Phone Calls?

[nyushka42]

I'm planning to do a partical hike this year, from Springer to Harpers Ferry, and then Harpers Ferry to the finish in 2007. I have some illness in the family, particularly one grandfather who's prognosis is less than a year. I need to be easily conactable on the trail in case I have to get off the trail and get myself to Boston. I was thinking of using my cellphone, but how often would I be able to charge it? Is there even signal on a good portion of the southern 1/2 of the trail? Does anyone have any suggestions? Or should I just bring a calling card and make do with calling when I'm in towns?
I've tried finding a thread about this in the forums, but my search so far has not been successful. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Smile]

Calling card - but read the back carefully - even the "cheap" ones from Walmart like AT&T...you can be 'surcharged' 30 minutes for each pay phone call!

A better bet would be a service like http://www.usadatanet.com key in your number and pin and get a bill, talk all you want for cheap

[stupe]

I always take my cell phone hiking. I have an elderly mother who I leave alone to hike, and feel I have to be as accessable as possible. I rarely have trouble getting a signal, at least in the NY/NJ area of the trail. When I'm on a likely mountain top, I just check my voice mail. You will get a signal at least some of the time. If you wait til you get to a town to call home, you are going to be completely out of touch for three or more days at a time.
There's a bunch of alternatives to recharging it in town, here's one that uses an AA battery ......
http://cordlesscellphonecharger.com/...p?src=overture
If anyone gets all national/socialist about your having a phone in the "wilderness", just tell em' it's a public trail.

[Seeker]

I'm planning to do a partical hike this year, from Springer to Harpers Ferry, and then Harpers Ferry to the finish in 2007. I have some illness in the family, particularly one grandfather who's prognosis is less than a year. I need to be easily conactable on the trail in case I have to get off the trail and get myself to Boston. I was thinking of using my cellphone, but how often would I be able to charge it? Is there even signal on a good portion of the southern 1/2 of the trail? Does anyone have any suggestions? Or should I just bring a calling card and make do with calling when I'm in towns?
I've tried finding a thread about this in the forums, but my search so far has not been successful. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

you can extend battery life by 'tuning in' at set times during the day, say at 8am, noon, and again at 6pm. anyone trying to call you will know that you'll keep the phone on for say a half hour, 15 minutes before and after those set times. where there's no phone signal, you're out of luck, but as others have said, there are lots of places on the AT where you do get reception. (of course, you have to tell the caller when you'll be tuned in, and what time zone you'll be working from.)

[Shutterbug]

I carried a cell phone on my hike of the 100 mile wilderness. I found that I had coverage on most mountain tops. A good strategy is to leave your phone off except when you are on a high point. Then you can turn it on and check your voice mail. Turn it back off.

If you don't turn it off, you will pass through some analog coverage points. My cell phone drains the battery quickly when in an analog area.

Dave

[Skyline]

I've been using Power Net Global's service on my home and business phones for about eight years now, and have been very satisfied. Per-minute rate is 4.5. They also have cheaper per-minute plans for power users but these have monthly minimums of $15 or $25 (only if you use the service that month--if you don't use it that month the minimum goes away!).

PNG also has a companion calling card that has a very reasonable $2.50 per mo. minimum, and again, only if you use it that month. The calling card rate is just under 10 cents per minute. They do tack on a modest 30 or 35 cents additional if you call from a pay phone, to compensate the pay phone owner (I think this is required by law).

Check it out at...

http://www.longdistancesmart.com/ld/png/

I like this better than a cell phone, which I have in my truck for emergencies but otherwise never use. I've found cell coverage in the woods, especially mountain hollows, to be near non-existent.

[Marta]

All cell phone services are not created equal. Nextel, for example, has a lousy network in the southern Appalachians. I can't get a signal much beyond the outskirts of Asheville, whereas some other phone services function fine from mountaintops all along the NC AT, and in small towns like Franklin and Sylva.

Another thing you might check for is "construction grade" phones, which are typically heavier than other cell phones but feature moisture- and shock-resistance, and long-life batteries.

[Peaks]

Well, I'm not a cell phone user yet. But I'm sure the day is coming.

When I thru-hiked in 2002, I relied on pay phones, and used phone cards. Since then, you get gouged for using phone card, as Smile posted. And, with the increase in cell phone use in general, pay phones are becoming harder and harder to find. Pay phone locations should be listed in the ALDHA Companion and Wingfoot's Handbook.

Among cell phone users, I think that Verizon has the best coverage. As others have posted, to maximize battery life, keep the phone off as much as possible.

[nyushka42]

Thanks for all the advise! I do have Verizon, and I've definately found that it has more signal in more places. (That sounds like a TV commercial). I've driven and camped in the Addirondacks & Catskills, and its one of the only carriers that I know of that works more than 50% of the time up there. I'll definately look into the phone charger with the AA battery. I also promise to keep my phone on vibrate when its on, so that all the purists don't get too upset. :-D

[starvingmusician]

I carry an extra (charged) battery for my Nokia phone. It's very slim and lightweight. I ship my charger in my bounce box, but haven't had to use it. You can also get a toll free number assigned to your home phone (thru Verizon) for, I believe, $4.99 per month. Pay for the pay phone call (.35 or.50), or if you're lucky and are at a motel where 800 #s are free calls, pay nothing and you home phone is charged .10 per minute. No strings, no surcharges. No visits to Wally World to buy cards (that I end up losing). Vonage has an even cheaper deal -- $4.99 per month - 100 free minutes and 4.9 cents per minute after.

