From exploring remote rivers and unclimbed mountains to running across deserts: last year there were few places on planet earth where the Land Rover Explore Outdoor Phone was not tested.
Here are some of the highlights of those journeys across rivers, deserts and mountains – and some of the unique features of the Explore phone that adventurers love.
WATER
Descending the Essequibo river, Guyana
Adventurer: Jon Williams
Hazards: Humidity, rain, river water
Rugged Rating: 10
Verdict: By the end, the conditions had destroyed one laptop, two iPhones and a cine-camera. But the Land Rover Explore was still working fine. “It’s a tough phone. You just had no worries about it,” Jon said.
Favourite feature: ViewRanger’s offline satellite maps. “It was amazingly useful.”
Read more: Navigating the Essequibo river with a Land Rover Explore phone
Crossing Baikal, the world’s largest frozen lake
Adventurer: Dr Ash Routen
Hazards: Extreme cold
Rugged Rating: 10
Verdict: “It’s rugged and if you treat the battery sensibly it can be relied on in the deep cold. I left the phone overnight in the porch of our tent, so it was on bare ice/snow in -20 for a good seven hours. With a little bit of time in my pocket and warming the battery up, it turned on just fine and worked perfectly.”
Favourite feature: “For me it’s the quality of the camera sensor and lens, and the fact that I had no problems shooting still and video in the cold. It’s a workhorse.”
Read more: Dreams turn weekend warrior into adventurer
Kayak guiding in Slovenia
Adventurer: Gregor Zadravec
Hazards: Water, knocks and drops
Rugged Rating: 7
Verdict: “It’s like a Land Rover vehicle – you can depend on it to take you anywhere and not let you down.”
Favourite feature: “For me it’s very important that the phone is waterproof because I’m constantly on the water and it’s only a matter of time before the phone ends up in the water!”
Watch more: Sea kayaker’s view on the joy of the outdoors
Circumnavigating the Gambia
Adventurer: David Love
Hazards: Heat, dust, river crossings
Rugged Rating: 8
Verdict: “It’s one of those devices that makes it easier for you to go on an adventure, it’s so rugged.”
Favourite feature: “I found the GPS antenna located us and tracked us really quickly. We used it to pinpoint the exact location of the highest point in the Gambia – all 54 metres. Unfortunately, it was located at the centre of some thick scrubland, so took some negotiation on foot to get to.”
Read more: Around the Gambia (published on loveadventures.co.uk)
MOUNTAINS
Living dangerously among peaks, rivers and the Mediterranean sea
Adventurer: Miranda Ioannou
Hazards: Over 12 months of exposure to heat, cold, wet and high altitudes.
Rugged Rating: 8
Verdict: “Almost a year of using the Land Rover Explore Outdoor phone has gone by and you won’t believe where I’ve taken it and what I’ve put it through! Every single week at least one to two adventures high up in the mountains or in the water. It is with me on every hike providing the assurance I won’t be left without a battery however long that day may last! It’s my reliable sidekick.”
Favourite feature: “The battery and GPS signal. On the snow-covered peaks of Mt. Olympus, Ziria, Kissavos, Taygetus, Parnassus and in the Bavarian Alps they were not only reliable but also outperformed any other phone.”
Read more: Nature inspires hiking in Greece
Climbing and skiing unexplored mountains in Greenland
Adventurer: Andrew Denton
Hazards: Cold, snow and lack of power.
Rugged Rating: 9
Verdict: “I think it has real potential in the outdoors. It’s got three or four features that are genuinely better than a Galaxy or iPhone.”
Favourite feature: “I was able to use it with any gloves on.”
Read more: Ski touring unexplored mountains in Eastern Greenland
Ski guiding in the Alps
Adventurer: Serge Ricciardelli,
Hazards: Cold, moisture, lack of power
Rugged Rating: 7
Verdict: “It’s durable so I’m not worrying about dropping or breaking it. Being waterproof is very useful if I drop it in the snow or it gets wet.”
Favourite feature: “The cold doesn’t affect the battery and that’s why I can rely on it.”
Watch more: Skiing in the Swiss Alps (video)
Running epic distances in the Alps, Mallorca and beyond
Adventurer: Jamie Ramsay
Hazards: Heat, knocks and lack of power
Rugged Rating: 7
Verdict: “If you’re out on the trails like I am, the Explore is going to take you there and keep up with you.”
Favourite feature: “It’s waterproof: Sweat when running is a big phone killer. Mine survived the 260km Transalpine race.”
Read more: https://www.jamieramsay.net
DESERTS
Breaking the pan-American cycling record
Adventurer: Jonas Deichmann
Hazards: Heat, cold, knocks, rain
Rugged Rating: 9
Verdict: “I love its durability,” he says. “During my expedition the phone has to handle a lot. Reliability is key. It got wet, was exposed to sand, dirt, heat and was dropped. It’s still working great.”
Favourite feature: “Viewranger. I use it to calculate how long it will take me to get to the next village or where the next low sleeping spot is during cold nights in the mountains.”
Read more: This cyclist is hoping to break the Pan-American Highway cycling record alone
Running 137km across Oman
Adventurer: Tarquin Cooper
Hazards: Heat, knocks, lack of power
Rugged Rating: 8
Verdict: “It lives up to the promise as a phone built for the outdoors. The phone coped with temperatures that ranged from mid 20s to freezing, desert dust, and humidity from my body heat, and kept going for the 40 hour duration of my race. Not a lot of phones could have done that.”
Favourite feature: “I love the battery (which I’ve also tested in the cold) and also find the dual SIM really useful when travelling.”
Read more: Going off grid in Oman