Has the spirit of ultralight been lost?

It’s not just the phone. It’s the gear to charge the phone. It’s planning a trip around the needs of a phone. But if you think of them as a light camera, I see the point.

for me a paper map is easier and more foolproof than an electronic device–simpler. But for offtrail, having a gps certainly makes sense.

Steve Roper used to knock over ducks when he was offtrail because he felt they ruined the wilderness and the adventure of route finding. I can’t find my way out of a paper bag so always liked ducks. In any case, I doubt he likes gps.

Also I suppose that for me, a phone carries the smell of civilization more than a map. It’s a bit more of a tether to the world, if only because of all the habits it’s come to embody. It’s an odd companion. I think there’s a psychological aspect of leaving a phone behind that is itself interesting.

I went on a retreat at a monastery on the Ca.north coast where there was no phone service. Too remote! The nuns approved of that for their guests. It was part of leaving stuff behind and focusing on the now with few distractions.

I’m doubtless making too much of this.

of course, the argument could be made that phone gps actually serves to open up a wilderness experience for more people because it gives them a tool for going off trail. They may not otherwise.

It’s funny to see how there seems to be two groups of backpackers—Those who rail against the smartphone (on a trip) and those who do not.

The apologists for the phone always chime in and point out its advantages, while the curmudgeons generally hate the things and hate to see the overall American culture descend into Pixel Addiction.  (You can see which side I’m on).

It’s not the screens themselves which are “verboten”–as I carry a digital camera with a screen—and a 2005 Tracfone for text and call only—but to me it’s the ever enticing allure to get online with a phone which seems “evil”.  Don’t know why as here I am at home and online.

My overriding desire on a trip though is to not be connected in any way to the InterWad.  I get enough of it at home.  A trip therefore represents a sort of monkish retreat from Syphilization—no cars, no electricity, no piped in water, no central heat or air conditioning, no folding money, no commerce, no google or online chats, no GPS madness, no streaming blog ETC.

Navigational aids don’t bug me, but bringing a paper map is helpful, assuming one knows how to use one w/compass, …  especially when the chips are down.

Noticing as smartphones become more capable, they prefer bigger chargers (18W is now preferred over the lighter 5W, which was the standard, and the sales floor said now it’s the default, though I cannot find confirmation) and probably more battery if a power bank is to be used such as long trips.

Besides also being a camera and at least rudimentary  GPS, the smartphone is very helpful during long trips to keep tabs on finances and relationships.  Also return tickets and email confirmations help.  Wish the ultralight mentality would hit consumer electronics.

Before smartphone, i brought 5 oz camera, and 2.25 oz dumb phone.  I only used dumbphone to send a text once/day to wife. Sometimes once every few days. Took battery out of it except to use….it would last 3 weeks that way.   On longer trips i also brought xtra camera battery, another 1 oz.  So that was about  8 oz total.  But i mailed a tablet to destination to use for travel arrangements at end too.

Now, i bring 5 oz smartphone, and a 3.5-6 oz batt pack.  Still send one text per day to wife.  But like gps to show where are, and watch movie or read books at night if cant sleep.  Also extra maps, trail guides, etc on phone can be nice.

Actually having good internet isnt that common, thankfully.

I like Luke’s point about going light to add challenge in groomed environments.

In serious wilderness with unpredictable weather you take what you need to survive. Though with modern gear, that may only be 2 or 3 lbs more.

If you’re doing a trail with little intrinsic challenge, experimenting with just how light you can go is a way to add a little excitement without any real real jeopardy, as you can usually bail out quite easily if things go pear-shaped. Not so much of an option if you’re deep into the Brooks…

“If people are having a good time who am I to criticize.”

Yup.

“but to me it’s the ever enticing allure to get online with a phone which seems “evil”.”

I think for many people who bring phones into the wilderness, getting online isn’t part of the equation. It certainly isn’t for me. It’s a GPS, a compass and altimeter, a camera, it’s a music device (I go to sleep to music, both at home and in the woods). Not much else. It’s almost always in Airplane mode.