[Doc]

Much of my hiking has been fairly long sections with my car spotted at some interval. That is, I may hike for a week to return to my car and then to leap frog again to repeat the process. I leave the charger in my car and recharge when I have my car available. I do carry an extra charged battery with me that weighs relatively little but gives me plenty of calling capability. On a long unsupported hike you could use maildrops to send extra batteries or use a bounce box to forward the charger. With older relatives and some with significant health issues I find it important to call sometimes when the next phone might be days away. I don't think I have ever received a call, on or off the trail, because I usually have the thing off. I would think of myself as very rude if I had a phone ring when others were around and only use it for outgoing calls when alone. Certain things are just better when done alone and out of the view or hearing of others-phone calls included.

Doc

[MacGyver2005]

If I remember correctly, dialing 1-800-CALL-ATT before using an AT&T phone card at a pay phone will get you past the 33 minute surcharge. I know I used it on my thru-hike, but unfortunately cannot remember with certainty if that 800 number is the correct one. Hopefully someone can chime in if they know for sure.

As for a cell phone, I feel it is an excellent option. My Cingular phone worked probably 70% of the time. I know down south I had no reception in the Smokey's, but otherwise it was pretty good. Verizon tended to work well also. As long as you only turn the phone on a few times a day, it will easily last between town stops for you to charge it. Between that and a calling card I was able to make calls pretty much any time I needed to.

Regards,
-MacGyver
GA-ME

[nyushka42]

I carry an extra (charged) battery for my Nokia phone. It's very slim and lightweight. I ship my charger in my bounce box, but haven't had to use it. You can also get a toll free number assigned to your home phone (thru Verizon) for, I believe, $4.99 per month. Pay for the pay phone call (.35 or.50), or if you're lucky and are at a motel where 800 #s are free calls, pay nothing and you home phone is charged .10 per minute. No strings, no surcharges. No visits to Wally World to buy cards (that I end up losing). Vonage has an even cheaper deal -- $4.99 per month - 100 free minutes and 4.9 cents per minute after.

This would be helpful if I had a home phone. As it is, my only phone is my cell.

[Knees]

Cell coverage from what I saw isn't that great on the trail in the South. However, I had no trouble calling home from pretty much every town I ran across. I used Onesuite which allowed my account to be easily recharged via computer and the prices were pretty darn competitive. I would make sure you have some sort of calling card access in addition to a cell phone if you wish to remain as available as possible while hiking.

[snowhoe]

I am planning on carring my cell phone too. I am going to buy a new battery for it about a week before I go. My suggestion would to be keep it off. 1 so the battery wont die down. 2 dont use it when you are at the shelters. Some people are trying to get away from the fast paced world of tech.. In 2001 my wife,wassbi, and I went to Clingmans Dome and did trail angel stuff. My wife had her cell phone and asked if any one wanted to use it? Just about everyone did. Thats another good reason not to bring it out at shelters, the battery will be gone for sure.

[khaynie]

Verizon worked well for us. You can almost always find signal from a mountain top. We left the phone off when we weren't using it, and carried are charger with us. You would be suprised where you can find power...

[wyclif]

It's obvious that pretty soon mobile phones and signal reception won't be issues anymore. I'm a surveyor and away from civilisation a lot...and most of the time I can get a signal.

Then there's the issue of weight. I'm sure the really hardcore lightweight hikers will prefer a phone card, but my phone weighs 3 oz. Not bad considering what they used to weigh just five years ago.

[Lilred]

I've hiked from Springer to Erwin. I got a signal at Carter Gap and Clingman's Dome. Got one at Wayah Tower too. I have Cingular. People with Verizon were getting signal where I couldn't.

[Bubble Toes]

I actually found it cheaper to pay my montly cell phone bill than use a calling card. I got it back in VA and carried it and the charger all of the way to ME. You get a signals mostly in town or on top of mountains. Leave it off except to check voicemail or make a phone call. When you don't have service your phone will be constantly searching- draining your battery. Don't worry too much about something rugged just keep it sealed in a ziplock bag.

[Red Hat]

Here's a cell phone story for you:

I carried mine (Cingular service) and found I could use it often enough. I kept it off until I made a call. In the Shenandoah's I stopped at a beautiful overlook and took a photo. (my camera and cell were in the same ziplock) Apparently, I dropped the cell without noticing. Later in the day when I tried to make a call, I found it was missing. For several days, I kept asking if anyone behind me had found it. No one had. I decided it was gone for good and advised Cingular.

A couple of weeks later, after I returned home, I got a call from the rangers in the Shenandoahs. They had found my phone (which was marked with a return address label and home phone #). They mailed it to me. After a call to Cingular, my service was restored and I am still using it!