lasted about 8000 miles and is still working now after being home for 9 month. The other one lasted about 6000 miles in about a year on the road. We carried them in some fleece pouches I made and made sure they were always packed flat against the back side of the saddle bag. Now I need to seriously think about how to pack them for hiking.
Nancy from Family on Bikes
I understand needing to stay connected, but it is such a shame that we have arrived to the place we can’t even take a hike without all the gadgets.
Poptop
@ Poptop: I rather disregarded this at first, but when I found out that you can have several books for the weight of one paperback, I have to change my mind. I must have a book. 
I’m quite happy to hear the music of the birds, forest, and the old tunes played in my mind…but books are a necessity. JMHO
Lady Di
Readers are leaders and that is a fact. But don’t lose track of why you are on the AT. This may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. How many times will you have to say you hiked from GA to Maine in the mountains. I hope you have many chances but that is rare. Enjoy what you can’t get at home or in other parts of your life. Reading is great but talking to your fellow hikers and sharing stories will be better. That much I know. At least leave home without it and get into your new surroundings. Make an arrangement with a friend or family member that if you need to get the electronic gadgets back into your day then they could send it in. Try the outdoor experience, you might like it. In fact, you might love it. The people you will meet are fun. Enjoy them. The books will be there when you get back.
Fog
I was a little leary of this at first, too, because I don’t want to be completely accessible when I’m out on the trail. That’s not really why I’m considering carrying a Kindle. The main reason is so I don’t have to depend on a library’s or hostel’s computer to update my trail journal or to put info out to my family and friends. I am excited and can’t wait to thoroughly enjoy the surroundings the AT offers. But I am also a HUGE reader, and since I normally require about an hour or so of wind-down time before I can sleep (though I’m sure this is to be tested after a day of hiking!), books would be an incredible benefit…
misplaced moose (formerly a-ka)