let me begin by saying that i know there are many who think that cell phones should not be used, or even discussed, on the trail. i understand that. this question is for the others: for those of you who did take a phone, who has the best overall service, particularly as between sprint, cingular and t-mobile? i am particularly interested in hearing from anyone who carried a phone the whole way. thanks.
David
…That you don’t want anyone mentioning the Fish and Wildlife Service reports that estimate 4-40 MILLION birds are killed annually by flying into cell phone towers (many of which are now in National Parks and Forests, thanks to your convenience) in foggy conditions as they are presumably attracted to the glaring airplane warning lights?
Or were you just talking about social impacts?
Tha Wookie
I’ll be heading out for a month and a half through VA and PA in June by myself and would like to have a phone as well, but have no idea what service is like down there.
I don’t have a phone now, and really don’t want one long term. Does anyone know anything about those pre-paid deals?
3D
Dan Bruce a/k/a Wingfoot has put together a good booklet outlining coverage areas and signal strength along the AT. He’s also a good source for tips on cellular providers with good service along the trail.
Give Wingfoot an email or call on his cell phone (number available at www.trailplace.com).
Analog
I wonder how many birds were killed during the eruption of MT. St. Helens. Probably a few , just a guess.
Mt. St. Helens
A lot of people were killed in both natural distasters, I can’t say about birds (but the Fish and Wildlife Service probably can). If, in either case, the deaths could have been prevented, they probably should have been.
Tha Wookie
No, don’t build walls to cut off tornados. Storms are nature’s way of culling bloated populations. Same with hurricanes, removes those who are too lazy or stupid to get out of the way. The population as a whole benefits from that drag on the gene pool.
steve hiker
It seems amazing to me that out of 19 posts only one addressed David’s question. If you don’t agree with him just skip this thread! He has a legitimate question that deserves a legitimate answer. I don’t use a cell phone, but walked with several who did. Verizon, I think had decent service for them. I hope David doesn’t get the idea that everyone on the trail is rude to people who use cell phones. We aren’t!
oldkathy
I had cingular, but bounced my cell phone from town to town, for use to talk to family at home. It didn’t really get service in the southern towns until Erwin. Lots of people had verizon and it seemed to work well.
I did appreciate the fellow hiker that busted out a cell phone at a road crossing to call and get us all a shuttle into town while we we drenched in the pouring rain.
I agree the towers suck, the PA ridge line has tons of them all over the place.
Blip
I think this may have gotten lost in the junk up there…
Tracfone uses many (if not all) of the major carriers to provide coverage. It is prepaid, so if you don’t use it much, it’s a good deal. You can buy minutes that last a full year (the problem with most prepaid is that the minutes expire in a month or two).
Check out www.tracfone.com
Gravity Man
Gravity Man
but I actually love those cell towers. Maybe it’s the engineer in me that appreciates their functionality, maybe it’s the contrast of that skeleton stuck right in the middle of the surrounding widerness?
In any case, it sounds as if the tracfone is the way to go. Thanks for the info gravityman.
3D
Hey, Wookie, where can I scoop up some of them dead birds? I would like to add some to my Ramen noodles.
Hoss
Cingular wireless has proposed to the Smokies about putting up a cell phone tower on the NC side of New Found Gap, and then two more on the way towards Cherokee. Due to a contract or something they have to atleast consider. But that will sure make the views ugly if you were looking at a Cell phone tower instead of the mountains
Lizz
There are effective ways to disguise cell towers. The town of Cary, NC is notoriously fussy about what they’ll let people put up. They made someone put up a cell tower disquised as a pine tree. Believe it or not, it’s hard to spot in among the other pine trees around here.
When I recently changed jobs I drove by it for nearly six months before I spotted it (and I’m an electrical engineer who tends to notice things like cell phone towers). I wonder what was the added cost?
Arthur
Better be careful Arthur, some of them Cary boys will try to cut it down and sell it fer firewood or at least kinlin’
icantsleep
The problem as I see it is once we let one company get in our park, the rest of them will be right behind. The towers also require electricity and a phone line. We don’t need this in our park. Happy Hiking.
ted holdridge
Yup, I will celebrate Nude Day for all the ladies. Young women I make gush, old women I make blush. And the cute young things, I give a flush.:tongue
Nude Man
I hiked a small section just south of Harper’s Ferry last fall. I took my T-Mobile cell phone with me and got a decent signal just about everywhere on the trail and at the shelters. I actually got a better signal at the David Lesser shelter than I get at home. I did not get much signal in the White mtns. Hope this helps.
Serge