View Full Version : Pre-paid phone vs. calling card
Buckeye Hike
02-03-2010, 20:51
Hey all
Was wondering what most people use on their thru-hike? Buy a cheap pre-paid phone to use in town or buy a calling card?
Lone Wolf
02-03-2010, 21:01
Hey all
Was wondering what most people use on their thru-hike? Buy a cheap pre-paid phone to use in town or buy a calling card?
calling card.....
white_russian
02-03-2010, 21:09
Definitely a prepaid cell phone. If you have to use a pay phone with a calling card they rape you with fees and that is if you can even find one these days.
I use Page Plus for my prepaid cell service. The nice thing about them is you can activate practically any CDMA phone with them. I bought an older smartphone off ebay for 60 bucks. They use the Verizon network. So I have a smartphone on the Verizon network and pay very little for service. I call that having my cake and eating it too.
Lone Wolf
02-03-2010, 21:12
Definitely a prepaid cell phone.
nope. still plenty of pay phones out there. keep your calls short. much cheaper than a cell that only works half the time
TRACFONE...Accept no subistute.
garlic08
02-03-2010, 21:40
I use a phone card and am often able to yogi a landline in town (laundry, grocery, restaurant, trail angel) for the toll-free call (I offer to have the owner dial it) so I don't have to pay the payphone surcharge ($1). I got mine at Costco and it costs 3.5 cents/minute. I'd personally rather not mess with a cell phone and charger. I've memorized the number so it weighs nothing. Phone calls for the AT cost me less than $20.
GrubbyJohn
02-03-2010, 21:45
TRACFONE...Accept no subistute.
i got better signals than all the guys with contract phones
i got better signals than all the guys with contract phones
Grubby John, What kind of phone you got?
Depends on how much you use, or might want to use, a phone(really, think about that for a moment, these days most use a phone more often than they are willing to admit) and where you are.
If you really don't talk that much and you can minimize the cost with a calling card, like Garlic08 does(if you have to use a calling card from a pay phone you can get taken for your calling card money real fast!), and you are on the AT, with a lot of towns that still have pay phones, a calling card could be all you need. What you desire may be something different. A few yrs ago, I would say this is the way to go in most places, especially on the eastcoast. These days pay phones have become much harder to locate in many areas. Companies have removed most pay phones as of right now. They are removing more all the time.
If you can manage a charger, either by carrying it(mine is 3 oz, I cut the cord down to make it shorter) or be mailing it ahead to the next place you might need to charge it(if you turn it off and turn it back on only when you actually need to make a call the charge will last longer, a charge on my phone will last 2-3 wks), a Tracphone or Nex10 cost me $25(on sale, usually $30) at Walgreens/Rite Aid for compact phone w/ 300 mins.(10 cents/min) good for 60 days. Has VERY GOOD coverage NATIONWIDE. Calculator, alarm clock, time clock, etc, (lots of other features). Additional mins are easily purchased as you go or by adding mins. readily available with a phone card. Additional 300 mins good for an additional 60 days is $30 or you could purchase 600 mins good for 120 days for $60 after your first 300 mins(the mins you get when you buy the ph) are used up. Longer min plans are available. Or if you want to act cheap, like I have been known to do at times, and you don't care about keeping your ph #, and you can find those $25 sale prices regularly, just throw the old ph away and buy another w/ 300 mins for $25 every time you want more mins. You don't need to sign up for any plan, no deposit, no credit check, no unwanted advertisements, no high pressure sales, don't pay for a lot of features you may not want! No one eating up your mins but you! No one needs to know who the ph # is associated with. No spam E mails. You can limit who you give the number to so you can focus on what you are out there to do - hike, Etc.! IT'S CHEAP! In many ways perfect for a thru-hike!
Mountain Wildman
02-03-2010, 23:35
TracPhone
Mine was purchased in Connecticut and activated there with a Connecticut phone number. I live in Gorham N.H.(A Trail Town), I am surrounded by mountains every where I look, Presidental Mountains, Mount Washington, etc...
My AT&T phone didn't work up here so I sent to my brother in Ct.
Tracphone does work up here in the Center of the White Mountains Region.
If you do a Thru-Hike, There is a 99% chance you will stop here.
Tracphone works!!! Don't recall seeing any public phones here, but I wasn't looking.
And you can add minutes to the Tracphone right from it.
Inevitably your choice.
Good Luck!!! Happy Hiking!! :-)
Why choose? Take both. Of course you can always buy a calling card along the way.
If you're convinced your phone will always work in any trail town you want to use it in, don't bother of course, but on another long trail I had multiple cases where a calling card plus payphone got me connected when my cell phone had no service.
double d
02-04-2010, 08:54
TracPhone
Mine was purchased in Connecticut and activated there with a Connecticut phone number. I live in Gorham N.H.(A Trail Town), I am surrounded by mountains every where I look, Presidental Mountains, Mount Washington, etc...
My AT&T phone didn't work up here so I sent to my brother in Ct.
Tracphone does work up here in the Center of the White Mountains Region.
If you do a Thru-Hike, There is a 99% chance you will stop here.
