View Full Version : Pocketmail Device used for Trail Journal?
I have been reading a few entries here of some who use a pocketmail device to transcribe their journal entries and send them via internet over the phone. Would any of you who do this please elaborate on the procedure you use as well as your choice of equipment?
I still use a notebook and fine tip ball point and i would sure like to find a better[more modern?) way.
Thanks
Highway:
i've seen several of these posts...here, on WhiteBlaze & on Trailjournals....i was wonderin' what this "new, fangled device" is & can do?
i, personally, still use a small (pocket size) note pad (water-proof paper) & pen (space pen...the kind the astronauts used...hehehehehe!)
then transcribe when i get back from my hike.
Since i'm section-hiking the A.T....this is not a bad thing for me to do....BUT, i can see the advantages of using the PocketMail device if youre thru-hiking.
Jaybird
Many of us on Trailjournals used Pocketmail. I wasn't that crazy about it at first, but since my wife would be posting my journals, working full time, taking care of the house and dog, etc while I was out having fun, I thought it was only fair to do most of the "typing."
It is pretty neat. You enter your daily journal and save it until you reach a phone. You call a toll free number, hit a button, and hold it up to the receiver. It sends an email to your support person (transcriber) who then simply copies and pastes the journal. Even if your not on Trailjournals they can print it out and make a book like my Mom did.
It does weigh 8 ounces and costs $149 or so plus $49 every 3 months after the first 3 months (which was included) I only went through 3 sets of batteries the whole trip...166 days.
Although I already knew how to type, the keyboard is so small I had to hold it in my hands and type with my thumbs. I had a tendency to make more spelling errors especially when there were two letters in a row.
I spent at least an hour every night doing the current days journal...it was part of my routine. Take a look at my gear list on trailjournals...there is a link to their web site.
You can also send and receive personal messages to others which is nice on the Trail...makes the town visits that much more enjoyable. I also emailed friends who then called me saving my telepone calling cards.
Rain Man
12-19-2003, 14:49
It does weigh 8 ounces and costs $149 or so plus $49 every 3 months after the first 3 months ....
So, ... it's not just buying the equipment, but it's also subscribing to their service quarterly on top of that?
.
3 Months 6 Months 12 Months 24 Months
$49.95 $90.00 $149.00 $238.80
Off pocketmail.com
Thats for unlimited usage (incoming and outgoing)
Brian
You enter your daily journal and save it until you reach a phone.
I only went through 3 sets of batteries the whole trip...166 days.
Although I already knew how to type, the keyboard is so small I had to hold it in my hands and type with my thumbs. I had a tendency to make more spelling errors especially when there were two letters in a row.
You can also send and receive personal messages to others which is nice on the Trail...makes the town visits that much more enjoyable. I also emailed friends who then called me saving my telepone calling cards.
Skeemer, Thanks. A few more questions about the above:
1)Memory capacity? How much can you save internally before downloading? How long can you save it before doing so?
2)How much slower are you on the reduced-size keyboard than your standard sized keyboard? I type with only two fingers now so that want be much of a problem. I'll just have to learn to "thumb" it, if i switch. :D
3)Receiving e-mail messages would be a plus.
Thanks for your prompt, informative reply.
hungryhowie
12-20-2003, 00:32
Skeemer, Thanks. A few more questions about the above:
1)Memory capacity? How much can you save internally before downloading? How long can you save it before doing so?
2)How much slower are you on the reduced-size keyboard than your standard sized keyboard? I type with only two fingers now so that want be much of a problem. I'll just have to learn to "thumb" it, if i switch. :D
3)Receiving e-mail messages would be a plus.
Thanks for your prompt, informative reply.
1) memory - I had about 40-50 messages in mine at one time and still had plenty of memory left (75%+). It'll hold quite a few. After sendin in a "bunch", I'd always keep them until the next time to make sure that there were no problems. I also sent them to another email account that would act as a backup, incase of other problems. On top of it, I kept many emails from my friends, and journals or personal notes and such that held special meaning for me on it at all times.
2) typing speed - you get used to it. I find that I can type pretty fast with it, but often a character won't register and I'll have to go back and add it in. It's not the machines fault...just mine.
Here's a tip for you - use lithium batteries. They're more expensive, but they're half the weight and last many times longer. The pocketmail has a backlight, though I ususally used my headlamp to conserve batteries instead. I only used the backlight in emergencies or really quick peeks.
Another tip. If you're in this for your family and not necessarily for "the rest of the world", it's really easy to set up a yahoo group that you can post entries in straight from the trail. I email my entries to my yahoo group and they are instantly posted on-line and sent to any subscribers that I have. This cuts out the need for any transcribers and makes it one step easier for me. This is a feature that I wish Trailjournals would incorporate...make life easier (and journals more up-to-date).
