Connected on the trail

Just say no… (to the connected addition…)

Billy

Exactly.

As a solo hiker I do take my phone, but like I take a FAK. I just have it in my pack, off. Not using it unless I would really need it.

The issue was her parents expecting her to return calls just because she had it. Kinda like how if you own a spot, people are going to expect you do send ok messages.

That's exactly why I bought an ACR PLB instead of a Spot… and why I tell my family that there is no cell reception in the mountains where I go so I don't pack my phone.

Sometimes you have to 'just say no' to other people's addictions…

Ito…. FAK ???

Billy

Billy Ray – First Aid Kit.

Justin Baker – Definitely true. Although that also should be easy to remedy – just needs some explaining up front.

I think I read it more as a general thing, though. Of being connected to the web but at the cost of being connected to the wonders in your immediate surroundings.

edit- like this quote:
"Among the hikers are dedicated bloggers who post every blister
to trailjournals.com, squandering precious time that could be spent watching fireflies and shooting stars, said Laurie Potteiger, spokeswoman for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. "Smartphones can steal your eyes away from the beauty around you," she said."

Is a curse that will eventually ruin the true outdoor experience for everyone.

I carry an ACR PLB so they can find my remains if I get a chance to pull the trigger, but I fail to understand how people can no longer spend time alone in the company of no one except themselves.

"Is a curse that will eventually ruin the true outdoor experience for everyone."

Indeed, the SEKI park superintendent once told me they spend a lot of time fighting the lobby to put cell phone towers in the back country. They are even sued by people claiming they could have gotten to medical help sooner if there were cell towers in the back country of the national parks.

I won't be surprised when it happens. Though I may cut my own throat that day :(

Billy

I use my phone for taking pictures, gps navigation, storing ebooks, and storing general information.

I don't see anyone complaining about cameras, gps devices, or books ruining the wilderness experience.

Just a lighter and more convenient way of doing things.

It's only a distraction if you make it it one.

I'm a bit of a tech head but you learn after awhile.

First trip with the smart phone, I turned it off and seven days later it went back on with sufficient charge to ring home.

Next big trip, I took a solar charger but there was no sun so the Iphone had no charge for nine days and when the trip was finished, I couldn't ring home.

My last trip was fourteen days in a semi desert environment, so lots of sun, solar panel paradise but it was still a hassle. I didn't have a desire to play with the PLB, so I need something like that.

Next time, take a non-smart phone along with the PLB.

I like to phone home each day. Wife doesn't worry. I don't worry about her. Some fairly minor event could happen I might want to go home a bit earlier than the original plan.

It's funny – I'm putting my stuff together for my JMT this year – my first solo trip! – and I'm finding myself swamped with tech stuff. And the interesting thing is that I'm not at tech person at home. I still haven't figured out what Twitter is.

I have my iPhone so I can face time my mom and my 3 year old niece when I get to Reds and VVR.
I have my camera. I bought a new sony rx100 iii so at least its smaller than my bigger Nikon prosumer DSLR wanna-be
I have my Delorme SE because it's a requirement from my family on this, my first solo (even if the JMT is a highway….).
I have my nook. Because I truly love to read by a mountain stream, my feet in the cool water, the sun on my face, leaning against a rock…it's absolute heaven for me. And it's MUCH lighter than bringing my paperback copy of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 100 Years of Solitude. This is MY luxury item.

All of these things has its own cable.
I am still figuring out if I'll bring the Suntastics-5 charger, or get a battery brick.

I go over and over about which of these I'm "willing" to sacrifice…and unfortunately I feel like they all should join me. I want to chuck the iPhone and the Delorme. Interestingly, those are the ones that, selfishly, aren't about me.

I'm sure my therapist would have something to say about that…..

Glad to see some of you addicts admitting cell use in the backcountry…. acknowledging there is a problem is the 1st step.. :)
Billy

You are one sick puppy, Jen

I was very skeptical, but I tried the kindle app on my iphone and find that it doesn't suck that bad. Not optimal, but fine for my lit fix. Haven't been able to forgo my camera yet for the iphone cam. The iphone does a ton of things, but in the end most of them like GPS I don't use/need. But it does replace a lot of stuff that weighs more that it does. God I hate saying that!

I started by finally caving and taking an inreach in order to deal with an ontrail resupply, but now I think on most other trip I would bring it and leave the iphone in the car. Most of my trips are solo, and many in places where I really am alone. I gave myself a 1 lb budget for all my luxury/tech stuff. Not really making it with the inreach.

I wish there was a device that was a GPS with topo map and could also send/receive text messages. It could encorporate a camera also.

"Sometimes you have to 'just say no' to other people's addictions…"

And sometime you just have to say HYOH and stop worrying about what others do.

I went on a hike with my neighbor, who brought his cell. In the first three hours, there were three calls from his wife. He was updated about his granddaughter sitting up for the first time. He was updated about his own daughter going shopping. There were pictures to share. We had to stop each time so that he could respond. It was awful. Leave the frickin thing at home.

Oh and of course there were calls on the drive up, asking about where we were on the road. Really?

It will only get worse before lots of people have to get treatment for addiction to these devices and more public awareness is put out to curb the behavior. Facebook addiction seems pretty bad, along with texting addiction.

