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.