Cell phones

[JoelHazelton]

So I just made the switch from AT&T ( :yuck: ) to Verizon.... And I'm absolutely appalled by my reception. I backpacked Ash Creek this past weekend and camped at the falls, and had 6 bars of reception at my campsite (at most, it fluctuated between 2 and 6). Two weeks ago at Canyon Creek there were several high points, full reception all the way up Kenderick Mountain that same weekend, and really good reception at Wolf Creek in the Bradshaws. Are other providers like this (other than a satellite phone)? With AT&T (who, by the way, boasts "more bars in more places"), I never got anything anywhere, but Verizon is amazing. Just curious. I know many people probably shut off their phones during hikes and forget about them, but I like to check my reception, particularly if I'm alone. You never know.

[Hoffmaster]

The idea of having my cell phone ON while hiking makes me want to punch someone. However, I do take it with me because like you said, "you never know." I have AT&T though, and I usually wonder "why do I have my phone with me? It doesn't work out here." Heck, in the town of Superior, Verizon is the only cell service provider with reception there. My stupid phone doesn't work there and the waitress at Los Hermanos heard me comment on it. She said, "you should have Verizon."
I have a little over a year left on my contract. I'm considering the switch to Verizon. However, being an Apple fan, and with the way my business life is going, the iPhone is very attractive and AT&T is the company supporting it right now. Perhaps that will change by December of '09.


You know what? Now that I think about it, the only reason I have my cell phone with me when I'm hiking is so that it doesn't get stolen if my car gets broken into at the trailhead. I take my wallet with me too for the same reason, but you'd be surprised how often I'm disappointed by the lack of vending machines and gear shops along the trails when I've got cash in my wallet.

[rally_toad]

I always have had good reception out in the backcountry with Verizon. Obviously I dont get reception everywhere but I get it in alot of places. When I was camping for a week by Sycamore Canyon I had consistently 2-4 bars while my friend who had AT&t had nothing.

I usually dont check though, its usually in my pack turned off. I take it only for safety reasons, part of the reason I hike is to get away from people, so why would I want to get calls and txts from them when Im out hiking?

[big_load]

Like Hoffmaster, I sometimes carry my phone (Verizon) just in case and to reduce the risk of theft. Although it's almost always off, I've sampled reception at a few backcountry campsites. The most remote location I found signal was the corral above the northern/eastern end of the Safford/Morenci trail. That was a good place to have it, because I wasn't sure if the rented Saturn Ion would manage the stream crossing on the way back out.

[fairweather8588]

Never bring my phone with me, always leave it in the car. S'pose if my car got stolen then I'd just have to keep myself occupied until someone realized that I wasn't back in town yet (that might be awhile though)

[chumley]

I used to have Sprint and was generally happy with its "coverage" but it dropped calls a lot. From full-strength to dropped call, back to full bars. Randomly in the middle of the city. I liked Sprint's roaming agreements though. It was always free anytime i could get a signal ... regardless of what carrier was providing it. Sometimes that would make getting texts or voicemail (digital service) tough in remote spots, but i could almost always get a call through, especially from a high point. Was once on a mountaintop in the whites south of baldy ... on the NF/Res border. Made a call that I noticed on my bill the next month was connected to a tower listed as "Albuquerque, NM". Still not sure about that one!

With that said, I just switched to the iPhone, which I am very happy with. I rarely have "more bars" with AT&T than I did with Sprint, but when there's no bars, I still seem to have service, and haven't had a dropped call yet. I also haven't taken it up on the Rim or anywhere remote yet either. Oh, and the AT&T plan sucks because the data plan required for iPhone does NOT include text messaging. How stupid is that?

The maps and gps work great, as does this really cool app that "hears" and identifies pretty much any song that's playing anywhere. (Cause you need that on the trail...)

As for somebody other than AT&T and iPhone, you're out of luck. AT&T has a 5-year exclusive in the US, which frees it up around June 2012.

[Hoffmaster]

this really cool app that "hears" and identifies pretty much any song that's playing anywhere.

My phone, a Sony Walkman phone, has that feature. I used it once to see if it really worked. It did. I suppose if I was still a teenager I would find it more practical. Bummer about the iPhone deal. There are plenty of other phones out there that are hot on the heels of the iPhone though, but I think the iPhone is the most innovative and coolest of them all. Plus, I'd be able to synch it with my Mac at home, which is the main appeal for me.

[chumley]

I'd be able to sync it with my Mac at home, which is the main appeal for me.

That is by far the best part of it for me. It keeps my macs at home and at work, iphone, and even online gmail account all synced. Address books, calendars, email, web bookmarks, etc. Make a change on one device, and everything else is updated instantly.

