View Full Version : obsession's againt cell phone
i have noticed that there are a number of people here on wb that have an obsession against cell phone's,i carry one,it has my cast weather loaded on
it which comes in handy with dopplar radar all i have to do is enter a zip code and i have live radar and forcast
http://www.my-cast.com/
i really enjoy my phone,besides you will never see me use it,i stealth camp in my hammock and stay away from people if i use it on the trail:cool: neo
http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phones/cell-phones.jsp?v=1&q_categoryId=1717200027&q_deviceId=cdsku9870069&WT.svl=img
[QUOTE=neo]i have noticed that there are a number of people here on wb that have an obsession against cell phone's,i carry one,it has my cast weather loaded on
it which comes in handy with dopplar radar all i have to do is enter a zip code and i have live radar and forcast...
i really enjoy my phone,besides you will never see me use it,i stealth camp in my hammock and stay away from people if i use it on the trail:cool: neo
Stirrin' it up again, huh NEO????... hehehehehehe:D
i take along a CELL PHONE too...but, dont turn it on until its "CHECK-IN" time to call my wife...usually every other day...if there is "coverage".
i kinda use my hikin' time...as a time to get away from the technical world
(i work in the highly technical world of TV-audio engineering)....thats why i leave all the gizmos @ home...(i dont carry a radio or a gps, etc,etc,etc, either).:D
[quote=neo]i have noticed that there are a number of people here on wb that have an obsession against cell phone's,i carry one,it has my cast weather loaded on
it which comes in handy with dopplar radar all i have to do is enter a zip code and i have live radar and forcast...
i really enjoy my phone,besides you will never see me use it,i stealth camp in my hammock and stay away from people if i use it on the trail:cool: neo
Stirrin' it up again, huh NEO????... hehehehehehe:D
i take along a CELL PHONE too...but, dont turn it on until its "CHECK-IN" time to call my wife...usually every other day...if there is "coverage".
i kinda use my hikin' time...as a time to get away from the technical world
(i work in the highly technical world of TV-audio engineering)....thats why i leave all the gizmos @ home...(i dont carry a radio or a gps, etc,etc,etc, either).:D
i have a gps and a radio but i dont carry one,i am a diabetic so it dont hurt to carry one,i carry one
for multipurpose:cool: neo
orangebug
04-06-2006, 09:24
It is obsessional, and there is no getting around the conflict. There are those who feel no problem with calling Buffy from high atop Mt Springer, and others who feel their wildness experience is ruined by the knowledge that someone carries a cell phone buried in their backpack.
These folks can't be dissuaded from their positions. It would be as fruitless as telling you to leave the hammock at home because diabetics shouldn't risk getting away from civilization.
And just as tacky.
Lone Wolf
04-06-2006, 09:30
I don't own one but have no problem with people using them on the trail.
People get upset at new and different stuff, stuff they see changes the nature of the hike they are used to.
I like to write, but my penmanship is horrible, so I carry an AlphaSmart Neo, a small word processor designed for grade school kids. I was using it in a shelter in Georgia earlier this year, and someone made a comment about "the reason we hike the AT is to get away from technology." At the time he was wearing a Gore-Tex jacket and synthetic wind pants, cooking dinner on a Jetboil. Probably had a freeze-dried dinner and tuna in foil. He didn't see the humor in that, and I didn't say anything, as the "hike the way I think you should hike" folks are not especially known for their humor. Or tolerance.
Personally, I don't see a big difference between talking with a bunk mate at a shelter, and talking on a cell phone. I didn't do that (talk on a cell phone), but mostly because I consider my phone calls private, and not to be overheard. But to some, it's a big difference, and overhearing a cell phone convesation makes them genuinely upset, even angry.
It seems to me, and I could be wrong, that this isn;t limited to cell phones. Some people seem to get upset whenever others don't have the same hike vision that they do.
"I don't like long days, so anyone hiking more than 15 miles a day is missing the point."
