Communications on tour

[BikeFreak]

Hi,

I would like to know how you guys communicate while long distance touring. If you use multiple ways of communication, please vote for the thing you do most.

Lucas

[johnsondasw]

Iphone

[adventurepdx]

Wish there was a way to choose multiple choices on the poll. Since there isn't:
I use a "normal" cell phone, plus iPod Touch (internet). For the long tour I did last year, we brought a netbook so we could write long blog posts and all that. But for anything short, I wouldn't bother.

[Pat Lamb]

Wish there was a way to choose multiple choices on the poll.

Same here.  Netbook and cell phone, pretty close to 50/50.  There are times you can get wireless internet when you can't get cell coverage, and vice versa.

[jfitch]

I agree with pdlamb. About 50/50 between netbook and cellphone

[Moni]

since you can't vote for multiples, my answers are here:

I use a "normal" cell phone (i.e. small screen, no apps) and no texts
I send post cards and letters
I also use the internet at libraries, where I email, and update crazyguy journals.

[driftlessregion]

somebody else's cell phone. I don't own one.

[BikeFreak]

Concerning multiple answers:

Scenario 1: Let's assume 100 persons do both smartphone and post cards. Once they has voted, the poll says 100 votes for smartphones and 100 votes for post cards.

Scenario 2: Let's assume 100 persons do smartphones only and another 100 persons do post cards only. Once everybody has voted the poll says 100 votes for smartphones and 100 votes for post cards.

However the 2 scenarios are drastically different.

Then the poll says how many members have voted - and that will add to the understanding - but with multiple choices (GPS Tracking, pay phones etc) the overwiev is lost.

Basically the main objective of the poll is to see how many have adopted the electronic gadget world compared to the more "snail mail" world. This why, I suggest voting for the preferred method (as in the original posting). I know, this is not perfect, but it is to ensure that each vote is from a unique, single user. You can do a poll with multiple choices, but then it becomes excessively large.

Lucas

[adventurepdx]

This why, I suggest voting for the preferred method (as in the original posting).

Oops. Sorry Lucas, missed that one from the OP. Went back and voted for my primary means of communications.

It would be interesting if a poll could be "weighted", as one can make different choices but rate it 1, 2, 3 by how often used.

I found that I used the internet as the prime means of communicating with folks on my summer tour last year, but that was if these were people that I was visiting down the road, and if there was enough time (a few days) that I could assure a timely response. Sometimes I'd use my cell if I was only a day or two away. This wasn't always possible since we were in a couple Canadian provinces where I had no coverage whatsoever. (This was the first time I had to use a pay phone in a long time and I couldn't believe how expensive it was!)

But if I was communicating with people back home, I would often write postcards.

[digital_photog]

I voted for something else since most of my trips combine 2 of my hobbies.  Cycling and ham radio.  I am a  member of Bicycle Mobile Hams of America,  founded by Hartley Alley.  I have VHF, HF and APRS radios on the bike and will use the smart phone for limited calls.  Radio will be most of my communication.

[mucknort]

I voted something else, as this is not a multiple choice poll (after checking it looks like this forum doesn't allow you to create multiple choice polls) and we used cell phone and netbook about equally. But the most common way we communicated on tour was talking the folks we met on the road.

[indyfabz]

My someting else:  Good, old face-to-face conversation and expressions (e.g., a smile).

[onebikeoneworld]

My Lenovo x120e and visits to places with wifi gets me what I need. If you didn't know, you can text and call for free using a GMail account and that definitely makes things cheaper and easier.

[misterflask]

I use a standard cellphone which I turn once or twice a day to make calls and check messages.  The battery lasts at least a week used this way. 

I also use a GPS SPOT locator so my wife knows I'm OK, even where there is no cell service.  She could also hunt me down if anything untoward happened.  When her car was hit while I was touring, she was able to contact me through the campground host at a remote campground she saw that I was staying at in the SPOT log.