Many campsites offer free or paid Wi-Fi services, so check before you go. This Wi-Fi may be slower than you are accustomed to at home, particularly if it is shared among a lot of campers, and speed and availability could vary during the day. If you have a data connection on your smartphone, you may be able to share that with the iPad through a process known as tethering, although this depends on your phone service plan.
In theory, if you have an iPad with a cellular data connection, you don't need to worry about getting Internet access. In practice, the 3G and 4G coverage that you rely on when commuting in the city might be patchy or unavailable when you are camping in remote locations. Check your service provider's website as it may have a coverage map. Check reviews of the campsite to see if previous guests have mentioned coverage or ask the campsite owners. If you have a smartphone that uses a different cellular service provider than your iPad, it's possible your phone can get cellular reception but your iPad can't. In this case, tethering may be a solution.
Although the length of time varies depending on how you use it, an iPad can usually run for around 10 hours on a full charge. You may need to recharge it during a long trip. Where electrical hookups are available, you are usually limited to a total of 13 amps before the circuit automatically trips. IPad chargers draw 2.1 amps, so if you have sufficient power sockets, you should be able to charge at the same time as using other electrical devices, although you might need to unplug the iPad before using high-ampage devices such as toasters or heaters. Charging time varies from model to model, but the way the iPad battery works means you won't cause any long-term damage by only partially recharging the battery or recharging before it is fully drained.
The main risk of damage to an iPad on a camping trip is from liquid spills. Take extra care to prevent this, as Apple's warranty doesn't cover damage from liquids: try not to leave the iPad on a table top while it is charging. Avoid leaving the iPad on the ground where it could get damp or using it too close to stoves, grills or campfires. The best solution is to keep the iPad packed away in a bag or a tent pocket, when it is not in use. When leaving your tent unsupervised, Take the iPad with you or lock it out of sight in your car. If you need to leave it in the tent, put it somewhere unobtrusive such as inside your sleeping bag or in your dirty clothes bag. Check your home insurance before traveling to see if it covers theft while camping and if so, what restrictions and exclusions apply.