Tracphone works!!! Don't recall seeing any public phones here, but I wasn't looking.
And you can add minutes to the Tracphone right from it.
Inevitably your choice.
Good Luck!!! Happy Hiking!! :-)
I gotta agree 100%, but I would also suggest that you buy the double minute card (I think its about $39.99) for the life of the Tracphone, therefore, all minutes are double when you buy them, a great value. One more suggestion, make sure you buy a phone that you like, because it can get expensive if you make a mistake in models and brands, but consider the Tracphone.
Another vote for "Why not carry both"...
It's not on the same level as "Which tent should I take?"
white_russian
02-04-2010, 10:08
If you do go with a Tracfone/Net10 make sure it is a CDMA phone. If you buy one from their website most folks will need to put in a one horse zip code such as 59801 to see the CDMA phones. If CDMA and GSM are both in your area then you will get the GSM phone selection if you put in your regular zip code. You can still activate it with any zip code though.
CDMA coverage = Verizon + Sprint + US Cellular + ect.
GSM coverage = AT&T + T-Mobile + ect.
Personally I cant stand Tracfone/Net10. The phones lack any features but the most basic, minutes are pricey, and customer service is non-existant. I used to be a customer, but found greener pastures. It seems like a lot of folks like them though so if you are going to do business with them you might as well get the better CDMA coverage.
The Flatulator
02-04-2010, 10:24
Calling cards are lighter, do not take up any room and are cheap to use. Plenty of places in towns to use. Dare we stray far from our civilized crutches and, heaven forbid, leave the cell phone at home.
Another vote for carrying both a phone AND a calling card. Minimal extra weight and greatest diversity of options. (I also agree with the person who said to leave the cell phone turned off between phone calls in order to preserve the phone's "charge" for longer periods).
Another option (when you are in a bind) is 1-800-Call-ATT. You can even use your credit card to pay for phone calls with 1-800-Call-ATT.
http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=13696
I take a prepaid card with me on section hikes, mostly to let my family know once a week that I'm still alive. I haven't had any problem finding a pay phone so far (Duncannon to Pinkham Notch).
-SEEKER-
02-06-2010, 16:30
I take both a TRACFONE and a calling card which I can re-load at Wal-mart.
Appalachian Tater
02-06-2010, 16:31
You don't even have to carry the physical calling card itself, just the numbers for access and customer service and your PIN. Write the info wherever you keep your phone numbers.
However, a cell phone can come in handy for calling for a shuttle from the trailhead into town or for lodging reservations (in the few instances they are needed) and especially for calling to order replacement gear so it will be waiting for you in town.
I confess to borrowing someone's phone for a few minutes when I blew out a pair of shoes a couple of days out from town. It was nice to have a fresh pair waiting at the post office and I will always be grateful to the hiker who lent me his phone. (Thank you Mummy Toes if you see this!)
Also sometimes there is only one payphone and several people waiting to use it. No big deal to me to wait but it might be a problem for some people to wait and then feel pressured that others are still waiting.
GrubbyJohn
02-08-2010, 08:56
i got better signals than all the guys with contract phones
Grubby John, What kind of phone you got?
cheep tracphone paid 20.00$ at wally world and get double min
double d
02-08-2010, 12:00
cheep tracphone paid 20.00$ at wally world and get double min
Agreed, Tracphone the way to go while hiking the AT!
I see that several folks are saying--"Get a TracFone" because they believe it is better suited for the AT--better coverage area, better cost value, etc. Let's clarify that concept just a little bit more.......
I already have a cellphone from Verizon and my wife and I share a monthly calling plan. She will not be hiking with me--so we will be keeping the plan going during any hikes that I take.
Our Verizon plan includes: "free" calling to other Verizon phones, Verizon internet and some limited roadway (not wilderness) GPS capabilities. It makes no sense to drop my phone from the family plan while I hike---only to add me back to the plan once the hike is complete. So, my phone will be active and have these capabilities --whether it sits in a drawer at home or joins me on the trail.
In such a scenario, is there any significant advantage in me getting a TracFone for hiking the AT? I understand that some people believe that TracFone is "better" than Verizon for the AT. However, is the difference between TracFone and Verizon enough to warrant leaving my Verizon at home and getting a TracFone just for the trail? (Money is not the issue. I am simply wondering if the TracFone PERFORMANCE is so much better that it warrants switching).
Johnny Swank
02-08-2010, 19:11
I doubt it. You're paying for the Verizon phone in any case, so I'd just take it.
One thing that no one's mentioned is texting. I frequently can send / receive texts in areas that have no business getting a signal and surely not enough to make a phone call. Texts are fine for "Arrived in Duncannon" kind of messages.
One thing that no one's mentioned is texting. I frequently can send / receive texts in areas that have no business getting a signal and surely not enough to make a phone call. Texts are fine for "Arrived in Duncannon" kind of messages.
Yes! Texting is great for transmitting brief messages in low (or no) signal areas.
I am able to text to my wife: "Arrived at (or "I'm leaving...") East Podunk" Thus, my family knows that I am O.K. and they know where to begin to look for me in an emergency.
