i would like some information from hikers who have had their journals on this site, or from their transcribers. being rather cyber unsavvy myself, i would like to learn from your experiences, if you would be willing to share…my email address is above.
thanx. jt
jt
This season I thru-hiked and used a PocketMail device to do so. I used a transcriber from this site and emailed a journal entry for each day to them. They did a copy and paste into my journal. It all seemed to work fine. The PocketMail device allows you to use any payphones and such to send and receive email. You can look at the device at PocketMail’s web site, www.pocketmail.com. One word of caution, I subscribed to their annual plan and was unavailable at the renewal time. They automatically renewed me for a year at a higher rate with no credit for cancelling early. I didn’t like not being told I was about to be renewed. I was on the trail at the time and if I had known I would have went on a monthy rate until I completed the trail. The trail took me longer than I expected and no it didn’t take a year. I got the device in late summer the summer before last.
Two Scoops
In '01 Sprint didn’t support/blocked it in Damascus. Great way to keep in touch. Same upsell on the new subscript. That sucked. My bro-in-law has used one for years. Esp if you have a large following. They’ll be mailing you with “When are we getting another post up, you’re behind?!” and “You made a mistake on your last one, the mileage is wrong.” Loads of fun though. Keeps everything neat. Lasts for months on one set of batts.
Bushwhack
I forgot to mention the load of email I got from supporters from all over the world. It was really neat getting it. Also, a lot of hikers that passed me emailed back to me. It also kept me from having to find a library all of the time. When you’re in town that takes one thing off of the list. My batteries also lasted well but I never used the backlight. The device prompt me for a battery change once. I changed them once more for GP.
Two Scoops
Now if we could only download maps to it and it got TV reception and could be DVD compatable, that’s a cool toy! Watch the Simpsons in the shelter! I don’t think anyone would say no to THAT electronic usage.
Bushwhack
Over the past few years, I’ve seen a lot of folks with Pocket Mail devices,and they’ve all seemed pretty happy with 'em.
However, not to be a killjoy or anything, but there’s a problem with these things and it’s growing each year, and that’s the fact that people with these or similar devices are being EXTRAORDINARILY selfish in their use of telephones in Trail towns, hostels, etc. In many places on the Trail, there’s only one public phone, or in some towns, they’re few and far between, or not close together. It’s incredibly rude of anyone to tie up one of these phones for calls of more than a few minutes when other folks are waiting. (At such places as Neels Gap, the NOC, Davenport Gap, Hot Springs, etc. there are frequently MANY folks waiting to use the few available phones, and in my experience, sooner or later everyone with a Pocketmail device startes pissing off a lot of impatient folks.)
To sum up—owning one of these devices, or the fact that you have an Internet journal does not give one the inherent right to ignore the needs or sensibilities of others—whether you have a Pocketmail device or not, keep your calls SHORT when other folks are waiting and phones are in short supply, and NEVER assume your machine or journal gives you the right to be rude to others, and if you’re really gonna be awhile collecting or sending your mail, do it on your OWN dime, on your own phone, preferably in a motel.
Sorry to have to mention this, but it’s a growing problem, and it’s usually people with Internet journals who’ve been the worst culprits. A little courtesy and respect for others goes a long way on the Trail.
Baltimore Jack
And about time, too! Best wishes to both of you re. holidays, etc., and lemme know if you’re gonna get Northwards this winter. New cabin should be finished or at least semi-habitable by mid-December. Always room for assorted trash passing thru.
Baltimore Jack
correct in assuming you’re in hanover? your plans for 2003? i’ll be at springer 20 march. join us?
Lone Wolf
How about re-arranging the above answers to; “It seems that phone usage has become a problem that last few years for many reasons. Besides being limited in there availablitly some folks forget that there are other people that need to use it.” Funny, when you’re deaf, you HAVE to use an e-mail device and they take a shorter amount of time to use than blabbing about how hard the trail is and I miss mommy. With a pocketmail over ten messages can be sent and recieved in less than sixty seconds. A phone conversation with a TTY operator can take half an hour just to say high.
Freakshow
Having an online journal was great fun. It helped me be consistant with writing journal notes. My family and friends were all able to keep up with my were abouts. I got great support which at times was much needed. --I have had a journal for the past 2 years. The first I hand wrorte my notes and sent them via snail mail. This worked just fine until my journalist began too busy with her own life and my notes just sat. Second year I used a pocketmail and my husband did the cut and paste routine. It worked great until my P-mail got a virus and corrupted the memory. I still liked the idea of the pocketmail and thanks to another hiker who didn’t care for it I was gifted a new one. – I have heard that the pocketmail usage has grown. Funny thing is I did not see one on the whole trip other then mine. Could be that the users were being discreet as I was when using it. As for hogging the public phone systems… I waited in line at a number of phones where other hikers were just shoot’n the breeze, to one, two, three different numbers. Some folks just don’t have a clue when it comes to sharing a public phone and it has nothing to do with pocketmail users. Just my thoughts. Hammock Hanger
HammockHanger
Having an online journal was great fun. It helped me be consistant with writing journal notes. My family and friends were all able to keep up with my were abouts. I got great support which at times was much needed. --I have had a journal for the past 2 years. The first I hand wrorte my notes and sent them via snail mail. This worked just fine until my journalist began too busy with her own life and my notes just sat. Second year I used a pocketmail and my husband did the cut and paste routine. It worked great until my P-mail got a virus and corrupted the memory. I still liked the idea of the pocketmail and thanks to another hiker who didn’t care for it I was gifted a new one. – I have heard that the pocketmail usage has grown. Funny thing is I did not see one on the whole trip other then mine. Could be that the users were being discreet as I was when using it. As for hogging the public phone systems… I waited in line at a number of phones where other hikers were just shoot’n the breeze, to one, two, three different numbers. Some folks just don’t have a clue when it comes to sharing a public phone and it has nothing to do with pocketmail users. Just my thoughts. Hammock Hanger
HammockHanger
Hey, H, I think Pocketmail has some virus software unless you have one of the older units like ours. I seem to remember something about it in PC Magazine, a article last year about palms getting sick. I think the newer ones you can bus to it from your home pc and get something working. Dunno. But since I’m not allowed to use the phone we put in the desk along with the carbide tips off our trekking poles.
Bushwhack
The inevitable follow-on question to any talk about gear: how much does one of these puppies weigh? Does one need to carry xtra stuff to make work, e.g., recharge cord, etc.?
Papillon
Somebody got on someone’s wrong side with a pocketmail device. I agree with Hammock Hanger in that overall payphone use is up there. Although I know I personally never saw another pocketmail type device in front of me at a payphone. And on the trail I think I saw maybe two hikers with one of the suckers besides me. People I saw pretty much kept them out of sight. Yes, I do agree that there are rude people when it comes to phone usage but I had bigger problems trying to get a shower at hostel or doing my laundry. The fact is there are just too many people out there at times. I’m not complaining about crowds however. I know at Full Goose Shelter this year, right before Mahoosuc Notch, we had forty thru-hikers for the night. We had a good time. Of course there was no payphone to come between us.
As Bushwhack said, the device is a little bigger than a checkbook. It takes two AA batteries and mine lasted about two to three months. You save battery life if you use your Tikka rather than the backlight.
Two Scoops
Hey, Two Scoops! I was at Full-Goose too! You are right about one thing… no cells or other electronic hindrances to our hiking enjoyment! How else could we all have enjoyed the A.T.'s version of the Hatfields (NOBOS) and McCoys (SOBOS)getting together for a big family reunion! LOL
Spanky
My only problem is I don’t know have the names of the people in the group photo.
twoscoops