I plan to do a large section of the South CA trail starting in April. What is the best and cheapest way to do a journal? Are the cell phones and/or palm computers adequate for the trip? What about service? Is the Pocketmail stll best?
james butler
PCT cell phone or pocketmail
system
#2
James;
There have been a few threads along this line lately, with lots of opinions. Do a search in the forum. One is: http://www.trailforums.com/index2.cfm?action=detail&PostNum=29555&Thread=10&roomID=7&entryID=90207
Good luck on your hike.
Garlic
system
#3
I do not know how good yhe reception is on the PCT. It is pretty good on the AT. If all you want to do is update your journal pocketmail is fine. Heavy but fine. If you want voice and text message capability a cell phone works. Some models are pretty small. They add an additional level of communication, and are great in the event of an emergency. With a cell phone it is best to leave a journal entry as a voicemail. More powerful yet are phones which have he added capabiliy to send email, search the web, etc. These come in sizes not much larger than a normal cell phone. Of course the addl service for these phones costs more. If I were to do it again I would opt for a phone that can send/receive email and perform web access. I know it is not necessary, it simply adds a lot of additional capabilities. Even with a normal cell phone you are limited to contact information in your pack. With the smart phone you can find the email address/phone number of anyone and contact them from the trial. Just mu thoughts.
Steady On
SteadyOn
system
#4
i’m thinkin’ about phone choices, too…i’ve been really impressed with the fact that STUMPKNOCKER has been able to keep us all updated DAILY with journals AND current pics…(he’s got a picture of his, in fact, on his journal now…it’s a
maw-ee
system
#5
i’m thinkin’ about phone choices, too…i’ve been really impressed with the fact that STUMPKNOCKER has been able to keep us all updated DAILY with journals AND current pics…(he’s got a picture of his phone, in fact, on his journal now…it’s a QUERTY KEYBOARD LGenV…anybody else had any experience with this one?..how much does it weigh?..i’m wonderin’ about cost, too…and yes…will it work for the PCT?
maw-ee
system
#7
On the northern Oregon and Washington sections of the PCT I’ve hiked recently, cell phone reception was non-existent. Occasionally you pick up an analog signal, but those are disappearing next month, per FCC ruling. You might luck out on a mountaintop or close to a town.
On most of my hikes in the OR and WA Cascades, I lose cell phone reception while in the car long before I reach the trailhead. I don’t think you’ll be doing much calling from the trail up here!
grannyhiker
system
#8
Dude Cell phones are awesome to have with you. Hydro had one, and we definetly used it all the time. I dont know about journaling with it. Texting would use lots of battery power. Gesh (Josh Meier is the name on the journal) and Junkfood both had Pocket Mail, and we nicknamed them team Game Boy since they were always writing on them, then sending their gameboy scores in at every telephone along the way. This seems practical since they would sit in their tent or tents and plug away nightly or when the mood hit and didnt have to worry about patchy cell service. Every day you can get cell service on the PCT. You just need to be high (altitude that is:smokin ) Also it saved my but when my REI pack broke and I needed to call them for a replacement on Mt. Jensen after Onyx Summit. You will have days when you feel down and want to call Mom too, when it’s pouring rain in Oregon from your tent. Plus if you get in trouble on trail you can use it as a life line. Pocket Mail cant do that I dont think. Also people can leave you messages. If you dont want to communicate with certain people just get a new number and only give it to friends and family. Big Hint : Program in the Numbers to all the gear companies whose products you use. Really hard to find REI or LEKI’s number in the middle of Kings Canyon Wilderness. Also you will meet freinds on trail. Most will have cell phones, and you can exchange numbers for after trail, or to call when your in town bored and want to have a beer with your buddies. Or forget it and just hike and have fun with one less thing to worry about carrying.
Guino
system
#9
As Guino indicates, everyone that carries a cell phone can give examples of when it really saved the day. On my hike a lady got lost while taking a hike from a church outing and ended up at an AT shelter. We used a cell phone to call the church and establish a road crossing where we could arrange a pickup. I walked her to the meeting point and a very happy thankful family. I could not find the exact model Stumpknocker is using but it has internet and email access so it is at the high end. The keyboard is like a PC with a letter per key (QUERTY). Normal cell phones have several letters/key so to slect a letter you may need to hit the key several times in quick succession. OK for text messages but not journals.The advantage of internett access is you don’t need to worry about having all the phone numbers you will need, just look them up on the web. You can even get their email address and send them email. One big disadvantage to this technology is cost. For internet access and email capability you will probably pay an extra $25/mo minimum.
Steady On
Steady On
system
#10
I usually held up my Pocketmail to my cell phone on the PCT and sent and received emails back and forth for journal purposes. I had to put my cell phone into analog mode most times to get a successful connection so you might need to have analog capability on your cell phone to get that to work. My cell phone was a Kyocera Q3035.
Many times I had to stand on my left foot and recite a cup holder incantation to get all that to work correctly (verily I say unto you we shall not a spillith the coffee on the carpet of green acrylic). But usually I could get a journal email sent out and receive emails on a regular basis in most places along the PCT. My cell phone displayed enough information that I could tell which direction the cell signal would have the greatest success and which foot to stand on.
Your cell phone mileage may vary.
You also might want to think about not carrying a cell phone at all and just gather up all your Pocketmail journal entries and send them when you get to town. Less hassle and stress that way I’d imagine and you’d be carrying less weight literally and figuratively.
I guess that means do as I say, not as I do.
Datto
Datto
system
#11
I don’t want to sound like a party pooper on cell phones - but as grannhiker mentioned - there is not much cell phone reception along the PCT (unlike the AT). You will find reception as you get near towns - however for a majority of the trail - the cell phone providers would have a hard time saying more bars and can you hear me now. Last summer on the JMT, reception was only available in YV, TM, RM and across the lake at VVR. Even on Mt. Whitney (with Lone Pine down the hill) - calls were not available. I don’t know what provider Guino has - but Kings Canyon would be difficult to get cell reception.
There are many cell phones that now have email, note taking capabilities that would be a great marriage of pocket mail and a cell phone. Thus you can turn the transmit feature off, type your notes and then when you get reception, email the notes. I agree that having a cell phone is a nice item - just don’t depend on them for survival and wilderness emergencies out west.
-martin
OregonBeerMan
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#12
Why does the thought of folks chatting on their cell phones while hiking make me cringe? Call me a luddite but one of the reasons I hike is to get away from all the little annoying stresses of modern life. Its amazing how quickly people have become addicted to being constantly connected to the rest of the world.
I think one of the joys of hiking and travelling in geneal is trying to make do when you’re a little bit out of your element. Being able to call folks from the trail just seems to defeat the whole idea of hiking, being self-sufficient, and opening yourself up to what the trail throws your way. I also like the fact that I get homesick and lonely and uncomfortable. It makes me appreciate everything I’ve got when I go home.
Hopefully the folks carrying the cell phones will use them judiciously and not yap away in the shelters.
stryker