A Kabash On Electronics

[Christoph]

I’d love to ditch the guide in favour of the Guthook app to save weight...but unsure if the Guthook app shows all the towns ammenities ie. services, lodging, phone numbers etc. for when I need to book a room in advance, arrange for shuttle etc.
Anyone know?

I downloaded the .pdf version of AWOL on my phone. They have both options available. If you like to look at the maps and stuff a lot, I would recommend both for the phone though as each are quite different in approach.

[Dogwood]

There's a beautiful well written well acted scene in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty a film with a mini sub plot about photography, a camera - a hand held device, which equally could be any device. The message could be easily lost since it wasn't over the top emoted or heavily handed suggested...or lost in the great cinematography of this IMO Oscar contender. It was perhaps one of the best scenes in the movie.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfjkiTB1fHQ


Sean Penn, a professional photographer traveling all the way to the Himalayas, painstakingly finally gets into frame an exceedingly rare shot of the elusive and very rare snow leopard. He knows this shot will be financially valuable and make him a more famous photographer in his career field. This is a valuable shot! Yet, what does Sean Penn do and say when a rambling distracted Ben Stiller inquires "when are you going to take it(the picture)?" What does Sean Penn value more?


Sean Penn, (as he moves away from his device, his professional tool of choice, a camera) says, " sometimes I don't; if I like a moment(staying in the moment), I mean me, personally, I don't like to have the distraction of the camera, I just want to stay in it."


A bewildered yet receptive Ben Stiller receiving a valuable lesson, acting as a kindergartener, and even though Stiller himself is involved in photography professionally, says "stay in it?"(as in what are you talking about?).


Sean Penn: "yeah, right there, right here."


Watch the actors faces. Brilliantly acted by Mr Stiller and Mr Penn.


Then, to cement the lesson Sean and Ben go down the mountain leaving the quite valuable camera behind and further demonstrate the joy of life being enjoyed without having to be tethered to a device.


How many times do our devices get in the way, cause us to be distracted from possibly experiencing the greater joys of LIFE?

[BuckeyeBill]

Thought this was fitting:

[Dogwood]

Duh. I didn't take the poll because none of those choices fit me so didn't look at the results.

I'm willing to let the hike dictate to me what I will or will not carry. I try not to overly impose my desires or habits(electronic or otherwise) or tendencies for Matetialism on the hike. I aim to be flexibly enthralled evertime I get to experience a hike or Nature regardless if I've chosen to carry a phone, camera, hand held mobile computer, music player, watch, GPS, downloaded apps, or not.

I find it refreshing and freeing. It allows me to be more aware of things I can easily be unaware of when I choose to have my eyes glued to a 3"x5" screen and ear buds in.

[brotheral]

i don't own an iphone, smartphone thingy

Neither do I Lone Wolf !

[towerclimber727]

I hiked the Long Trail twice in blue jeans, cotton socks & tees, and Dunham tyroleans before wireless phones were invented and survived. I bring a phone with me, primarily for the camera, but leave it turned off at the bottom of the pack and rarely use it. Most common use is to take a picture of sunset or my camp and email it home to say goodnight. I can live without it just fine. Doesn't really bother me if people want to use theirs, but there are 2 things I find to be interesting, annoying, and puzzling at the same time: 1) why do people seem to shout when using the phone, and 2) why do so many people pace when on the phone? It's amazing, give a guy a cell phone and put him in the middle of an airport, and he'll wander around in circles for the entire call, bumping into people and walls like a Roomba. It's hilarious, at least until he's in your way.

I admit... I'll wear a rut into the carpet if I have to be on the phone for any amount of time lol. I definitely don't shout though, unless I'm in the air working but that's only because I have to then

Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk

[BowGal]

I downloaded the .pdf version of AWOL on my phone. They have both options available. If you like to look at the maps and stuff a lot, I would recommend both for the phone though as each are quite different in approach.

Ty so much..didn’t know this existed in PDF format.
Just purchased.

[Another Kevin]

I've said before: my phone is, at various times, camera, audio or video recorder, notebook, the novel I'm reading, the weather forecast (or at least the barometer!), GPS device, flashlight for changing my headlamp batteries, and so on. It's kept in airplane mode, so it's everything but a communication device (OK, I'll pop out of airplane mode to try to get the weather forecast.)