Love mine. I'll never use a paper and pen journal again on the trail - this little thing is just too versitile!
-Howie
You asked about capacity. There is a limit on each message. I set mine to the max and there was one long entry when I ran out resulting in having to send two separate entries for that one day. That's easy to address since all you have to do is copy and paste multiple entries on to one page. BTW, tell those sending you messages not to send any attachments or pictures which it can't handle.
Good point about the batteries Hungryhowie. You may want to read Liteshoe's gear summary in Trailjournals. She used hers "harder" than anyone I know. She had some issues with getting hers wet that she talks about. I believe she kept a bag over hers when she typed in wet weather. Although I double bagged mine in the pack it worked just fine out in the open and I never got mine wet. She also went through batteries like crazy...but she pulled it out numerous times a day as I only used mine once or twice a day.
A couple of other things come to mind. Don't use the back light. It uses too much energy. I didn't and that's why my batteries lasted so long.
They will automatically renew the service on your credit card unless you cancel well in advance. They do send you an email giving you the cut off date. When I finally cancelled, it was a little bit of a hassel as I had to send them a request at a particular address and tell them why I was cancelling.
You do get used to the typing speed. I fell into a routine that as soon as I was done cleaning up after dinner I did my journal. I almost always spent an hour plus every day typing in it. It really fills up the day. I had to if I wanted to do a nice summary. (I got a lot of nice comments from family and friends who followed my hike)
One thing I should have done was have my wife do a spell check before she posted it on Trailjournals. To do that she would have had to copy it out of the incoming mail and trasfer it to a document that could then be spell checked...adding another step in the process. She just tried to catch obviious errors and correct them in trailjournals. BTW, I told her she wasn't allowed to edit my content...no matter how stupid it sounded to her. :p
hungryhowie
12-20-2003, 12:36
Yeah, I could have used spell check sometimes too....
I keep my pocketmail in a ziplock (along with a few other useful items) in an outside pocket of my pack. If it begins to drizzle I don't really worry about it. If it begins to pour, I put it inside my pack (inside a waterproof ziplock, inside a waterproof pack liner, inside "waterproof" pack material, inside a waterproof pack cover) for extra protection. I've never had any problems with mine, but so far, haven't used it much in the rain (read: no really long hikes with it yet...).
-Howie
Former Easy
12-21-2003, 06:50
Another tip. If you're in this for your family and not necessarily for "the rest of the world", it's really easy to set up a yahoo group that you can post entries in straight from the trail. I email my entries to my yahoo group and they are instantly posted on-line and sent to any subscribers that I have. This cuts out the need for any transcribers and makes it one step easier for me. This is a feature that I wish Trailjournals would incorporate...make life easier (and journals more up-to-date).
-Howie
Hungrie Howie is I where got the Idea for one of these Pocketmail devices and the use of Yahoo Groups. (also the idea of color #339966 LOL) I saw Hungrie Howie using one in 2002 in the Smoky's and then also saw his Journal on Yahoo Groups later that year.
In 2002 I had an "E-Mail Station" I bounced from town to town during my section hike. I would do journaling on paper then in town put it on the E-Mail Station, then send it to A-Train who posted it on Trail Journals. All this was a litttle much, (especially dealing with the bounce box and weekends*) and I will be using Pocketmail and Yahoo Groups from now on.
Yahoo Groups has many advantages over Trail Journals IMO, for ease of use and the fact you decide whom reads your journal, and they recieve it in e-mail format also. But none the less I like Trail Journals and read many of the journals there, you can learn alot reading the journals of others regardless of where they are. Its to bad they don't incorparate a script for users to send there journals directly to Trail journals, it can be done though, maybe they will include this feature , a privacy and a e-mail to subcribers one in time.
*I strongly suggest to new hikers, to not use mail drops unless completly nessacery, these can become a real chore and burden, especially on weekends and in time, read Baltimore Jacks re-supply tips for ideas.
If you want to save money, check out ebay.com for pocketmail devices. I got one for $26, however when it came I realized I like having a regular journal and gave it away to one of my friends. Of course, it was an older model but works with a regular pocketmail subscription.
Jack Tarlin
12-22-2003, 17:17
Not to be a killjoy, but this needs to be said:
If you're using a device that relies on a telephone, especially in order to transmit messages, keep in mind that public phones on the Trail, especially in the early days, are few and far between. (I'm especially thinking of places like the N.O.C., Fontana Dam, Hot Springs, etc.) Never spend more than ten minues on a public phone when other hikers are waiting, and in places like this, there are usually several folks waiting! If you really need a lot of time to transmit your mail, you should DO IT FROM A MOTEL ROOM and not from a public pay phone, especially when it's the only one for miles around. Sorry to bring this up, but it's become a growing problem in recent years, especially as more folks keep internet journals that they seem to feel take precedence over anyone else's right to contact their family and friends.
