Lesson learned - if you don't actively need it, stow it more securely.

Phone gone....

I lost my cellphone. Near the end of Nimbelwill Road, a deeply eroded and rocky forest road in Georgia, I looked down to see an empty cradle where my new iPhone used to be.

With the sun getting lower and the shadows growing I circled back to look for it. I retraced the whole of Nimblewell Gap Road then back again, but it was gone.  All my mapping notes and all the photos I'd taken were on that phone.

Winding Stair Gap - To Nimblewill Rd

There was no need for the phone to be exposed. There was no signal, I was not using it for navigation. I keep it mounted out of habit and to have it handy for snapping photos.

While the Mob Armor cradle has been reliable and secure for many years, the new iPhones are larger. Add a thick protective phone case and it's at the mounts limits. It could be my failure to tighten the lock enough or get the phone squarely in the cradle. I'm pondering modifying the cradle.

Lesson 3 -  If You Don't Actively Need It, Stow It Securely.

The  obvious answer is don't leave the phone in the cradle unless it's necessary. If it's being used I'll be paying more attention to it. 

When not needed, stow it in a pocket. I may find it's quicker to use when I don't have to unscrew the mount for each photo.