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Backpacker Magazine – June 2009
Save Your Life With a Cell Phone
Don't leave it in the car–mobile phones are the latest essential rescue gear.
(Photo by Josh Myers)
Thanks to recent government regs, almost all digital cell phones automatically fix your location when you make a distress call (called E911 capability). But on a backcountry trip, ringing up a rescue isn't always automatic. Follow these tips to make sure your call gets answered.
Preparation
- Activate your phone's automatic "location" setting, which enables the cell network to calculate your position for all phone calls, not just 911 calls. To turn this feature on, look for the "location" option under your phone's Tools or Settings menu.
- Preserve battery life: Keep your phone turned off (especially when you lose reception; dead zones rapidly drain the battery), but power up for five minutes each day. When turned on, cell phones "check in" with nearby towers every few minutes, leaving an electronic trail of "pings" for rescuers to follow. Phones do this even if the signal is too weak to make or receive calls.
- Make sure your emergency contact person knows your phone number and your carrier, which saves precious time if rescuers need to check your last recorded transmissions and pings.
- To make an emergency call, improve reception by heading to the highest ground available. Hold the phone at arm's length (to keep your body from blocking any signals) and rotate around to find the strongest reception. "Return to the same place to make follow-up calls," says Bill Range, New Mexico's E911 Program Director. "Your phone will remember where the nearest tower is and find it faster."
- If your battery is low, send a text message to your emergency contact, which requires less power and can transmit over a weaker connection than a voice call. Conserve juice by keeping your phone off between calls. Note: You cannot text 911.
- Know what method your carrier uses to fix location. GSM phones (AT&T, T-Mobile) use radio signals to triangulate your position; climb to high ground to reach more towers. CDMA phones (Verizon, Sprint-Nextel) use internal GPS receivers; find an unobstructed view of the sky and wait a few minutes for the phone to lock on to satellites. Smartphones (BlackBerry, iPhone) combine both methods for the most accurate position.
- When you connect with help, stay calm and double-check all your location details–such as elevation, UTM coordinates, and which side of a ridge you're on. Panicked hikers have delayed recent search efforts in Alaska and California by accidentally giving rescuers the wrong information.
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READERS COMMENTS
Orion,
You really seem angry:( Did you even read the title of the article? What percentage of the known world today even knows or remembers ham radio? Or remembers morse code for that matter? You need to take off those old Koss headphones, get out of the basement, and get some fresh air. If they sold those items at the Apple store I'm sure it would be a different story. Until Steve Jobs changes their development direction most people are going to be carrying in the car...a cell phone. I agree, your point is spot on!! Everyone should know morse and understand ham radio, but more than 95 percent of people can't morse SOS, and from the nasty tone of you post it certainly doesn't want me to be like you. Join the amateur radio club??? Are you kidding??? They have cell phones. The article is speaking to the 95 percent who will be heading out this weekend. Don't leave them in the car. They may save your life. PS- Notice how sarcasm sounds when it's directed at you?
S
Posted: Nov 09, 2009 Shaun
Both idea's are great..try SPOT. This locater work's great.We spend lot's of time with no cell or radio this is the way to go.
Posted: Oct 31, 2009 gary
Ham radios work great, However do take your cell phone. The steps stated in the article work, not always, but they do work. So why not have that as an option.
Posted: Oct 29, 2009 Tennessee hiker
This is a worthless article and actually should be taken off backpacker's website. Cell phones don't always work. Like I said and someone else said...get a ham radio, become licensed..easy to do and will work better then a cell phone will. Please please please do not pay attention to this article at all....cell phones will not help you out. Better to tell someone where you are going, what gear you have, how long you will be out there, and when to expect you back so if they don't hear from you they will call the local PD or SAR group.
Posted: Oct 28, 2009 Orion
Do not count on Cellphones. Get a Ham Radio. If a Search and Rescue Team is looking for you, you can use Simplex and get to a high area and transmit. You will be found. Cellphones are not good, they rely upon towers. Ham Radios do not! They have never failed in emergency!
Posted: Oct 21, 2009 Hueymungus
I wouldn't count on a cell phone in some areas. If you are that worried about this type of situation I would recommend that you find a local Amateur Radio club and learn how to get your license and then get a backpacker QRP radio and a small antenna, learn CW (Morse Code). This is going to be the most help and almost likely get a better response then a cell phone will. This article should be removed from here since it's almost worthless and NOT a good option.
Posted: Oct 20, 2009 Orion
You might not be in an area with cell phone reception. There are no cell phone towers around the Lower Canyons of the rio grande nor most of the Lower Pecos.
Posted: Sep 17, 2009 Mark Andrus
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