I don’t mean to bring this up, beacause I dislike Wingfoot as much as the next guy, but I found this rather amusing. I was talking to my mom about the issue of cell phones and how WF will let anybody have it if he sees them with a cell phone. My mom replied, “Well, he can kick you off of his website, but he can’t kick you off of the mountain” 
jonisonecooldude
Who cares if Wingnut doesn’t like cell phones? I don’t like anchovies, but I don’t insist that nobody else eats them. This kind of proprietary attitude is common among trail snobs who think they own all things AT. If you want to carry a cell phone and a portable satellite dish and the bumper of a '56 Chevy just because it makes you feel more safe, go for it. Screw 'im. HYOH.
Possum Meat
Wasn’t there a fellow a couple years ago that carried a tuba at least part-way through a thru-hike?
I’d like to see WF go after that! :lol
RockyTrail
ran into him while I was hiking north out of Hanover and he was going south… Ran into him when he was at Hawk MTN shelter when I was again going north and he was one day away from Springer… The guy also ran marathons with it…
Aswah
B-jack falls in same category as wingnut. whats up Aswah, did ya’ll tie the knot yet
keytone
So, I’m wondering how many people who are bashing wingfoot also have used his guide. Even if you didn’t purchase it, have you ever taken a look at another person’s WF guide while on the trail?
I know many people, actually, who don’t really care for hearing the ring of a cellphone while out in the middle of the wilderness, especially when these are the types of things some people are trying to temporarily escape.
It’s insane how we could completely do without a cell phone without any problems 10 years ago, and now most of us can’t even walk to the mail box without it.
Anyway, to each his/her own. I wouldn’t yell at someone for having a cellphone in the middle of the woods, but can completely understand why it irks some people.
bearbait
“Irks” is one thing…being verbally attacked is another. Consideration by all is the prime thing. Most of us are sort of hypocritical about something…I don’t like cell phones either…except when I use one!! As Aswah says…“can you feel the love?” :cheers
leah
Hey, how did y’all get a cell phone? i ain’t got no cell phone, the warden don’t allow it round here no ways
Rocky Trail
Feel the love. Does it really mater, in the big picture, if someone carries a cell? At least they’re not DRIVING while they’re talking! :happy Only 52 days left, yikes!
Tyger
We decided not to bring cellphones on our trip mainly because we didn’t want to carry the weight. =) However, we just wanted to share an incidence that we witnessed related to cell phones:
In the Smoky Mountains a hiker developed a bleeding ulcer that put him in a danger of dying. He was on a blood thinner so he was bleeding out fast and dangerously. He couldn’t walk and kept passing out. The nearest town was over a day hikes away and we were in the middle of a snow storm. Thank goodness another thru-hiker had a cell phone and called Miss Janet to get help. A team of paramedics drove 4-wheelers up a fire road and after hours, were able to carry him out on a stretcher. As it was, this hiker almost lost his life even after being in the hospital because of how much blood he lost (he was losing more than they could put in). Without the use of a thru-hiker’s cell phone, he would have died.
We carried Wingfoot with us too, so we are probably being hypocritical for saying this, but people’s lives are more important than carrying on the tradition of what Wingfoot believes as the “real thru-hike”. I think that is hard to argue.
daveandmiranda
HIKE YOUR OWN HIKE!!! Cell phone, no cell phone, no camp stove or a coleman, 10lb pack or 80lb pack, who cares. Just get out and hike for the love of all things sacred man.
hiker trash
Funny. The only reason I have a cell phone is for hiking. Consider it safty gear. But I hike solo and not on the AT so I will not likely encounter other hikers.
180
Carry or don’t carry, I don’t have a strong opinion so long as you use it discreetly. But if you are depending on a cell phone to save your life, keep in mind that coverage in both rural areas and in mountain hollows is notoriously bad.
The A.T. is routed mostly in rural areas and is in hollows as much or more than it is on ridgetops.
Skyline
wingfoot can be a tool at times but the guidebook is useful. however, he does get paid for it, so its not like we should bow down and thank our lucky stars that this humble servant of the mountains graced our lives with his holy word. so if you wanna complain about what a dork he is, rock on!
i like the idea of having a cell phone in case of emergency, as long as one remembers it could crap out on you at any time and there is no substitute for being mentally prepared for the worst. but dont sit in a shelter full of people and call your huggy wuggy snuggy bear just because youre lonely and bored. but accost someone if they do
crash! bang!