[at-l] Cell phones VS Nature - An attempt to clarify - LONG

[shane at theplacewithnoname.com (Shane Steinkamp)]

> Perhaps we can all agree that a long hike with a cell 
> phone is a different experience than a hike without a 
> cell phone.
> 
> Take the extreme example of my 1991 30 day walk with 
> a nine-year-old. Without a phone we were constantly 
> in the woods...

> With a phone this experience would have been 
> interrupted daily with conversations with his Mom...

What you propose isn't necessarily true.  Yes, you could abuse it like that, but in reality that's a choice, not a function of the existence of the cell phone.  It's not all or nothing.  

I've seen both sides of the coin.  I carry a cell phone when I hike.  Of course, where I frequently hike, the cell phone doesn't work.  It doesn't even work at the trailhead.  I don't like to leave it in the car because it might be stolen.  Even if it did work, I can choose to turn it on or not.  If I were going on a long hike, I'd just leave it off.  I'd have one contact person - my wife being the obvious choice - and the phone calls would be, "Hey honey.  Everything's fine with me."

"OK, dear.  We're all well."  

"OK.  Bye."

I really fail to see how such a conversation every few days could possibly more distracting than a nine-year-old 24-7.  The largest distraction for me on any trail of any length has always been people - which is why I avoid people as much as possible.  

I just don't see how having a brief conversation with someone on a cell phone is more destructive to my wilderness experience than someone coming along on the trail and talking to me.  The physical presence of a person is much more intrusive for me.  

I think that's just something that each person has to work out for themselves, because each person is different.  RNR sees cell phones as an evil device that directly counters the AT's wilderness ethic.  He carries a radio, though, and that's just fine for him.  A radio would completely ruin any sense of wilderness for me.  I'd never carry one.  I wouldn't carry any kind of CD player or TIVO thing or whatever.  If I wanted to listen to news, weather, or music, I'd have stayed home.  Each person makes the decision for themselves what they will or will not tolerate.  

Every piece of gear we carry is an intrusion of some kind into the 'absolutely pure' experience.  While nobody here is likely interested in the idea, if you want a perfectly pure experience, you'd have to go naked.  Rather than waste bandwidth, I'll just direct you here:

http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/hiking/sections/naked/bodymind.htm

It's all about the civilization reflex.  It's different for each person.  I doubt the vast majority of people would even make it past Exercise 1.  Wilderness is something that gets paid a lot of lip service, but very little actual contact.

Shane