But what you mention is neither of those but simply wanting to talk on the phone and not let go for a day/few days.

to be self regulating enough to find a way to keep some part of the world off limits to the invasion of technology. We are just 1/2 step from sitting on a pristine lake deep in the wilderness while listening to someone 1/2 mile away watching utube or netflix on their flex screen satellite enabled 2.7 oz. tv with dolby surround sound….

"I don't see anyone complaining about cameras, gps devices, or books ruining the wilderness experience." Thats because they don't infringe on others space which cell phones do with all their sounds when you got a msg, a call, a notification etc. besides some yahoo pacing along the edge of the lake yakking it up….

"I like to phone home each day. Wife doesn't worry. I don't worry about her. Some fairly minor event could happen I might want to go home a bit earlier than the original plan."
So you need to know about MINOR events while you are backpacking? Ever think that maybe the wife would like a little space and wishes you could just go away for a few days so she could have a little peace and quiet without you feeling the urge to constantly stay in touch. Maybe when you call home and tell her how great you are doing that she gets a little pi$$ed off because she is still in the real world dealing with daycare, lousy bosses, traffic jams, etc…why ruin her day just because you are having a good one? Maybe its a good idea to keep it to yourself awhile….

Fortunately, I am old enough to remember when backpacking included your pack, a map and compass and instructions left with the home crew as to where to look if you didn't show up on time. It added to the excitement to know you were truly taking a risk to go on your adventure. Home on time meant up to two days past your expected to arrival so that it gave me the time to spend an extra day without worry. Resupplies were well coordinated in advance instead of handled with a "prayer and a promise" thinking I could just dial up support on my "device" if all didn't go as planned.

It's hard for me to understand how people expect to unplug from the rat race when you take it with you?

Technology is a great thing in the right venue, but unfortunately many people have no throttle on their personal desires to "connect" and don't mind subjecting everyone in the area to their addiction.

I can imagine when some tech junkie working for a mega biz develops some new "functionality" and next thing ya know your rock in the wilderness may as well be a stool in the bar down the street from your house….why not find a bar with an outdoorsy mural on the wall and just stay home??

And by the way, no one really cares what you had for lunch today on the trail anyway….

IMHO

>> "I don't see anyone complaining about cameras, gps devices, or books ruining the wilderness experience." Thats because they don't infringe on others space which cell phones do with all their sounds when you got a msg, a call, a notification etc. besides some yahoo pacing along the edge of the lake yakking it up….

I was hiking along one day, when I turned a corner and started to hear this obnoxious voice droning on and on and on… I was on switchbacks, but as I got closer, I realized that it was some guy arguing with someone on the phone (!). Man, I couldn't hike fast enough to get away from that droning voice — and it took forever to put enough ridges between me and him. Total buzz-kill. I went from feeling tranquility to feeling anxious in seconds flat, and even when I got beyond the sound, somehow the bad mood stuck with me.

I've only answered my phone once on the trail (usually I remember to put it in airplane mode) — and I made sure to step off-trail and keep my voice VERY quiet so that I wouldn't be "that person who was yakking loudly and ruining the wilderness for everyone"!

That said, using your phone in a way that doesn't bother others isn't something I want to criticize. I think the sort of people who are "glued" to their phones in the wilderness are the type of people who don't notice/care what's going on around them anyway. I've hiked – once – with those types: they may as well be in the gym; for them it's just "exercising" or "socializing", and they have no real interest in the wilderness, per se. The phone is just another way for them to manifest that.

Hmm, well, I don't typically hike in places with cell reception. Even my local state park, which borders right up to suburbs, only has cell service up above on the ridges.

"Hmm, well, I don't typically hike in places with cell reception. Even my local state park, which borders right up to suburbs, only has cell service up above on the ridges."

+1. I don't even get cell reception at my house, let alone in the backcountry. All depends, like gear decisions, on where you hike. So I've never encountered the cell phone problem mentioned here. Even if I did, I'd just blast on by them and the 30 seconds of intrusion wouldn't ruin my day.

But to show what a heretic I am on the subject of technology in the backcountry: On Friday it started raining a little before I got to camp. As soon as I got there, I sent an OK message from my inReach. Then I got my shelter up and got inside and spent the next 13 hours there. I used the Kindle app on my phone to do some reading and (GASP!) listened to some music on my Sansa clip. And enjoyed the 2 Deviant Dale's IPAs my dog was nice enough to carry along. Turned a boring evening stuck in the shelter into a quite enjoyable one. Didn't end up doing any fishing like I was planning due to the rain and biting flies, but still had a good time. It may not be have been everyone's idea of how to backpack but I really don't care anyway. As long as no one intrudes on other's experience, HYOH.

By coincidence, this article I wrote for Trail Groove magazine was on this very subject:
http://www.trailgroove.com/issue16.html?autoflip=49

tl;dr:

Interactive technology in the backcountry is here to stay. Let's hope it stays a personal choice. If you decide to take interactive technology, treat it like going to the bathroom: Discreetly, off into the woods a bit and being courteous of fellow backpackers.

"It may not be have been everyone's idea of how to backpack but I really don't care anyway. As long as no one intrudes on other's experience, HYOH."

Yes but they do intrude…
I find most tech addicts about as aware of bothering others as smokers…
Very obnoxious…

Sadly, it will only get worse.

Billy