It’s two and a half years ago since I last wrote about using
smartphones in the hills in one of my most popular posts. Then my aim was to counter the arguments against
using smartphones and tablets as GPS units. The same arguments still surface
today and I think my piece is still valid. I’m not returning to that here
however but to the question of how appropriate such technology is in the hills
and whether it can be a distraction. I’ve
been thinking about this since reading a fascinating blog piece by author Alex
Roddie entitled Ditching the infinity machine– five months later in which he describes swapping his smartphone for a
basic phone after becoming concerned that the former was spoiling his enjoyment
of the wilds. After this experiment Alex has returned to his smartphone but he
now uses it in a different way so it’s far less intrusive.
Most of my walking having been done before smartphones
existed (and much of it before mobile phones) the options for distraction from
the wilds came down to just one – a book. And I carried plenty, often several
at a time. Mostly I read in camp in the evening, especially when the weather
meant staying in my tent was wise, (and I sometimes left rather late in the morning because I spent too long reading over breakfast). But sometimes a book gripped me enough that
reading it became more important than where I was and I read while walking, my
mind far away from my surroundings. Often though I was reading because where I
was walking wasn’t that wild or interesting. I was still cut off from the world
around me though and probably missed much. Alex Roddie in his earlier piece on
smartphones describes the problem of battery failure with smartphones. Books
don’t run out of power. Instead they run out of words. I can remember hoarding
the last pages of a book, only reading a few at a time, because I was so
concerned about finishing it before I reached somewhere I could buy another.
Occasionally I’ve arrived in a town with finding books my main concern above food,
showers, resupply or somewhere to stay. I couldn’t imagine doing a long walk or
even an overnight trip without something to read. I still can’t but now I take
a Kindle loaded with dozens of books for the same weight as one small
paperback. Of course the Kindle can run out of power too but it’s not happened
yet, even when I’ve been out for a week at a time. In fact I’ve not yet needed
to recharge it from my back-up battery. And with the Kindle in a waterproof
case I can read in the rain, as I did on a crossing of the Coirrieyairick Pass
on a TGO Challenge walk. That’s the roughest terrain I’ve read myself across.
Some people go further. Hamish Brown describes reading a paperback along the
South Glen Shiel Ridge in Hamish’s
Mountain Walk.
Reading my way along a Mohave Desert road on the Pacific Crest Trail |
Alex Roddie mentions using his smartphone as an e-reader,
saving the weight of a Kindle. I did this on the Pacific Northwest Trail, before
I had a Kindle, but found that it drained the battery too quickly. Given the
weights of back-up batteries I reckon it’s lighter to carry the Kindle. Reading
on a Kindle is a much more pleasant experience too as the screen is larger and
there’s no glare.
My main use of my smartphone – currently a mid-range Sony
Xperia SP, which does everything I need, is quite light (174 grams with
protective rear case) and is still small enough to be used comfortably for
actual phone calls – is for navigation with ViewRanger. Usually this just means
locating my position and maybe walking a short distance to check I’m going the
right way so the phone doesn’t need to be on all the time. A secondary use is
for photos that I can send to social media before I get home and can download
the images from my cameras onto the PC (I don’t have one of the latest cameras
that links easily to a smartphone). I also send texts to my partner sometimes
during a trip and always as soon as I’ve finished for the day. As I’m usually
in places where a phone signal is a rarity (still the case in much of the
Scottish Highlands) I’ll upload a photo or send a text and then put the phone
back in the pack still switched on, as long as I have enough power. Generally
at some point over the next few hours it’ll pick up enough of a signal to send
the text and, less often, the photo. I don’t have any notifications or sound
switched on so I don’t hear any bings or beeps and can forget about the phone.
In camp I rarely look at the phone except to locate exactly
where I am if I’ve camped after dark and am uncertain. The Kindle books and
writing in my journal are enough distractions if needed. If I've enough power and there's a connection I might check the weather forecast. Occasionally I'll listen to the radio. However on long walks
the phone always comes into use anytime I reach a town as then I can update
my blog, answer emails, check social media and even submit reports to The Great
Outdoors, something I did on both my Pacific Northwest Trail and Scottish
Watershed walks.
How communication technology is used in the hills is up to
the individual of course. There are no rights or wrongs. I see no reason not to
check emails and social media or even make phone calls if you find it satisfying
any more than I can see a reason not to read in the hills (and I have been told
at times that it’s ‘wrong’ to carry a book). The key is for you to control it and not the other way round. If it becomes intrusive
and you think it’s spoiling your enjoyment the answer is simple. Switch the
damn thing off!