Hiking Trip Reports

In the last few years there has been a lot of debate about whether or not cell phones should be used in the wild.  I love my cell phone and enjoy tricking it out with ringback tones, video, mp3’s, and anything else I can find.  But I don’t use it on the trail.  I do, however, turn it off and stow it away deep in my pack.  I do this because a cell phone can be one of the best pieces of emergency equipment you can carry. 

There are some obvious downsides to having a cell phone as your emergency device.  One is that you might be more careless because you believe you have an easy connection to emergency services.  Another is that you may actually use it call friends and family thus degrading the outdoor experience for those around you and yourself – didn’t you come out here to disconnect and relax? 

If you take your phone into the wild as an emergency device you need to keep in mind that it may not work in most wilderness locations.  Even if you find a high mountain to call from you may not get a signal.  This is why you may want to consider a personal locator beacon. 

Many personal locator beacons costs around $500 to $600 but there are alternatives like the Spot Satellite Personal Messenger that can be found for about $150.  I imagine these devices will catch on as the price goes down.  Think about how the Aron Ralston story would have turned out if he had a beacon with him. 

Take your phone into the wild but turn it off.  Don’t rely too much on it because it might not work. If you really want a lifeline get a personal locator beacon, but whatever you do don’t disturb the peace of the wild with your cell phone.  Turn it off and hike!