Smartphones on the trail - philosophy

Here's part 2 of 4 on trail tech. The first was on tracking devices. This one will be on the philosophy of smartphone use on the trail. The third will be practical considerations of smartphone use and the final installment will be on keeping all these gadgets charged.

There's no doubt that smartphones have changed the way we live our lives. We now have more computing power in our pocket than they used to send men to the moon. (Several times over.) Apps are available for just about anything you can imagine and the ability to connect to networks lets users communicate as never before.

Smartphone use definitely changes the trail experience. Whether that change is for the better or worse is a "religious argument" akin to abortion and gun control in that everybody has an opinion which is very unlikely to change, but that doesn't stop anyone from trying to sway everyone else.

On the positive side,  the GPS built into smartphones allows you to know exactly where you are on the planet at any given point in time. This is a big safety advantage as well as a navigational convenience. You can now bring your entire music library with you as well as books (textual and audio) and even movies if you have enough memory. The previously mentioned network capability allows texting, blogging and phone calls on up to 60-70% of the PCT according to some estimates. There are compass apps, calculators, clocks and alarms, etc, etc, etc.

On the negative side, the argument generally goes that all of this connectivity, safety and entertainment waters down the wilderness experience. Standing in a beautiful meadow or on an otherwise remote peak then taking a selfie to text to friends, blogging about it and yakking on the phone to the folks back home distracts your from fully appreciating the experience, makes the wilderness less wild and the moment less extraordinary. We are surrounded by a million things beeping at us and demanding our attention at home, do we really need them here; in the wilderness?

Luckily, we CAN have it both ways. I would argue that 95% of technology users forget that their devices have an "off" switch. Once we get a new device and start using it, it's very easy to become a slave to it. But it doesn't have to be that way. It's really simple; if you don't need it, TURN IT OFF. This simple philosophy allows you to choose your own wilderness experience.

So I fall on the side of bringing the phone along, learning how to use it to the best advantage on the trail, then turning it off except when it's really needed. This not only preserves the wilderness experience, but also your batteries, which is a real consideration on the trail.

They're on the way

Melinda and Liz have just finished their first night on the trail, "cowboy camping" for the first time.

There was little confusion in finding the trailhead resulting in Border Patrol responses and a dirty Lexus. (See their blog for details.)

For my part, I was frantically texting pictures of the trailhead monument found on the internet to help them find their way. I have no idea if it helped, but they did get there and set off on time.

I then wondered if they would turn on their tracker and was relieved to see the blue dots show up on my computer. The novelty is already starting to wear off and I find I'm able to focus on work better today.

They were able to text and post to the blog both before the start and at day's end. I don't expect that to continue, but it was nice to be able to communicate as they set off.

Bodie and I are adjusting. We have listed chores on the blackboard and who should be be doing them. We will see how that works out. We definitely need to find a task distribution that works, because I've already found that there just aren't enough hours in the day for me to do my job and Melinda's by myself. Bodie is trying to do his part, hopefully that will continue as the weeks go on.

Day 2 has begun and the ladies are approaching Lake Morena and the 20 mile mark. They planned for a slow start to let their bodies acclimate to the extra work they are asking them to perform. The first major milestone is Mount Laguna, where they are due on Friday.

About that trail tech....

Hello again, it's been a while. I've been helping the ladies get set for their trip, including setting up the Liz and Melinda's Excellent Adventure blog.

Their trip is only 2 months away now, and the preparation activities are hitting a fever pitch.

I plan a couple of posts about tech on trail, this is the first, looking at beacons/trackers. these devices are used in a couple of different ways, but probably the driving factor in using one is having emergency response available literally anywhere in the world with the push of a button.

Strictly speaking, a beacon is a specific device transmitting using a specific technology on specific frequencies approved by NOAA search and rescue teams.

There are three types of beacons used to transmit distress signals, EPIRBs (for maritime use), ELTs (for aviation use), and PLBs (used for land-based applications).

These beacons are highly reliable, very narrow in scope, very expensive and use somewhat outdated technology. They use satellite tracking to get within a 2-3 mile radius, then a different radio "beacon" to allow SAR teams to home in on the device. Most don't use GPS, although some newer units do.

Because of the expense and outdated technology, most outdoorsmen and women now use trackers that utilize one of 2 most popular satellite phone networks, Iridium or Globalstar. It turns out that which network is used is one factor in choosing a tracker unit. More on that later.

These trackers typically use GPS to determine their place on the planet, which can be done with great accuracy. (Generally can report accurate coordinates to within 30 feet.) They then send coordinates and an SOS message via a satellite phone network. These units also have the ability to send coordinates on a regular basis so that family and friends can follow along, and some have the ability to send and receive short text messages.

I'm going to focus on the 2 most popular units, the SPOT Gen3 messenger and the DeLorme InReach SE. They have many features and requirements in common, including an SOS button that summons help in an emergency, the ability to send tracking updates to a web site and the need to pay for a subscription to use the service in addition to the purchase price of the unit itself. I'll focus on the advantages of each when compared to the other.

SPOT Gen3 advantages:

1. Lower entry price. The unit can be found for about $125 as opposed to $299 for the InReach SE. (In all fairness, the InReach seems to always have a $50 rebate program going on.)
2. Smaller device, easier to pack.
3. Motion activated, will turn itself off if you forget to.
4. $99 per year subscription cost (no tracking) or $149 per year with tracking.
5. Uses AAA batteries, easy to have spares on hand. (The InReach battery is built in and must be recharged via a USB cable.)

InReach advantages:

1. Can send and receive text messages (Both pre-programmed and free-form)
2. Monthly subscriptions available which can be suspended when not in use. This is cheaper in the long run if you only plan to use the device a couple of months per year.
3. Can be paired via bluetooth with a smartphone, giving a much improved user interface.
4. Uses the Iridium network. Iridium has true global coverage. (Globalstar does not cover the polar regions.) SPOT users have also complained about message and tracking reliability. This is believed to be associated with use of the Globalstar network.)
5. Superior tracking web site using DeLorme Topo and street maps. Easy integration with Facebook and Twitter.
6. Better customer experience (IMHO) including an easier to use customer web site and more straightforward device setup and maintenance.

As you can probably tell by now, I chose to buy the InReach SE in spite of the steeper initial cost. There was a $50 rebate in effect and I bought it on sale from REI, which also gives a 10% dividend back each year. Between the 3 programs, the price came down to about $200 making it the right choice in my book.

Liz and Melinda will be carrying a solar charger (More on that later) so keeping it charged on the trail should not be an issue.

That's it for now, I'll write more later about smartphone use on the trail.