Cell phones and hiking

[Grumpy]

I carry a cell phone on many hikes, but not because I’m some inexperienced neophyte who relies on technology to blow his nose and keep him out of trouble. The thing is in my pack because it makes Mrs. Grumpy more cheerful. She thinks it might be useful should I run into serious trouble along the way. Hah! Our cell phone is useless in most places I hike. But if it makes Mrs. G feel more comfy with my going, why not?

Maybe one day I’ll call home from a mountaintop (if I can get a signal), just to give Mrs. G the old “guess where I’m calling from!” business. Could be fun. Meanwhile, the cell phone will continue to be used when the old man is homeward bound on the road.

A friend tells me that his wife insisted he have an effective phone with him on a recent trip to Alaska. Cell phone coverage is nonexistant where he planned to go. He rented a satellite telephone, which evidently works just about anywhere, but it wasn’t cheap: $39 a week, plus $1.80 a minute for calls. The device weighed 13 oz.

G.

 

[steppinwolf]

The thing is in my pack because it makes Mrs. Grumpy more cheerful. She thinks it might be useful should I run into serious trouble along the way. Hah! Our cell phone is useless in most places I hike.

I can relate to that. My wife shares the same feelings and she gets after me to carry one if I hike alone, despite my resistance.

One other thing I'll say about hikers and cell phones. I think most hikers are the types of people who are aware of the importance of solitude and will keep their phones turned off along the hike and pretty much use them just for emergency. The times that they do use them, even if it's for the occasional recreational purpose, they would probably use them in private...out of the range of other hikers' ears. Hey, hikers in general are considerate and thoughtful people.

 

[Maddy]

It would appear that cell phones are here to stay. I used one last year when my friend and I found ourselves on the Webster Cliff trail as the sun was setting. We should have been on the Mizpah Cutoff but took the wrong way down. I injured myself on steep wet rock and it was unclear if I could make it back to the hut. I called 911 to let them know that we were in a bit of a mess but we would try to get ourselves out of it. The dispatcher connected me immediately to a state police officer who was very thorough and helpful. At that precise moment a thru hiker came along and helped us. The sun was rapidly fading out in the west.
I will freely admit that being able to talk to the officer, tell him that no one knew where we were, that I had sustained an injury and did not know if we could self-rescue made me feel a whole lot safer out there. I also assured him that we had enough gear to safely spend the night in the woods but the if we did not show up back at Mizpah we were in "trouble". Our phone battery was very low at the time.
This situation could have evolved into a real fiasco. I doubt that I could have carried my pack back up and did not want to abandon it.
I could have reinjured myself in a worse way. I did take quite a fall on the way back up but didn't do any further damage. The trail was very wet. Hiking up Webster Cliff on "crutches" (hiking poles) was not what I had in mind for that day.
I only use my cell phone for emergencies but my hiking friend just can't stay off hers. I find it annoying but less so now that I had to use her phone in the mountains. Her Verizon service worked and mine didn't. I just walk away now when she has to make her calls knowing that the day may come again when I have to say......"uh...can I use your phone to call 911?"
I do so miss the days of youth when I truly believed that I was invincible.

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

No telephones in my pack. I don't want to use it on the summit (see above), and in the forest and roads around the "High Peaks" I don't get a signal, so it has no use as an emergency device. It stays in the car.

 

[bobmak]

Don't own a GPS and don't carry my cell phone when I hike. But I have carried my cd player (don't have an MP3 player yet either!) when I've done a few weekend trips in the winter. It helps to pass the time during those long nights in the sleeping bag. It's all about choices. If someone chooses to bring their cell, fine. Just use it discretely and I'm sure everyone will be happy.

 

[jade]

I have yet to bring my phone on an outing when hiking with a group. I might if I am out solo hiking but only for use in an emergency. I've read of a few instances where a hiker phoned home (not unlike ET!) to let friends or family know that they will be finishing up later than expected or perhaps spending an unplanned night in the woods. This will calm fears and eliminate the need to call for SAR.
I am NOT fond of cell phones in general but require one for my business, that's my excuse!!

....Jade

 

[jeanvabu]

One other thing I'll say about hikers and cell phones. I think most hikers are the types of people who are aware of the importance of solitude and will keep their phones turned off along the hike and pretty much use them just for emergency. The times that they do use them, even if it's for the occasional recreational purpose, they would probably use them in private...out of the range of other hikers' ears. Hey, hikers in general are considerate and thoughtful people.