[azdesertfather]

I have a little over a year left on my contract. I'm considering the switch to Verizon. However, being an Apple fan, and with the way my business life is going, the iPhone is very attractive and AT&T is the company supporting it right now. Perhaps that will change by December of '09.

sorry hoffmaster, chumley's right. AT&T did sign a deal with Apple for iPhone exclusive rights until 2012 I am an Apple fan and would love an iPhone, but with the expensive costs of breaking my Verizon contract, and then signing up for a contract and a phone...let's just say I don't have that kind of iCash. ;)

[azdesertfather]

I'm not sure that AT&T vs. Verizon or any other company matters all that much in backcountry Arizona anyway. They all stink, in my opinion. I spend a lot of time on the Navajo Nation, which is a big area...and NONE of the big name carriers pick up worth squat up there.

Most every time I go hiking, my Verizon phone has no signal. I don't even bother keeping it on anymore when I hike...I just shut it of as soon as I leave the trailhead...besides, even if all the planets were in alignment and it actually picked up a call, who would want to be yakking on the phone out in God's beautiful country?!?!?

[azdesertfather]

There are plenty of other phones out there that are hot on the heels of the iPhone though, but I think the iPhone is the most innovative and coolest of them all. Plus, I'd be able to synch it with my Mac at home, which is the main appeal for me.

You may already know this, but you can sync other smartphones to your Mac with Missing Sync from Mark/Space. It's not totally reliable...it messes up at times, but it does more or less work, and I've been syncing a Treo to my Mac for years with it.

[Dschur]

Most of the wildland firefighters have gone with Verison since it has the best coverage all over the country. They have tried all the name ones and that is the service that they go with. We just turned off our old "bag phone" since analog isn't covered anymore and with that I almost always had a signal when no one else did. Of course it had a 5 watt tranmitter and receiver not in the hand set that is. If anyone wants an old phone let me know!

[Grasshopper]

...I just shut it of as soon as I leave the trailhead...besides, even if all the planets were in alignment and it actually picked up a call, who would want to be yakking on the phone out in God's beautiful country?!?!?

I actually lost a longtime hiking friendship this past spring over this very same issue! I gave them a choice of "taking or not taking" cell phone calls while hiking with me within local cell phone range and they chose the former.. sad but true!

[nonot]

Owning a cell phone, aka "girlfriend leash" in the first place may be your problem!

[JoelHazelton]

Heh, my girlfriend knows not to call me when I'm out hiking.

And I don't think owning an iPhone could be worth AT&T's crappy service. Then again, fancy phones don't appeal to me for even a second.

[azdesertfather]

lots of people are hacking iphones and moving them over to other networks, but you can't with verizon since they're on a totally different kind of cell system (CDMA). Looks like they may be moving away from it though for GSM-based LTE in 4G networks.

the places i hike cell phone coverage almost never exists, so my wife knows not to bother...but just to leave a voice mail that i tell her i'll pick up when i turn it back on at the trailead ;)

[PaleoRob]

For work we have Altell, and we carry it with us pretty much everywhere we go, for work reasons. It gets great coverage along the Marble Bench, generally on the Kaibab. The South and North Rims both have coverage, most of the way between Page and Flag. It also worked in the backcountry of the Manzano Mountains in New Mexico when no one else's phone (including Verizon) did.

Having said that, I also used to have a Verizon phone and was very pleased with their coverage as well.

[azbackpackr]

So I just made the switch from AT&T ( :yuck: ) to Verizon.... And I'm absolutely appalled by my reception. I backpacked Ash Creek this past weekend and camped at the falls, and had 6 bars of reception at my campsite (at most, it fluctuated between 2 and 6).

You say you are appalled by Verizon's reception, but then go on to say how great it is? This really does not compute. Is it good or isn't it? Did you mean to say you are "amazed" by the reception?

I have Verizon. I think it basically sucks. I live in the White Mtns. and got the phone locally. It doesn't work inside my house, doesn't work most places around here. It does work within the towns of Eagar and Springerville, but not outside of town in most places. It does not work anywhere in western New Mexico, which is only about 13 miles away. It does not work between here and Show Low, along many stretches of the highway. It does not work very many places between Show Low and Payson, and constantly loses reception between Payson and the Valley. It does work anywhere that I can actually SEE Green's Peak, where the microwave tower is. So, up high on mountainsides, but not down in canyons.

All this being said, I haven't heard of any better phone company for this area.

And by the way, no one tells me what to carry or not carry when I'm hiking. However, if I do have my phone with me, it is turned off.

[Hoffmaster]

azpride wrote:
So I just made the switch from AT&T ( ) to Verizon.... And I'm absolutely appalled by my reception. I backpacked Ash Creek this past weekend and camped at the falls, and had 6 bars of reception at my campsite (at most, it fluctuated between 2 and 6).


You say you are appalled by Verizon's reception, but then go on to say how great it is? This really does not compute. Is it good or isn't it? Did you mean to say you are "amazed" by the reception?

Think of it this way: azpride was so "amazed" that he got reception in some remote places, that he was actually "appalled" by his inability to escape the trappings of technology. Actually, that probably makes it more confusing. I know what he is saying though.

[azbackpackr]

On the other hand, (shoes clomping on wooden stairs while ascending pulpit) even bows and arrows are technology. Even two sticks rubbed together to make fire can be considered to be technology.....

When I see people going out there naked, shoeless, hatless and gearless, then I will believe they really don't like technology.

;)