Cell Phone

[jwang]

What are your thoughts on cell phones? To take or not to take??

[Lone Wolf]

What are your thoughts on cell phones? To take or not to take??

i don't own one. take one if you want. most hikers take them

[Sly]

Sure, free up the payphones!

[saimyoji]

What are your thoughts on cell phones? To take or not to take??

Regardless of your responses, have a search through the older cell phone threads. There's some pretty good commentary in the archives here.

[Lone Wolf]

i don't own one. take one if you want. most hikers take them

and use it at shelters. they're like mini towns

[saimyoji]

Regardless of your responses, have a search through the older cell phone threads. There's some pretty good commentary in the archives here.

Sorry....I always take my wife's phone. That way she can kiss me goodnite from afar.

[Webs]

we had bad experiences hitching (as in, no one stops...), so we called ahead for a shuttle service, which was very nice in the freezing wind and rain when no one wants to stop at all (esp for hitchers) anyway.....

[Marta]

Pay phones are disappearing rapidly. I ended up using my cell phone fairly often--and let other hikers use it. Necessary? No. Convenient, if you've got one anyone. Yes.

[2009ThruHiker]

I believe for forwarding your bump-box and other packages from the trail, a cell phone is invaluable.

[MrHappy]

I take a cell phone, and unless you're really trying to "escape" all types of gadgets, I would recommend it. I've used it to be rescued in cold weather twice already. At the same time, don't take a phone if you don't know how to be corteous with it. Don't talk in the shelter or around other hikers, who may be trying to escape. Take a walk away from the shelter to make calls, and leave the phone turned off or on silent. Avoid incoming calls, for your own sake and others. Even vibrate mode can ruin a serene outdoor experience.

[hopefulhiker]

Don't take it. Can't get a signal in a lot of places.. I would take a pocket mail though....

[The Weasel]

If you have significant health issues, as some of us do, having a cell phone can be a necessity, although coverage can be variable.

The Weasel

[Frosty]

I take a cell phone, and unless you're really trying to "escape" all types of gadgets, I would recommend it. I've used it to be rescued in cold weather twice already. At the same time, don't take a phone if you don't know how to be corteous with it. Don't talk in the shelter or around other hikers, who may be trying to escape. Take a walk away from the shelter to make calls, and leave the phone turned off or on silent. Avoid incoming calls, for your own sake and others. Even vibrate mode can ruin a serene outdoor experience.

Huh huh huh! Hey, Beavis, you said "shelter" and "serene outdoor experience" in the same paragraph. Huh huh huh.

Yeah, yeah, I know. If you're Beavis, then who does that make me?

Anyway, the real reason for not using your cell phone in a shelter is because everyone who doesn't have one will ask if they can use yours for a quick call.

[the_iceman]

I am taking mine. I checked the coverage maps with my provider and coverage is spotty in the south (GA-TN) but gets better as you go north.

[hammock engineer]

I'll be taking mine. It stays in my pack with the battery off in a waterproof bag when I am not using it. I was told somewhere that the phone still uses some battery life when turned off. I don't use it very often, but the times I do it was really nice.

I was pretty surprised in VT on the LT last fall where it would and would not work. It wouldn't work on the top of Mt Mansfield (there are radio towers up there). It worked on the middle of a road in a valley. It also worked other times I through there was no way, and times where I saw a city it wouldn't work.

[mweinstone]

take what you want but make your beeps and dings out of earshot. and lonewolf make good funny. shelters....ha ha. there good for one thing. lessening your wilderness exspirence. im a weenie. allways have been. but i camp a little at least.

[trlhiker]

Now the real question, how do you charge it up. The power supplies I have are heavy.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Charger goes in bounce box. If you only use the phone for one call a day and keep it turned off it will hold a charge for quite a while. In addition you can carry one of the battery adapters and charge it off a pair of AA's.

I will be taking mine in a few years as there is simply no way I can be out of communication for weeks at a time. I'd prefer not to, but in some ways the cell phone will actually make a thru-hike possible.

[drdewrag]

I always take one. Cell phone coverage is intermittent at best. And don't take "no service" for an answer. I have pressed the "call" button 40-50 times until it finally went through on a rogue cell of some sort.

[Toolshed]

Carry this it - comes with lithium batteries. $20. Best new thing I have seen in a while.

www.energitogo.com