cell phone– bringin’ it?

[Nick Gatel]

"I get out to have fun, not to prove my virility or how much more of a tough guy I am compared to someone else. Got nothing to prove."

It's just walking.

[Art Sandt]

Tony lastname wrote:
"ironic how the more sheltered your life, the more you have to prove yourself on the weekend."

What's worse is that people are actually interacting with computers in the first place. This is supposed to be a community of hikers, right? Every non hiking activity you undertake should be a strike against you. Trying to have a reasonable discussion on an online message board that you went out of your way to find and make an account on? Try again, Roger! Talking is not hiking. Neither is being online. And you can bet that talking online isn't going to win you any prizes. You lost before you even started!! Hahaha!

Schmuck.

[James holden]

http://heraldnet.com/article/20120215/NEWS01/702159884

full story at link …

The microwave oven-sized chunk of rock gave way.

Then, Miles Mcdonough remembers falling.

The Seattle man, then 29, landed 70 feet below from where he'd been climbing on the north face of Mount Stuart in Chelan County.

…..

The impact of the fall tore off Mcdonough's climbing pack of survival gear, including spare clothing, gloves, water, and first-aid kit. His climbing rope was mangled, but it kept him from plunging down the mountain.

Hoffmann lowered his own pack and emergency equipment to his friend. Then he headed off solo, without a rope.

"There weren't many options," Hoffmann said. "Miles needed the gear before I did, so my job was to get out before the gear was needed."

It took nearly five hours to get down and find a cell phone to call 911.

…..

Mcdonough wants to share his story so people can learn from his ordeal, he said. He and Hoffmann both have committed to always carrying emergency beacons with them when they go into backcountry. The devices can emit a distress signal and notify rescue crews of an exact location if a trip goes awry. That could have speeded rescue in this case.

[Jeremy Olson]

Nothing angers me more than being 3 days into a hike and someone pulls out a cell phone and makes a call. The whole reason I BP is to get away from the world, not to bring it into the backcountry with me.

[Michael Kingsley]

No way that I bring a phone on a hiking trip (if it is not any more than say 4 nights). I usually use hiking and the trip in general to get away from the business that the world throws at me on a daily basis. If you are going to hike to get away then dont bring the outside world with you.

My disclaimer to this would be if you are hiking a very significant distance and length of time. I would not even think about hiking (especially alone) for more than about 4-5 days without something to fall back on if something happened. My phone would be in my pack but would be off until needed.

Kingmachine7911

http://gahammockbros.blogspot.com/

[Nick Gatel]

"My disclaimer to this would be if you are hiking a very significant distance and length of time. I would not even think about hiking (especially alone) for more than about 4-5 days without something to fall back on if something happened."

But tens of thousands (probably) of backpackers did it before the advent of cell phones. What has changed that we now need phones?

[Cayenne Redmonk]

You don't get bonus points for causing others stress that can be prevented.

[Chris S]

"What has changed that we now need phones?"

I'm not sure anybody is saying the we "need" them (although I didn't read every post in this thread), but that the benefits a cell phone provides are worthwhile for some.

"Nothing angers me more than being 3 days into a hike and someone pulls out a cell phone and makes a call. The whole reason I BP is to get away from the world, not to bring it into the backcountry with me."

Sure, if people or whipping out there phones on the trail and making calls to chat with their friends that's pretty lame, but I don't think that's what people are talking about here.

[Mike W]

>> But tens of thousands (probably) of backpackers did it before the advent of cell phones. What has changed that we now need phones? <<

Nothing has changed in the back country however, there would be a small number of people that became missing person statistics back then that would just be an interesting rescue story today.

[John Jensen]

I think this new world with cell phones (our Star Trek Communicators) is different, but I'm OK with it. I'm on earth, with my communicator. When my communicator works everywhere (and batteries last a month) I'll be pretty happy.

[BlackHatGuy]

You might want to bring your smartphone to help you detect e coli….

[Mark Olah]

Just wanted to point out a few facts from the perspective an an active mountain rescue volunteer.

In response to earlier questions that when dialling 911, the phone system will use any available carrier, and it will even work for a phone without a contract. Carriers are required to take all 911 calls they receive. You can bring the tiniest phone possible with no contract and still have the benefit of 911.

The E911 system will give the operator and police/rescue an approximate position based on triangulation of the signal. This is often quite good, and potentially locates a lost person better
than what they can describe to the operator. Just like with GPS if you are in a canyon or near big cliff walls, this doesn't work well due to reflection, but normally you don't have good reception there either.

Probably 95%+ of the rescues we respond to originated with a cell phone call (of the party needing help). But hardly any of them are backpackers… so draw your own conclusions, but
I bring my phone (3.0 oz) off in an ziplock in my first aid kit.

[Author]

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