I'll agree with that. I remember the one time I forgot to turn off my phone while hiking Wachusett. It rang as I was crossing a stream. I was very confused for a second as to where the music was coming from (hadn't seen any fairies) And then I was just annoyed that someone's phone was ringing. Of course my next step was to be embarrassed when I realized it was mine. Haven't left it on since then.
Jen

 

[Nessmuk]

She thinks it might be useful should I run into serious trouble along the way. Hah! Our cell phone is useless in most places I hike. But if it makes Mrs. G feel more comfy with my going, why not?

What happens is all those Mrs. Gs will have enough clout to demand you do have complete coverage, "in case of emergency", and oh by the way, pick up a loaf of bread on your way home. A tower gets put on a wilderness peak here, another one there. They make them look like "pine" trees now you know. Progress in the wild. Have you ever seen one of those monstrosities? At least with a satellite phone the cost is (for now) high enough to discourage non-emergency frivoulous calls.

 

[WhiteMTHike]

On the trails I carry a map, the AMC Guidebook (or a suitable trail description), a compass, (recently) a GPS and a cell phone. The only one that stays shut and has never been used is the cell phone. As a general rule I don't like cell phones I'm just not interested in hearing some YUPPIE talk about his stocks or some teenage girl rant about her social life "hey man, like he's sooo cute".

However, I keep the cell phone not so much for my own benefit but in case I run into a situation of an injured or fallen hiker. Hopefully in an emergency situation I can manage to make contact. At least it's there if desperately needed.

 

[kerry13]

Like so many others, I go to the mountains to get away and a cell phone is the last thing I thought I would ever carry. Well my thinking is changing or it might be that I am just getting sick and tired of being hounded by family to take along a phone when I hike alone. For their peace of mind I am considering it. Having had poor luck (no reception) with one several years ago in the mountains I would be grateful for any information regarding phone type and provider which would be the most reliable, if there is a difference. I might add I want one for emergencies only, reliable, prepaid, no monthly charges, no picture capabilities, STRICTLY EMERGENCIES AND NO FRILLS. Hopefully it will never get used and that will be fine. Thanks

 

[DougPaul]

Kerry13,

I have had moderate luck with a Cingular tri-mode (analog, TDMA, and GSM) phone. (This phone was available for one of their nationwide plans.)

I was told that TDMA had the best coverage in the White Mtn area. As of a year or two ago, GSM tended to be limited to urban areas. Don't know what has happened since (and my phone refuses to tell me which mode it is using. )

I have had mixed luck with it. A good signal on the slabs north of Dickey,
no signal on Mt Height. Moderate coverage on the AT near the Mass Pike.

No more data points come to mind--I rarely take it out to use it or to check signal levels...

Doug

 

[Sherpa John]

I agree with Cell Phones being in packs but used only in the event of an emergency.

As I was decending Tucks on Saturday, my cell phone was in my pack and it rang. it was Albee and I pulled it out fast because frankly... hardly anyone even calls me. I had a conversation as we hiked about our Monday plans and afterwards... I felt TERRIBLE!

So after my oen experience.... I think Cell Phones are great for hikers... but should be in packs and turned off as to not take away from others enjoyment of a hike in the woods without the tone of a ring.

They should then only be used for quick "guess where I am" calls from a summit and/or emergency use.

In my humble opinion

 

[RoySwkr]

A couple years ago my mother was going to get a cell phone, she has had 2 heart operations and I asked here which cell providers had the best White Mtn coverage in case of emergency. I received only polite helpful responses.

A year later somebody else asked which providers had the best coverage at AMC huts so they could call home after dinner. This started a flame war which drowned out any useful information.

The basic difference is that most people believe that it is OK to use cell phones in emergencies, but calling from the mountains just like you were in your back yard changes the whole situation. Many people go hiking to get away from their everyday concerns, but if your spouse/boss learns that you can call from every summit then you can be perpetually on a leash. So the hiker who deliberately gets out of earshot to talk on a cell phone may not be directly bothering other hikers, but may be indirectly affecting their whole lifestyle. Can we turn back the clock, or should we?

But back to emergencies. Any piece of gear that gives false confidence can lead to more accidents, not fewer. Cell coverage is not complete even in the Whites. I once got no signal on the summit of Mt Isolation even though I could see towers on Mt Washington. A cell phone may lead to quicker rescue but if you are hurt solo there may be no coverage at that spot and someone may need to go to a better spot to call in.

