[pct-l] Cell Phones

[wandering_bob@xxxxxxx (Bob Bankhead)]

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[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
Cell phones are a toss-up; is the luxury worth the weight?  I hike alone an=
d so carried one last summer from Tuolomne Meadows to Castella and was not =
impressed. Reception was usually poor to non-existent, except near major po=
pulation areas (Tahoe) or way up high where you have a straight shot to a d=
istant repeater.  The desert sections of southern CA might be a different s=
tory as there is nothing to block reception; the only question is how far a=
way is the repeater?

At least in Central CA. AT&T supposedly has the most reliable coverage of a=
ll the carriers. That will change in other areas. I've seen 3 different cel=
l services side-by-side atop Dick's Pass west of Tahoe and only one could m=
ake a call.  Surprisingly, there was no service in or near Castella along I=
-5. The locals said it is a known "dead area" and that AT&T is supposedly p=
utting up a tower there soon.

Use re-chargeable lithium ion batteries; they last much longer. Only turn y=
our phone on when you need it. Don't leave your phone on so others can reac=
h you - use your provider's answering service and check it periodically whe=
n you get up high. Put extra batteries and/or your charger unit in your bou=
ncer box.

If you really feel you need reliable on-demand communication capability, ca=
rry a satellite phone. They're heavy (16 oz) and expensive ($1500 + monthly=
 fees) but they work virtually anyplace. I'm leaving mine home next time; a=
 GPS is more useful and weighs less. I can wait for a pay phone or a passin=
g hiker in an emergency.

Wandering Bob


----- Original Message -----
From: Barb Asper
Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2003 6:32 AM
To: michaelgosnell@hotmail.com; pct-l@backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Snake Bite Kit

[ Converted text/html to text/plain ]

Sorry, Michael -- I forgot to 'REPLY ALL' on that last message. Anyway, to
repeat, How do you all feel about cell phones on the PCT. We didn't carry o=
ne
on the AT, but saw a lot of them, and even borrowed one to make a call from=
 a
rocky mountain top late in our hike. So, what is the concensus? How about
reception? Thanks,

Granny