“It’s planning a trip around the needs of a phone.”

I think you’re overselling this a bit. While it’s one of the things people take into account, I don’t know of many people who plan a trip around the needs of a phone. I think, more likely, people plan what they might need for electronics around their trip, if that makes sense.

“Definitely want to be cremated just for the warmth.”

That’s hilarious!

Kelly

“the smartphone is very helpful during long trips to keep tabs on finances”

Now that is truly packing one’s fears.  ;0)

“the smartphone is very helpful during long trips to keep tabs on finances”

Now that is truly packing one’s fears…

Actually no.  There’s been verified cases where an employee in a trail town skimmed multiple hiker credit card #s, as they know in some locales, backpackers won’t get the alerts until they get cell phone service next.

Credit cards will make good on any losses but a  scammed debit card (tougher with a pin# but that can be observed) can end a trip.  Still it’s a hassle…

There’s  the case for carrying cash, but more cash makes one a bigger target.   Not to mention physical loss which happens..

Definitely want to be cremated just for the warmth.
Oh, you can be quite warm in the after life … :)

Cheers

Credit cards will make good on any losses but a scammed debit card (tougher with a pin# but that can be observed)
But surely any sensible person would take precautions to ensure their fingers were NOT observed while entering their PIN?
A good reason to travel in pairs: I cover Sue’s back while she is getting money from an ATM, and v/v.

There are other ways of being scammed. Sue put $16,000 into my CC while we were at home in Oz a week before an overseas trip (to avoid overdrawn charges). Within 1 day someone had racked up $14,000 charges on luxury clothing in London on my card – while we were still in Sydney, Oz. The bank caught it as abnormal and blocked it, but they also (predictably) denied that the scam could have come from within the bank. “Oh no, of course not”. But they did refund every penny.

Sue checks our accounts every day for any fraud.

Cheers

“Credit cards will make good on any losses but a  scammed debit card”

Which is an excellent argument for using only credit cards and perhaps bring a small amount of cash along for mom and pop businesses.  That way you don’t have to check your finances while you’re living the dream.  Debit cards are always risky, but when you’re going to be out of touch for days or weeks, I don’t think it’s a very good idea to use them.

When we are walking overseas, I carry a Credit Card and Sue carries a Debit card. At one stage we even had one Visa and one Mastercard. I remember one time the local bank network in one small area of Austria would not accept my card – but it would accept Sue’s. It was a bank network error!

The moral is that it can be useful to have not one but two strings to the bow when traveling.

A note: always tell your Bank and your CC provider when you are traveling and to what countries. Mostly, they will watch your back. Well, the Oz ones do, anyhow.

Cheers

“A note: always tell your Bank and your CC provider when you are traveling and to what countries. Mostly, they will watch your back. Well, the Oz ones do, anyhow.”

It’s the same here, perhaps a little more so, because if I don’t they may not let transactions go through in an area outside my general use pattern.  I think banks have been left holding the bag so many times here, they’ve gotten a bit twitchy.

Cheers

Twitchy is good.

I only use credit cards

My daughter in grad school out of state had her debit skimmed somewhere she got gas we think after christmas…..cleaned her account of $900.   Bank replaced money and issued another.  It was a 2 week ordeal where she had no access to money.  She  had some groceries and gas, and got by. (We would have wired her $ if needed)

I had a credit card attempted to be used to buy $130 pizza in arizona a few weks ago.  It was declined.  I had gone on trip recently….one restaurant i gave my card to waiter….i was able to tell the card people this. Only time it left my hand in months.

speaking as a highly trained therapist***I’ll simply say that all of my patients have experienced great benefits from backpacking into the wilderness and completely forgetting their finances, mortgages and home security issues. they all speak of the great relief they feel from unburdening themselves of a weight that had become so familiar they no longer knew that they carried it.

The spirit of ultralight carries over into everyday life too.

***in my own imagination. My patients are imaginary too.