 

[DougPaul]

Cell coverage is not complete even in the Whites. I once got no signal on the summit of Mt Isolation even though I could see towers on Mt Washington. A cell phone may lead to quicker rescue but if you are hurt solo there may be no coverage at that spot and someone may need to go to a better spot to call in.

Cell phone signals are at frequencies that tend to be line-of-sight and therefore don't get into valleys very well. So don't expect much coverage in the deeper valleys.

The cell phone system divides the coverage area up into small cells (thus the name) and uses short range radio signals so a user in a cell can reach, at most, only a few towers. This allows the system to reuse frequencies in cells that are distant enough not to interfere with each other. A cell tower on Mt Washington might have too much coverage and be overloaded or cause interference in other cells. Thus, it is likely that there is no cell tower on Mt Washington. (I don't know specifically--this is just an educated guess.) The cell towers tend to be concentrated in towns and along major roads.

After an accident high on Mt Rainier, a bystander tried to report it by cell phone. It wouldn't work because he could reach too many towers. (This is why cell phones cannot be used in aircraft.) He had to hide in the local terrain to block some of the towers before he could make contact.

Doug

 

[sbear]

I mostly day hike the Catskills and almost always solo. I carry my cell phone as I do any other piece of emergency equipment. My emergency equipment may not cover every situation, lets face it, a bandaid is usless for a broken leg, but is their to cover the appropriate situations. So to is my cell. Yes, their are many areas on a trail I won't get reception, but if an emergency should happen to me or someone I come accross, at least i have a shot at getting help, r I or someone else can possibly hike to an area that does get reception. Other than an emergency, it remains off and in my bag with my other emergency equipment.

As for those that use their cell on peaks or trails for ordinary conversation, if they're talking in a normal low voice, is their any real difference between a person in a conversation on a phone versus a conversation with other people on the peak? If their voices are low, its actually better than hearing a conversation between two people since their is only one person you can hear, if they talk in a low voice.

 

[Sherpa John]

I had service on Owls Head... thats kind of in a valley.. its lower than all the surrounding peaks.

 

[DougPaul]

I had service on Owls Head... thats kind of in a valley.. its lower than all the surrounding peaks.

Somewhat surprising. However, the valley below Owls Head exits near Loon Ski area and Lincoln with lots of condos etc. There have to be towers in the area.

Diffraction over the top of a nearby ridge is also possible (particularly if the ridge is bare of vegetation.)

I had a signal from below the North Rim of the Grand Canyon on the Nankoweep Trail (an unmaintained remote trail). My best guess was that the tower was across the canyon in Cameron (AZ), 40 mi away. (The North Rim is higher that the South Rim and the terrain beyond is rather flat.)

Also had a signal at Grand View Point in Canyonlands. (Presumably from Moab UT.)

Doug

 

[Remix]

I might add I want one for emergencies only, reliable, prepaid, no monthly charges, no picture capabilities, STRICTLY EMERGENCIES AND NO FRILLS. Hopefully it will never get used and that will be fine. Thanks

Any used working cell phone will work with no plan, a fresh battery, and a tower in range.

But it can only dial 911.

If you take this route, remember its up to you to keep the battery fresh with a charger before each trip. In fact, after charging, its a good idea to remove the battery pack so it cant be turned on inadvertently.

If you need to use it and the signal is marginal, seek higher ground if possible.

If there is no signal at a certain point in the day/night, don't necessarily discard it as an option--changes in temperature and humidity might bring a signal at a later time.

 

[Frosty]

After an accident high on Mt Rainier, a bystander tried to report it by cell phone. It wouldn't work because he could reach too many towers. (This is why cell phones cannot be used in aircraft.) He had to hide in the local terrain to block some of the towers before he could make contact.

Doug

Fascinating. I had problems and was told it was because I was equidistant between two towers and bounced between CIngular and Verizon. I thought at the time they were trying to snow me, but maybe they were telling the truth.

The engineer in me wonders, though, if a cell phone can function while in range of a few towers, why too many towers as on Ranier would cause a problem.

 

[JohnL]

I had a signal from below the North Rim of the Grand Canyon on the Nankoweep Trail (an unmaintained remote trail). My best guess was that the tower was across the canyon in Cameron (AZ), 40 mi away. (The North Rim is higher that the South Rim and the terrain beyond is rather flat.)

Also had a signal at Grand View Point in Canyonlands. (Presumably from Moab UT.)

Doug

You can add Death Valley to the odd places where you can get good cell phone reception. I was at Furnace Creek which is below sea level and had four bars. I think there are several towers along the ridges to the west of the Valley though I could not see them.

JohnL