In the era before smartphones, I carried at various a camera, a notebook, an AM radio for the weather, a tiny penlight for changing flashlight batteries, a paperback book, and so on. If those things are acceptable, why is the gadget so offensive?

In any case, I know that some hikers do find the device offensive, so I don't use it in front of others, at least without asking permission (generally speaking, to use it as a camera - the other functions can wait until I'm by myself). If you're going to get upset that I've got the thing in a pocket, when I haven't brought it out in front of you, I don't think I've much to say.

[Algae]

Hey Gambit, nice poll. I've found myself thinking along similar lines recently as I've been easing into winter and cold weather camping this season. Carrying 60+lbs of snowshoes, crampons, poles, 4season tents, etc doesn't bother me too much; but I've found myself balking at the 2+lbs of electronic crap I carry with. My sole reason for carrying my phone outdoors is for the hundreds of books I have downloaded on Google Play. Gone are the days of my scouting youth where my McKinley pack was supplemented with half a dozen paperbacks. Now I can turn my phone to 'Airplane Mode' and 'Battery Saver Mode' when I'm in my tent; and voila-a virtual library at my disposal.
And I've learned some important lessons regarding lithium ion batteries and single digits temps in the past few months; enough to know I'd never trust my phone as a location finder or gps in an emergency. The spinning floating needle thingy seems to work every time tho.

[Another Kevin]

And I've learned some important lessons regarding lithium ion batteries and single digits temps in the past few months; enough to know I'd never trust my phone as a location finder or gps in an emergency. The spinning floating needle thingy seems to work every time tho.

Hey, I remember you! We met on the NPT - you were NOBO and finishing and I was starting SOBO. You got the last of the good weather that season, I got rain and sleet the whole trip, and there was snow on the ground when I got to Benson.
Right you are. Primary navigation is a map written on a dead tree, and a magnet turning in a vial of alky. (Oh, and an alitmeter. I do use my barometer rather too much, but it's so convenient to be able to use any contour line as a handrail or backstop!)

LiIon batteries work better in the cold than any other kind. Which doesn't say much.

[Gambit McCrae]

what I’ve been doing to prep for my AT thru hike attempt in 2019 is reading books and watching videos while following along in the AT guide.

I’d love to ditch the guide in favour of the Guthook app to save weight...but unsure if the Guthook app shows all the towns ammenities ie. services, lodging, phone numbers etc. for when I need to book a room in advance, arrange for shuttle etc.

Anyone know?

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[BowGal]

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Sweet! Thank you

[Lnj]

I only find the phone use offensive if it interferes with my own personal hike, which rarely ever happens, but does on occasion. One such occasion was when I approached a beautiful overlook to just sit and to the music of the woods on a gorgeous fall day, but someone else was already at the peak and on a phone call... that seemed to be very negative and loud and just wrecked my time there. I mean it was like a having a TV on up there blaringly loud. That wasn't cool. Another such occasion was when I finally got my 16 year old daughter to go on a weekend trip with me and we were laughing and talking and having just the best time ever, when she checked her social media and some stupid boy did or said something that upset her so she got upset and couldn't think of anything else the whole trip. We ended up coming home a day early. Stupid phone ruined my weekend with my girl. VERY not cool. Other people, what they are doing, quietly, I couldn't care less.

[Dogwood]

I only find the phone use offensive if it interferes with my own personal hike, which rarely ever happens, but does on occasion. One such occasion was when I approached a beautiful overlook to just sit and to the music of the woods on a gorgeous fall day, but someone else was already at the peak and on a phone call... that seemed to be very negative and loud and just wrecked my time there. I mean it was like a having a TV on up there blaringly loud. That wasn't cool. Another such occasion was when I finally got my 16 year old daughter to go on a weekend trip with me and we were laughing and talking and having just the best time ever, when she checked her social media and some stupid boy did or said something that upset her so she got upset and couldn't think of anything else the whole trip. We ended up coming home a day early. Stupid phone ruined my weekend with my girl. VERY not cool. Other people, what they are doing, quietly, I couldn't care less.

