[pct-l] Cell Phones

[pcnst2@xxxxxxxxxxxx (David hiking PCNST in bits)]

> AT&T supposedly has the most reliable coverage of all the carriers.

I have had  reasonably good luck with an ANALOG cell phone with ATT service.
It often worked when I was high on a ridge with good views in many
directions.    Out in the country, analog service is often the only one
around, though that is supposed to change in a few years (the change is said
to be that phone companies won't have to support universal
analog any more, only their own idiosyncratic digital system)
BUT analog phones use up power fairly quickly, and in any
event the shelf life of rechargeable batteries is pretty short even if the
phone is turned off.    Probably the best solution to that is some kind
of solar recharger if you can find one compatible with your batteries;
another would be (if they exist) a cell phone that runs on ordinary alkaline
AA or AAA cells which have a shelf life that is longer than a through hike.
But you have to replace them every so often if you use the phone.

I have a similar issue with my digital cameras.   I use NiMH batteries
and they are OK for a section hike without a lot of flash, but they probably
would require recharging between sections on a through hike, or solar
recharging.    Alkaline
batteries tend not to last too long in digital cameras, it seems, especially
if you use flash.

In general, the fewer battery-powered devices the better.     Though I will
try hiking with a very small laptop soon.