Backcountry Skiing and Snowboard Tips and
Tricks
from Louis
Dawson and friends
Cell Phones for Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding
by Louis Dawson
Cell phones #$%^&*****. Love 'em or hate 'em, they're here to stay. Some purists preach about how a cell phone ruins the feel of their backcountry skiing trips. I even saw an article wherein the author said he felt "weird" about using a cell phone to save his friend's life. Tell all this to the guy who's still alive because of a phone call. But do make your calls in privacy. Yanking out your phone for a non-emergency call on a crowded summit, or sitting in a peaceful backcountry hut and having a loud conversation with your wayward teenager, now that is crass. Whatever...the things are super useful tools for backcountry skiing, and a lot of us use 'em to good effect.
One of the best cell phone accessories I've found is an AA or AAA battery holder. When I travel light I still carry my phone for emergencies, but I take the battery holder instead of the dedicated battery pack that only works on the phone. I carry my spare batteries in the holder, and can thus make a call in a pinch, or use the batteries elsewhere.
Best cell phone tip: If all you need is an emergency phone, you don't have to pay the outlandish monthly charges for a cell phone and number. Instead, buy a used de-activated phone. A good bet is any one of the Motorola Microtac series (they're durable, lightweight, and easy to get accessories for). Get an AA or AAA battery pack for your phone, and a car voltage adapter. You can dial 911 from a deactivated cell phone, and you won't pay a cent. You can't receive calls, but...suprise, you can make calls (they'll ask you for a credit card, and it's expensive). This works, take my word for it -- I bought a de-activated phone for $10 at the thrift shop and tried it! The 911 cell phone rules and regs are covered on the FCC site.
For used and refurbished cell phones see:
http://www.rs-comm.com/
http://www.cellam.com
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