Trying to get a picture of a moose in Denali and my phone died

I was on the Savage River Loop Trail last month, and this huge bull moose was just standing there maybe 30 yards away, perfect shot. I pulled out my phone, and it just shut off from the cold, battery at zero. I had to stand there for like five minutes, blowing on my hands and holding the phone against my stomach under my coat to get it to turn back on. By then, the moose had wandered off behind some trees. Anyone else have their gear totally fail at the worst possible moment up here?

3 comments

3 Comments

kellyfoster27d ago

Phones are just not built for real Alaska conditions, but that's part of the adventure. Relying on a tiny battery in deep cold is asking for trouble. Maybe the point is to just watch the moose instead of trying to capture it. Sometimes a failed photo means you actually got to see something with your own eyes, not through a screen. Would you remember the moment better if you'd just watched it instead of fumbling with a dead phone?

baker.betty27d ago

Totally agree. I keep a cheap digital camera in my glove box for exactly this. The cold kills phone batteries in minutes, but that little thing keeps going. You're right though, sometimes you just gotta put everything down and watch. The best memories I have are the ones where I forgot to even try taking a picture.

angelac633d ago

Kellyfoster is right about the cold just killing phone batteries. Honestly, I started keeping one of those old school disposable hand warmers in my coat pocket just for my phone. Tbh, I'll toss the phone in the same pocket as the warmer before I even head out. It's not perfect, but it usually buys me enough time to get a shot if something pops up. Still messes up sometimes though, and then you're just stuck watching.