A jailbroken LTE iPad has been the best hotspot I have ever used. I run the MiFi app on it and have a (grandfathered) unlimited data plan SIM from Verizon. I have days of battery life and the bonus of an iPad when I want to use it.

I always bought iPads with 3G/4G modems because I wanted the GPS chip not otherwise available in the WiFi models, but I never understood why people raved so much about an iPad with a data plan...

Now I do. I use it constantly and it is just about as convenient as it gets. Even places with "free" WiFi tend to suck because the speed is terrible.