Why the obsession with cell phone signals?

[prain4u]

1. Personally, I cannot begin to fathom why someone would want to remain "tethered" to the outside world during their hike--except for BRIEF contact with family members to let them know that you are O.K. or to check and see if all is O.K. at home. FOR ME having a cellphone turned on--and readily accessible-- defeats the entire purpose of going into the woods--because I go there to get away from it all (as much as possible).

2. However, I ultimately don't have to understand why some folks feel the overwhelming need to stay so very much connected to the outside world--nor do they have to understand why I do the things that I do. I get to hike my own hike and they get to hike their own hike.

3. That being said, I would like people to be courteous with their phone and electronic device usage. Out of respect for those who wish to get away from the outside world, I would prefer if hikers would go somewhere private and use their electronic devices. (I feel the same way about people who want to play musical instruments or have loud parties--please go somewhere private and please do not ruin the experience for other people).

I hate being in the woods and finding myself around someone who is chatting loudly on a phone for extended periods--(or typing away on a computer, texting on their phone or playing music on a radio/MP3 player). If I wanted to be around such things--and their noise---I would have stayed back at the office or at home.

[10-K]

1. Personally, I cannot begin to fathom why someone would want to remain "tethered" to the outside world during their hike--except for BRIEF contact with family members to let them know that you are O.K. or to check and see if all is O.K. at home. FOR ME having a cellphone turned on--and readily accessible-- defeats the entire purpose of going into the woods--because I go there to get away from it all (as much as possible).

So, let's say you have a small business with 12 employees and part of your job is negotiating contracts, bidding on jobs and being available for your clients.

Add to that a wife and 3 kids.

That's my situation. I can take my cell phone and hike, or I can stay home.

I consider it a minor miracle that I'm able to take off for 2 months to finish the trail next week. Part of that arrangement is that I will have my cell phone and be available to make business decisions.

It's not the best situation, but hey - I'm 48 years old and I hope to retire in 2 years so maybe being tethered to a cell phone for just a bit longer isn't such a bad deal after all.

[Dogwood]

What kind of balance is that when you can't even envision going hiking with a cell phone?

If that is aimed at me I will gladly answer the question. I can envision a hike with or without a cell ph. FOR ME, having a cell ph or being "connected" digitally is not an addiction, an obssession. Sometimes I carry a cell ph on my hikes and sometimes I don't. BUT, for me, I don't treat a cell ph like oxygen or water or nourishment. A cell ph is only a tool. And, a tool that is NOT a necessity. I don't feel naked if I don't have a cell ph while hiking. It wouldn't be the end of my world if I lost my cell ph or it wouldn't work on a hike.

What I'm saying is that cell phones and their use while hiking is neither necessarily bad or good. I would just like to see more hikers experience the possibility of a greater freedom and connection with wilderness by leaving the cell phones at home when hiking.

I'll refer back to a line in Bigmac's original post. - You just might be surprised how much nicer your (hiking) experience is without it(a cell ph). -

[bigmac_in]

Great post! I'm gonna be in Vermont on the AT for a couple of weeks, can't wait to hear all the cell phones at night,"yea, mom, I'm okay, no need to worry, no big animals attacked me today"!!! Good lord, put the damn things away and please don't use them with other people around.

Thank you.

[RGB]

Well, I'm going to make sure I use my phone in private if I have to use it on the trail. I have a feeling there are some people out there that would actually confront me about it. Which goes back to the above post about people ruining hikes, not phones.....

HYOH
HYOH
HYOH
HYOH
HYOH

[RollingStone]

Sounds like the alcoholic telling folks why he doesn't really need to drink, he just seeks balance in the world he lives and alcohol helps him find that balance. You talk about living in a digital world and finding balance, but what kind of balance is that when you can't even envsion your life without a cell phone?

That's an incorrect analogy of my statement. I can AND do go hiking without my phone on many occasions. However, as I have pointed out in my original post, my phone is more than a phone and I enjoy it as a convenience but to take the statement and assume someone CANT envision hiking without one doesn't make sense and doesn't compare to an alcoholic.

When I spoke of balance, it was meant to be taken literally. I grew up going to the park on weekends and playing pickup baseball, swimming in the pond, etc. We didn't have Nintendo or Xbox and living on a farm 2 miles from town, we had 3 television channels. You HAD to be active to have fun as a kid.

Nowadays, kids do not have that balance. They are raised on their PC's, Phones, Nintendo DS, etc. THAT is what I meant and is a correct analogy of "Balance". Not a comparison to an alcoholic and a bad assumption.

[Ender]

FOR ME, having a cell ph or being "connected" digitally is not an addiction, an obssession. Sometimes I carry a cell ph on my hikes and sometimes I don't.

Me neither. I've hiked both without (my AT thru and my 1000 miles on the PCT), and with (tons of week/weekend hikes since then).