And, the problem no longer was your daughter's alone. It became your problem and obviously a problem for your relationship with your daughter.

Same thing when I attend a supposed group lunch with expected face to face socializing - so called team building time - with loud large screen TV's usually with sports, poltical or financial markets coverage competing for and replacing personal face to face team building relationships. This is compounded by rude self absorbed alienating hand held device addiction and use at the table or bar. This is so very uncool personally and in biz.

[Dogwood]

A few yrs ago on a gorgeous upstate NY Daks fall day at the summit of Mt Marcy there were in excess of 300 people, 200 impatiently self absorbed on or frantically trying to get cell coverage literally tripping, falling down, and bumping into others like The Walking Dead Zombies or heroin street addicts seeking their fix as their world was reduced to a 3"x5" screen.

[Dogwood]

Don't tell me all the wonderful things hand held devices positively can do without recognizing the very real downsides too.

[perdidochas]

I have typed out and deleted this 3 times now....

In todays time we live in a society that is strongly driven by our handheld devices.

In todays time we, we being hikers as a majority, are weight conscious.

I as a hiker have an Iphone 7 plus. It is my camera, my phone, my map, my entertainment that could be present in the form of music, watching movies, facebook etc....Now I have to power this phone and even though I am aware of battery usage my go to method is use it as much as I want, and in return I carry an 8oz battery pack that I can recharge it 5 times off of. Now I have been on the trail for 5 days and am in a motel for the night, so I am carrying a dual wall charger and charge cords for both battery pack as well as phone. And then there is the ear buds which on some trips I have been known to carry 2 pairs of in case 1 pair breaks...

So what gives here! Why, for one, am I counting ounces on a sub 2 lb tent yet I am completely great with 2 lbs worth of electrical crap.

Why am I going to the trail and the woods to escape yet staying plugged in via electronics. I would like to do some trips without anything more electronic then my headlamp this year.

Thoughts on this rambling topic above? haha -
Safety concerns in case of emergency instances?

Well, a typical paperback weighs a pound. If you read for recreation, then you will need at least a pound for that. Have you weighed all of your electronics? Is it really two lbs?

[Slo-go'en]

A few yrs ago on a gorgeous upstate NY Daks fall day at the summit of Mt Marcy there were in excess of 300 people, 200 impatiently self absorbed on or frantically trying to get cell coverage literally tripping, falling down, and bumping into others like The Walking Dead Zombies or heroin street addicts seeking their fix as their world was reduced to a 3"x5" screen.

Sounds like really bad timing. Just being one of the 300 people is bad enough.
I bet half the people staying at AMC Huts which have cell coverage are on their phone after dinner.

[Dogwood]

...Have you weighed all of your electronics? Is it really two lbs?

I'm an ULer. What do you think?

When I do carry electronics, depending on what electronics I'm bringing, it can be more than 2 lbs. Sure the better higher end camera and lenses sky rocket the wt but it's also in my honestly UL opinion chargers and battery baanks like an Anker or solar panel with shortened wires or separate GPS that contribute to the wt.

Most often, when I do decide to carry, going UL a cheap TRACFONE for truly emergency use is all that I'll take. Other times I throw a old school AAA battery operated mp3 player into the mix and bump the ph charger about 3 wk's ahead.

Other times its more than 2 lbs, specifically as much as 35 ozs. That's a huge wt and bulk hit when my Big 4 are sub 48 ozs!

[Dogwood]

Sounds like really bad timing. Just being one of the 300 people is bad enough.
I bet half the people staying at AMC Huts which have cell coverage are on their phone after dinner.

What made it worse is after their spoiled expectations of
"needed" connectivity weren't being met they imposed their anger, irritation, and frustration on others.

Even going to the side of the summit to eat in peace and get away from the electronic whores they'd come over standing right over me right where I laid out my food as I'm obviously enjoying watching the hawks play and taking cloud surveys irritatingly impatiently incessantly(even though I was trying to make it clear I was ignorning them) ask if I had gotten reception. OMG, I wasn't even displaying a device.

It was a scene out of a crack house or street corner crack spot.

I'm usually for live and let live. But, C'MON that's not live and let live. That's do as I do or else I dont care crap about the consequences to you.