"I don't treat my water. People who do are foolish."
"GPS's are not necessary, so no one should carry them."
"I carry a big pack. People who carry a small pack are cheating/lazy."
"I carry a small pack. People who carry a big pack are unable to leave home behind them."
"I hike to be alone and leave civilization behind, so don't expose me to cell phones, pocketmails, digital cameras, anything that reminds me of back home."
This last is the basis of the cell phone phobia of the other thread. "I don't use a cell phone, therefore neither should you." But you had it exactly right, Neo. ??? Did I say that? :D Seriously, in the other thread, you said that you like to be alone, so you camp away from shelters. What a concept.
I did not see any rules about how to hike the AT at the Amicalola Visitor Center, so I assume that cell phones are legal to bring on the trail, as are boom boxes, digital camera, and high-tech materials in loud and flashy colors. Apparently, there is a freedom involved here somewhere. Maybe two freedoms that conflict.
My freedom to use a word processor (or cellphone, or digital camera, or GPS, or Jetboil) is in conflict with someone else's freedom to hike without seeing any of that stuff.
There is only one practical solution for those on the other thread who say their is ruined, or at least diminished, by exposure to electronics. As a minimimum, stay away from shelters. As Lone WOlf said, this stuff is here to stay, and won't go away because your happiness depends on not seeing it. Best solution, if one wants a wilderness experience, is to stay off the AT, which is hardly wilderness anyway, and hike the CDT. There the techno-avoiders can really avoid technolgy. No cell phone users around shelters there. Little cell phone coverage and few shelters. Happily hike without exposure to consumer electronics, though watch out: once in a while, when socked in on a featureless unmarked trail, you may think a GPS isn't so bad a thing after all. :D
I have marveled at some of the things I have seen in people's packs. And stuff I heard about but did not see (six rolls of toilet paper, gallons of canned water left over from Katrina). There is nothing wrong about talking about cell phone usage, dogs, etc and having an opinion on what is best. Where people cross the line, IMO, is when they say that their own hike is diminished by what others do, so others must behave in the "proper" way.
I am fascinated by people with 90+ pound packs, and by people with 15- pound packs. But God bless them, if that is what they want to carry, let 'em. Same for cell phones and GPS's and Gore-tex and silnylon.
It is obsessional, and there is no getting around the conflict. There are those who feel no problem with calling Buffy from high atop Mt Springer, and others who feel their wildness experience is ruined by the knowledge that someone carries a cell phone buried in their backpack.
These folks can't be dissuaded from their positions. It would be as fruitless as telling you to leave the hammock at home because diabetics shouldn't risk getting away from civilization.
And just as tacky.
Speaking of tacky.... For a few of us, at least, wildness includes the absence of the ability to contact civilization. It is the lack of instant contact that helps provide a sense of remoteness, of wildness, and of self sufficiency.
The nature of the wilder portions of the trail has obviously changed since everyone now knows that the means of instant communication lies in the bottom of the packs or at the ear of most fellow hikers.
I never expected to convince the hiking community that less communication is a plus. But I do think it's an idea that some might find interesting and perhaps even useful as inventive minds create more and more communication devices.
What, OB, is so hard to understand about that? And if you are capable of such understanding, why is it "tacky?"
Weary
vipahman
04-06-2006, 10:02
obsession's againt cell phone
Not an obsession but a dislike. Plain and simple it's noise pollution. I would prefer if hikers turned it off while hiking and used it only for emergencies, check the weather as neo suggested, check-in with the spouse as jaybird suggested.
As to comparing that to silnylon and ultralight or ultraheavy camping, I don't get the comparison. Your hiking/camping style doesn't affect others but talking on a phone could be a disturbance. It's no different from loud and rowdy campers at a shelter. But we are generally considered to be lacking etiquette so that's no surprise.
That's another reason I love winter hiking so much. You barely see anybody.
I don't own one but have no problem with people using them on the trail.