My wife is also able to send me similar brief text messages. "Monday night. Everyone is O.K." I will receive her messages when I choose to turn on my phone (and when I finally can get a signal).
This way, my wife gets to send me a message whenever it is convenient for her--and I get to receive her messages whenever I feel that it won't interfere with my hike. I might not even turn on my phone for three days. However, my wife can have three brief "status updates" waiting for me in my "inbox".
Texting is great on the trail--when used in moderation.
SKessler
02-15-2010, 17:47
Yes! Texting is great for transmitting brief messages in low (or no) signal areas.
Texting is great on the trail--when used in moderation.
Agreed! Although there are those who cringe when people like me tote along a cell phone on the AT, I think it's a pretty fantastic tool. I used mine this summer at places where I had no bars and was able to send texts home with ease. (And no I didnt sit on top of a mountain for hours texting, just a quick message home with location.) Texting is also beneficial in a SAR situation, as they can triangulate a relative position from text messages.
Chaco Taco
02-15-2010, 18:00
Do Net10. Cheap and double minutes. Easy to reload.
There are Dollar Generals all over and you can get minutes there. Also at a bunch of gas stations have them as well
evan.oliver
02-15-2010, 19:12
I'm taking my Palm Pre (Sprint/CDMA) with me. It's doubling as my guidebook.
- Evan
Hatfield
02-17-2010, 11:53
Do smaller towns have payphones?
Blissful
02-17-2010, 11:59
You don't even have to carry the physical calling card itself, just the numbers for access and customer service and your PIN. Write the info wherever you keep your phone numbers.
That's what we did. And had a cell phone too, but sometimes we didn't have a charge on it (cold can sap it quick) and the calling card came in handy. If you can find phone booths which are becoming more obsolete. Salisbury had none. Duncannon had one at the bar.
superman
03-03-2010, 14:03
TRACFONE...Accept no subistute.
If I got one for my zip code in NH will it work for the full length of the AT? I person who had gotten their tracfone in NY claimed that it wouldn't work in NH.
Do smaller towns have payphones?
Pay phones have quickly become hard to find in may areas.
If you really have to make a call and don't mind any perceived cons maybe the best idea is to carry a calling card and a prepaid cell ph like a Trac or Net 10.
Personally, I still have not found a way to avoid the STEEP calling card surcharge when making calls from a pay phone.
If I got one for my zip code in NH will it work for the full length of the AT? I person who had gotten their tracfone in NY claimed that it wouldn't work in NH.
I would guess, yes, the Trac ph would work IF you got a signal/coverage wherever you were on or near the AT. My recent $25 Net 10 ph with 300 mins I bought in Chicago, placed under my Hawaii zip code, was good elsewhere in the U.S.
superman
03-03-2010, 15:16
Has anyone on here thru hiked with a tracfone?
Red Beard
03-03-2010, 15:24
Has anyone on here thru hiked with a tracfone?
I'll let you know in about 7 months. :D
white_russian
03-03-2010, 15:31
Has anyone on here thru hiked with a tracfone?
I have not to answer the basic question.
I don't think the question really matters though. All tracfones are is just a really cheap phone using the backbone of the major carriers. If I get a cheap phone and use a plan on any of the four major carriers with roaming included then it is all the same except price. Really the thing that matters is what network you choose, CDMA or GSM. It has been said over and over that Verizon, aka CDMA, is the way to go for the AT. So as long as you have a plan that has included roaming on the CDMA carriers then you are good to go. You can get a CDMA Tracfone/Net10 and the coverage is just as good as the high dollar plans on the major carriers. That said I use a different prepaid provider that fits me better.
superman
03-03-2010, 15:43
Thanks, White Blaze, folks for the information.
reddenbacher
03-03-2010, 20:50
i took the trac phone with great reception.if you turn it off and use it sparingly,i charged it every month.it was always there with the ice
GrubbyJohn
03-03-2010, 22:37
and the best thing about a cheep tracphone is if you loose it or break it no big deal
superman
03-07-2010, 16:39
If you do go with a Tracfone/Net10 make sure it is a CDMA phone. If you buy one from their website most folks will need to put in a one horse zip code such as 59801 to see the CDMA phones. If CDMA and GSM are both in your area then you will get the GSM phone selection if you put in your regular zip code. You can still activate it with any zip code though.
CDMA coverage = Verizon + Sprint + US Cellular + ect.
GSM coverage = AT&T + T-Mobile + ect.
Personally I cant stand Tracfone/Net10. The phones lack any features but the most basic, minutes are pricey, and customer service is non-existant. I used to be a customer, but found greener pastures. It seems like a lot of folks like them though so if you are going to do business with them you might as well get the better CDMA coverage.
I was going to buy a tracfone LG290C on line. I see no way of telling if it is CDMA or GSM. My experience with cell phones is limited to talking on one a couple times after someone else dialed. Then they hung it up. My sons struggle to keep me in this century but this cell phone junk seems beyond me. Every time someone says one thing about them someone else says something else. I'll probably get arrested for littering when I fling the damn thing into the woods.:confused: