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MamaBear
05-30-2011, 19:05
I'm planning an e2e LT hike for summer of 2012. For those of you who have hiked the LT, what is the cell phone coverage like and is there one carrier that is better than the other? The reason I ask is two fold. My cell phone plan runs out soon and I'm considering changing carriers. Second, for this hike, my husband would like to have a little more comfort knowing that I can check in occasionally. He'd actually like to send me with a SPOT, but I'd rather just check in via cell.

We live in NH, so he's never very far away. I do hike in the Whites quite a bit and he doesn't have a problem with me hiking solo there or going on multi-day trips. This is a bigger step and I want him to be comfortable with me being the LT.

Chenango
05-30-2011, 19:39
Last fall I had great service with AT&T.

Deadeye
05-31-2011, 07:27
I get good coverage with Tracphone. Coverage tends to be best on ridgelines, worst in the valleys. Some places, like Jay Peak, Mt Mansfield, Killington, you don't even need a phone... you can get reception just by holding up your cookpot. Titanium works best.

Chenango
05-31-2011, 07:57
I get good coverage with Tracphone. Coverage tends to be best on ridgelines, worst in the valleys. Some places, like Jay Peak, Mt Mansfield, Killington, you don't even need a phone... you can get reception just by holding up your cookpot. Titanium works best.

It is pretty good there! Gold fillings work as well! lol

MamaBear
05-31-2011, 07:57
LOL @ the cook pot! Thanks, that's about how it is in the Whites. I'm currently on AT&T and have pretty poor reception in the valleys and pretty good reception on the peaks - even on some of the more remote and wooded peaks.

NorthCountryWoods
05-31-2011, 16:35
Verizon has the best coverage. They just added towers in the north so you can get reception in valleys where there was none previously.

Just be careful of "international roaming fees" near the border especially if you have a data package.

StubbleJumper
05-31-2011, 18:04
+1 for the Tracfone. I had good success with a CDMA version that I bought in up-state NY which hooks into Verizon's network. No trouble sending out a quick text once or twice per day just to keep the nervousness at home down to a minimum. Plus they are cheeeeeeeap at WalMart or Target. If you break it, lose it, or just want to throw it into a pond, it's no biggie....just buy another!