Another comment: One has the right to bring along ANY sort of electronic device one wishes to on a thru-hike---this includes, phones, radios, laptops, E-Mail transmitters, etc. You can absolutely bring anything you wish, but your right to enjoy these machines stops cold when your use of these things starts interfering with the right of other folks to enjoy their trips without their interference.
While we're on the subject, remember to use some courtesy when using a public access computer, especially in trail-town libraries, town halls, etc. The RESIDENTS of these town take precedence over us hikers; be courteous with your use, obey all posted rules regarding sign-up, length of time, appropriate Internet use, etc. Especially, tho, be aware that LOTS of folks need to use these machines, and the fact that you are an Internet "Journalist" is totally irrelevant-----everyone needs to stay in touch with friends and families, and nobody is "entitled" to special treatment because they're keeping a journal, or they're hiking for charity and need to maintain their website, or whatever their excuse is. Public access, especially when it comes to telephones and computers, means that these resources are for EVERYONE to share and more hikers need to be reminded of this.
hungryhowie
12-23-2003, 00:50
I remember the days of waiting for phones to call home...especially near the beginning of the trail. I can imagine that there have been incidents invloving pocketmail devices and the like along the trail in recent years. As a side note to anyone reading, pocketmail issues two numbers: one to use from a public phone (i.e. pay) and one to use from a private phone (i.e. hotel). Both are standard 800 numbers and should be ok from any phones (of their respective type). If you are staying in a hotel, use your room's phone if possible to be as respectful as possible to public services.
Public services are just that: a service to the public - meaning anyone and everyone who wants a cut - they're not there for just one person.
While I agree with you about your thoughts on liberty...I only wish I could extend this to non-trail life. No offense to smokers (yeah...right), but why must their right to smoke over-rule my right to enjoy clean air? If you say I have a right to clean air, how come I must walk through hoards of smokers exhalations everytime I enter and exit a building on campus? I'm sorry, that was completely off-topic...just a pet peave I guess.
To each his own, so long as it doesn't encumber another.
-Howie
Never spend more than ten minues on a public phone when other hikers are waiting.....it's become a growing problem in recent years, especially as more folks keep internet journals that they seem to feel take precedence over anyone else's right to contact their family and friends.
.....these resources are for EVERYONE to share and more hikers need to be reminded of this.
Just how long does it take to download/upload one of these devices? I assume it is similar to my computers's speed, which is fairly quick. Anyway, I don't see the difference between using the phone for communication via conversing orally or up/downlinking digitally-so long as the user is respectful of the next in line, if there is a next in line. So, from your comment, I assume that these device take a long time. Just how much time, though?
Moose2001
12-23-2003, 11:03
This is really a non-issue that Jack brings up. I could transmit a weeks worth of journals with my pocketmail in between 2 - 5 minutes. Depends on how big the journals are and the connection speed. It's not the pocketmail users that are the problem with pay phones. It's the rude inconsiderate jerks who like to spend hours on the phone talking to everyone they know!
FWIW, I just uploaded 4 of my pre-hike entries and also pulled down 3 emails in 2 min, 45 seconds. That's probably a small load for someone who has a popular journal. The device will give you an approximate upload time for the things in your outbox, which in this case, was accurate.
hungryhowie
12-23-2003, 12:31
Just how long does it take to download/upload one of these devices? I assume it is similar to my computers's speed, which is fairly quick. Anyway, I don't see the difference between using the phone for communication via conversing orally or up/downlinking digitally-so long as the user is respectful of the next in line, if there is a next in line. So, from your comment, I assume that these device take a long time. Just how much time, though?
As many have already mentioned, time isn't usually a problem for a small amount of journals (a weeks worth usually required about 3-7 minutes for me - depending on how interesting the week was and how good of a connection I got - sometimes, but not often, it took multiple connections). I think the problem arrises when one keeps up with the many hikers and friends that they have with individual emails. One of my friends stayed at my house while hiking the ECT and spent about 15 minutes on the phone to send journals and many email replies (this was less than a weeks worth too, I think). If you're really popular (or wordy) your time can easily run over what many may suggest is polite. The device will show you an estimate for how log it will take, and barring technical problems its usually fairly accurate. You can choose what messages to want to send, so if your time is too long, I'd split them in half (or more if need be :rolleyes: ) and do it again to be more polite.
-Hungry Howie & The New Sushi