I don't treat a cell ph like oxygen or water or nourishment. A cell ph is only a tool. And, a tool that is NOT a necessity. I don't feel naked if I don't have a cell ph while hiking. It wouldn't be the end of my world if I lost my cell ph or it wouldn't work on a hike.

Me neither.

What I'm saying is that cell phones and their use while hiking is neither necessarily bad or good.

I agree with you completely on this point.

I would just like to see more hikers experience the possibility of a greater freedom and connection with wilderness by leaving the cell phones at home when hiking.

I don't care what other hikers do, or do not do, as long as it doesn't affect others. And them having a cell phone in their pack doesn't, not really.

I'll refer back to a line in Bigmac's original post. - You just might be surprised how much nicer your (hiking) experience is without it(a cell ph). -

Done it. Liked it. Like hiking with a cell phone too.

My point was, some are making it seem like carrying a cellphone is the worst sin towards hiking, because hiking is "supposed" to be about getting away from civilization... hiking isn't supposed to be about any one thing for everyone; Instead, it's a bunch of different things for each individual.

There's no right or wrong here.... just different ways of doing things. But for people to pretend that they can't imagine a single reason to carry a cellphone... it's just disrespect towards others and their right to hike their own hike. We can all imagine a reason to carry a cell phone... we may not like that reason, it may not work for us individually, but it works for others.

[Miner]

When I hiked the PCT last year, I was awakened by the call at 6am. NO, not the call of the wild. Not the call of dawn. But the call of the guy in his not so soundproof tent with his phone on speaker mode and the volume turned up. I got to clearly hear both sides of the conversation form 20ft away. And it wasn't just one call.

I don't mind seeing electronics in the outdoors, I just expect people to use them in a courteous manner. So try to be discrete and quiet about it. Thats all I ask.

When I hiked the PCT, I carried a cell, but other then typing my journal up (but I camped alone most nights), I rarely used it to call/text ourside of town. Fortunately on the PCT, you don't have very good coverage in most places so its rarely an issue. I do admit to turning it on when I was on the summit of Mt. Whitney (highest pt in the lower 48), but I instantly regretted it. My neice had text me that she had used all the money I left her to take care of my home/dogs in less then 2months. So don't do it. Keep it turned off or you'll deeply regret it like me.

[Ender]

Well, I'm going to make sure I use my phone in private if I have to use it on the trail.

I believe that this is an important point. With the right to carry the cell phone into the woods, those that do also have to remember that others don't want to be around cell phones out in the woods. Respect your fellow hikers. Discrete use is very important.

Turn the ringer off and left on vibrate if you leave the phone on, and be far away from others when talking on the phone... in the middle of the woods, there's little excuse for interrupting others with your cellphone use. There's plenty of space to get some privacy.

[prain4u]

If that is aimed at me I will gladly answer the question. I can envision a hike with or without a cell ph. FOR ME, having a cell ph or being "connected" digitally is not an addiction, an obsession. Sometimes I carry a cell ph on my hikes and sometimes I don't. BUT, for me, I don't treat a cell ph like oxygen or water or nourishment. A cell ph is only a tool. And, a tool that is NOT a necessity. I don't feel naked if I don't have a cell ph while hiking. It wouldn't be the end of my world if I lost my cell ph or it wouldn't work on a hike.

What I'm saying is that cell phones and their use while hiking is neither necessarily bad or good. I would just like to see more hikers experience the possibility of a greater freedom and connection with wilderness by leaving the cell phones at home when hiking.

I'll refer back to a line in Bigmac's original post. - You just might be surprised how much nicer your (hiking) experience is without it(a cell ph). -

I really appreciate this post--especially the highlighted sections.

I wear many different "hats" in my life. Among other things, I am an addictions counselor in a university town. I am also a National Guard chaplain. In both of those positions I encounter hundreds of people who are "under age 40". When the addictions center director or the military Commander put forth rules banning cell phones or the internet--many of these "young" people become angry and irritable to the point of physical violence or throwing tantrums.

They are literally addicted to their electronic technology.

I wish more of them (when hiking) would try to go through "electronic detox" and spend 7-30 days without their electronic gadgets. I would invite them to try to experience the woods "gadget free" for that period of time.

I am guessing that many of them couldn't (or wouldn't) be able to do it. I find it sad that they are so hooked on electronic devices.

[prain4u]

My point was, some are making it seem like carrying a cellphone is the worst sin towards hiking, because hiking is "supposed" to be about getting away from civilization... hiking isn't supposed to be about any one thing for everyone; Instead, it's a bunch of different things for each individual.

There's no right or wrong here.... just different ways of doing things. But for people to pretend that they can't imagine a single reason to carry a cellphone... it's just disrespect towards others and their right to hike their own hike. We can all imagine a reason to carry a cell phone... we may not like that reason, it may not work for us individually, but it works for others.

If you were referring to one of my previous posts--please permit me to clarify...in case I wasn't clear.

I made three points in that post. In point # 1--I was speaking only about MYSELF and not other hikers. Frankly, I really DON'T understand why someone would choose to be tethered to a cellphone on a hike. I couldn't/wouldn't do it. (I am also wanting to make a sharp distinction between someone carry/using a cellphone and someone being tethered to a cellphone like a life-giving umbilical cord. I have seen people who literally spent MANY HOURS each day talking or texting while hiking and camping. I PERSONALLY think that is rather ridiculous (even when one is not on the trail).

In Point # 2--I stated that I don't have to understand their reasons for doing what they do--nor do they have to understand my reasons for doing what I do. To each their own--HYOH.

Again, I wish to repeat that I make a BIG distinction between someone carrying/using a cellphone and someone being almost glued to their cellphone (and imposing that nearly constant noise and chatter upon those around them).

[Ender]

If you were referring to one of my previous posts-

I wasn't, no worries. In fact I understood you perfectly, and agree with much of what you said.

You do bring up a good point that I wanted to mention earlier though... I'm not talking about people with actual addiction problems. I just talking about people who like to bring their phones into the woods so that they can still talk with their family/job/whoever they want. Like you had said, people with actual addiction issues are a whole different can o' worms.

So, I think we're on the same page.

[prain4u]

Ender: Darn! I don't want to be on the same page as anyone else! I like being unique and "contrary"!

I see you are from NYC. I was recently in NYC for a week of tourism, plays, sightseeing etc. I got home a week ago today. We had rented an apartment on 49th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues--just off of Times Square and next to Rockefeller Plaza. The neat thing about that location was that anything that I could possibly want (except vast areas of wilderness) was located just a short walking distance from my door. (I currently live in an area where a good grocery store is a 45 mile roundtrip. So, the close proximity of everything in NYC was quite the pleasant change for me).

[Mags]

My girlfriend is in the Utah desert right now doing some technical canyoneering for nine days.

She is with people who are excellent navigators. Comfortable in the outdoors. Have excellent climbing skills. She's pretty comfortable herself in outdoors.

She does not have a cell phone, SPOT, satellite phone or even a carrier pigeon. I briefly talked to her on the phone last Friday when she was at a rest stop in Green River, UT.

I won't hear from her again until she shows up this Sunday sometime in the evening.

I am jealous as hell.

But I'm OK she is off the grid for nine days...and even support it.

[warraghiyagey]

Yeah, I use all that stuff on my phone too - not bad for an old geezer, huh? I just don't need it when I'm on the trail, and don't worry about whether I'm going to be able to or not. My wife knows I'll call her when I get OFF the trail.

[fw2008]

I always take my cell phone on hikes (even day hikes), but leave it off.
I would certainly have it on any long hikes, but would not use it except to call home once in a while (and I would always try to do that from a town, not on the trail), and of course in case of a true emergency (one where I believe that I could actually bring help by using the phone, not calling 9-1-1 from the summit of Clingmans Dome.

As for signals? who knows. You can't depend on cell phone signals, so why worry about where they are, and where they are not.
Whether or not you get a signal depends on whether or not you have a line-of-sight path between you and the cell tower, and on the sensitivity of your phone's receiver (since most of the transmitters are the same power).

If I come across another hiker "gabbing" on his or her cell phone, I would ask that person whether the call is necessary. I like to enjoy an environment away from these gadgets that have encumbered our lives so thoroughly at home and at work (and everywhere in-between).

FW

[woodsy]

We still use smoke signals to communicate up this way.....

[Hikes in Rain]

We don't worry so much about signals. It's nice to have a reasonable expectation, which members always seem to be happy to provide based on their experience, but in the end, signals are either there or not. I try voice first, then text. Then wait a bit for her to try; sometimes calls work better the other way. If that doesn't work, then we just wait until the next check time. Sooner or later the magic works.

Other than the previously agreed-upon check-in times, it's off and in the pack (in a baggie).

[warraghiyagey]

We still use smoke signals to communicate up this way.....

Mmmmmmm . . . . . smoke signals. . . . . mmmmmmmm

[Fiddleback]

Sounds like a few are controlled by their cell phone instead of controlling their cell phone.

I've carried a cell phone in town and on trips (no service at home) for about 10 years. I've made probably a dozen calls and received one. Why? Because I have no desire and no need to be continually 'connected'. But it's a great little device to call for help (again, when there's service...). The one incoming call I received was a response to requested auto assistance.

As for the trail, I'd carry one if I hiked in areas that had service. I think it's a good safety/emergency help device and, for the weight, it should be part of one's standard gear.

But, I can't imagine hiking with it turned on. I don't even carry it turned on in town.

FB