:D thats the spirit lonewolf:cool: neo
People get upset at new and different stuff, stuff they see changes the nature of the hike they are used to.
I like to write, but my penmanship is horrible, so I carry an AlphaSmart Neo, a small word processor designed for grade school kids. I was using it in a shelter in Georgia earlier this year, and someone made a comment about "the reason we hike the AT is to get away from technology." At the time he was wearing a Gore-Tex jacket and synthetic wind pants, cooking dinner on a Jetboil. Probably had a freeze-dried dinner and tuna in foil. He didn't see the humor in that, and I didn't say anything, as the "hike the way I think you should hike" folks are not especially known for their humor. Or tolerance.
Personally, I don't see a big difference between talking with a bunk mate at a shelter, and talking on a cell phone. I didn't do that (talk on a cell phone), but mostly because I consider my phone calls private, and not to be overheard. But to some, it's a big difference, and overhearing a cell phone convesation makes them genuinely upset, even angry.
It seems to me, and I could be wrong, that this isn;t limited to cell phones. Some people seem to get upset whenever others don't have the same hike vision that they do.
"I don't like long days, so anyone hiking more than 15 miles a day is missing the point."
"I don't treat my water. People who do are foolish."
"GPS's are not necessary, so no one should carry them."
"I carry a big pack. People who carry a small pack are cheating/lazy."
"I carry a small pack. People who carry a big pack are unable to leave home behind them."
"I hike to be alone and leave civilization behind, so don't expose me to cell phones, pocketmails, digital cameras, anything that reminds me of back home."
This last is the basis of the cell phone phobia of the other thread. "I don't use a cell phone, therefore neither should you." But you had it exactly right, Neo. ??? Did I say that? :D Seriously, in the other thread, you said that you like to be alone, so you camp away from shelters. What a concept.
I did not see any rules about how to hike the AT at the Amicalola Visitor Center, so I assume that cell phones are legal to bring on the trail, as are boom boxes, digital camera, and high-tech materials in loud and flashy colors. Apparently, there is a freedom involved here somewhere. Maybe two freedoms that conflict.
My freedom to use a word processor (or cellphone, or digital camera, or GPS, or Jetboil) is in conflict with someone else's freedom to hike without seeing any of that stuff.
There is only one practical solution for those on the other thread who say their is ruined, or at least diminished, by exposure to electronics. As a minimimum, stay away from shelters. As Lone WOlf said, this stuff is here to stay, and won't go away because your happiness depends on not seeing it. Best solution, if one wants a wilderness experience, is to stay off the AT, which is hardly wilderness anyway, and hike the CDT. There the techno-avoiders can really avoid technolgy. No cell phone users around shelters there. Little cell phone coverage and few shelters. Happily hike without exposure to consumer electronics, though watch out: once in a while, when socked in on a featureless unmarked trail, you may think a GPS isn't so bad a thing after all. :D
I have marveled at some of the things I have seen in people's packs. And stuff I heard about but did not see (six rolls of toilet paper, gallons of canned water left over from Katrina). There is nothing wrong about talking about cell phone usage, dogs, etc and having an opinion on what is best. Where people cross the line, IMO, is when they say that their own hike is diminished by what others do, so others must behave in the "proper" way.
I am fascinated by people with 90+ pound packs, and by people with 15- pound packs. But God bless them, if that is what they want to carry, let 'em. Same for cell phones and GPS's and Gore-tex and silnylon.
:D we all have our preferences,i love stealhy stuff,chances are not many poeple we see me to complain about my hammocck,cell phone or jet boil,they are all cammo:cool: neo
orangebug
04-06-2006, 10:15
What, OB, is so hard to understand about that? And if you are capable of such understanding, why is it "tacky?"I suppose if you have to ask the question, you aren't going to get it.
"Tacky" is the imposition of Hike Your Hike My Way. I have a problem with overly evangelical folks, whether pounding me over the head with their cell phone or their copy of Walden Pond.
If you wish to have your day ruined by someone else's hidden cell phone, just keep it to yourself as I hope others would keep their cell phone conversations private.
I suppose if you have to ask the question, you aren't going to get it.
"Tacky" is the imposition of Hike Your Hike My Way. I have a problem with overly evangelical folks, whether pounding me over the head with their cell phone or their copy of Walden Pond.
If you wish to have your day ruined by someone else's hidden cell phone, just keep it to yourself as I hope others would keep their cell phone conversations private.
:D orangebug are there walden pond book thumpers on the trail lol:cool: neo
Lone Wolf
04-06-2006, 10:22
:D orangebug are there walden pond book thumpers on the trail lol:cool: neo
Yup. Plenty. Plus the "On the Road" Kerouac types.:rolleyes: That book sucks.
Yup. Plenty. Plus the "On the Road" Kerouac types.:rolleyes: That book sucks.
i aint never heard of that one,i never carry books,to heavy,my entertainment is just being out there:cool: neo
....I have a problem with overly evangelical folks, whether pounding me over the head with their cell phone or their copy of Walden Pond.....
Hmmm. There's a somewhat smaller "copy" of Walden Pond in my town that a few of us evangelical pond-saving types have spent several decades trying to keep wild. But it is too big for anyone to copy and pound someone over the head with. Besides a pond is mostly water and water, unlike sand, makes a poor pounding instrument.
If you wish to pound someone, however, their are several possible instruments including the book, Walden, which isn't about a pond, but about a philosophy of living.
Weary
orangebug
04-06-2006, 15:58
You asked the question, got a response and didn't get it. Sorry I bothered you.
This was another excellent example of the failure of evangelical cell phone combattants to communicate.
generoll
04-06-2006, 20:13
Speaking of tacky.... For a few of us, at least, wildness includes the absence of the ability to contact civilization. It is the lack of instant contact that helps provide a sense of remoteness, of wildness, and of self sufficiency.
The nature of the wilder portions of the trail has obviously changed since everyone now knows that the means of instant communication lies in the bottom of the packs or at the ear of most fellow hikers.
I never expected to convince the hiking community that less communication is a plus. But I do think it's an idea that some might find interesting and perhaps even useful as inventive minds create more and more communication devices.
What, OB, is so hard to understand about that? And if you are capable of such understanding, why is it "tacky?"
Weary
Kinda hard to follow just where you are in this debate but let me offer an alternative. The AT is not really wilderness by some definitions. Heavily traveled. Has shelters and privies. If someone is truly seeking a wilderness experience and wants to "get away from it all", why not hike the BMT? No shelters, no privies, few if any blazes. Sounds like nirvana for the purists doesn't it?
Kinda hard to follow just where you are in this debate but let me offer an alternative. The AT is not really wilderness by some definitions. Heavily traveled. Has shelters and privies. If someone is truly seeking a wilderness experience and wants to "get away from it all", why not hike the BMT? No shelters, no privies, few if any blazes. Sounds like nirvana for the purists doesn't it?
Not really. Those of us who have maintained trails and supervised the maintenance of trails over the decades know that any trail that attracts more than a very minimum of users absolutely requires privies -- not because of any absolute such need, but because almost no body really follows the dictates of "How to ***** in the Woods" or even how to do -- or be willing to do even -- the most minimal attempts at "Leave No Trace."
I'm just reporting facts. I'd welcome contrary facts. As near as I can tell, facts just don't exist.
Lone Wolf
04-06-2006, 20:42
Tennessee Eastman Hiking Club knows s**t about privies.
generoll
04-06-2006, 21:24
Hmmm, seems that we've gone from cell phones to privies. O.K., I'll bite. And as it happens I agree with you on that point. I am different from at least some of the hikers I meet on the AT for one very simple reason. I carry a trowel. Look around you and see how many people carry any sort of digging instrument.
Not exactly a new or revolutionary idea by the way. Check out Deuteronomy 23:13