Connected Campers?

[NadMat]

So how connected to the world are you when you are camping?

Are you like me, with a phone and an internet connection anywhere I can get a Cellular signal? Or are you more the "thats what I came out here to avoid" type?
Or somewhere inbetween?

[GrizzlyTaco]

Me, I like to leave the computers and phones behind, also my watch. I dont want to be bothered with that stuff. I want to relax with family and or friends when we camp, otherwise whats the point!!!........Ed   :sombraro:

[RKCRWLR]

Connected by phone as best as I can... job demands it.  Try to hit email as well.  But its a quickie and get back to the business of camping.  CD has entered to help the baby nap, but radio is out.

[NadMat]

Well I like having laptop handy to download pictures off of camera, and to do emails with buddies who couldn't come. My phone has internet connectivity, required for some of what I do, and even if didn't, there are always a coffee house or library I can hit when passing thru a town that has free or cheap wireless internet. Having my laptop and phone can mean the difference of camping for a week vs a weekend, cannot always afford to be that unavailable when a big project going on, but having a phone and being able to do email is as good as sitting around the office being bored with routine chores. I call it 'mobile remote office' and its more fun to do the office routine around fun outdoor activities than to be stuck in the office all day killing time waiting on an email or a phone call.

[cyclone]

We always take a cell phone along; although there have been several trips when reception was very iffy at best.  We leave it turned on, but only because my parents are in their 70's and I feel more comfortable knowing I can be reached if necessary.  The laptop stays at home.

[wavery]

We bring our cell phones to keep in touch with family. If I brought my computer, my DW would stay home :p .

[Shelly]

We bring our cell phone for emergencies with the elderly in our family.  Nothing else though.  No computers, tv's, game boys, portable DVD's or anything.  Camping is for camping.  That said it is great that those that have to stay connected to work can and still get to be in the great outdoors, thankfully though that's not me!

Shelly

[unitydnk]

DH is not always with us and likes us to in touch

[vjm1639]

We bring our cell phones because all our kids are on their own now so we need to be able to be reached in an emergency. That's all they are used for though.  Neither of us are phone talkers and DH won't answer any work calls that come in on it when he's off.  Says that's what voice mail is for!     We take the laptop but use it for the GPS purposes more than anything.

[chasd60]

On longer trips I bring my laptop because I use a GPS unit with it for traveling. I can also upload photos to it from my digital camera if the camera gets full.
 
I also carry a cell phone but I don't use it much. I have a TracFone that had 620 minutes when I got it in September of 05 and I still have 487 minutes left. Averages out to about 22 minutes per month. Some of my calls were charged double minutes because I was out of my calling area. A lot cheaper than paying $35/mo for 22 minutes.
 
Most of the campgrounds that are local to me don't have cell phone reception anyway.
 
I am connected with a 13" television (I like to check the evening news) and a radio. I bought a Grundig crank to charge radio that we use.
 
I have 3 trips booked for this season so far and none of them have any hookups but the solar works great. Keeps my camper batteries, rechargeable lantern, blender, GMRS radios and flashlight topped off too.

[lmack]

My job requires me to be as connected as I can,  I carry a laptop with a verizon Broadband air card so I can connect to the internet most places,  I can then VPN into the network at work to "fix" issues as they come up.  It gets to feeling sometimes I'm never off work but that's part of my job.   I guess that's better than making rush trips back to work, at least I can do most of my stuff anywhere I'm getting a Verizon Signal.

[SpeakEasy]

I'm a lot like most of you who have posted answers: cell phone is available for emergencies generally. Laptop stays at home. Stop in at libraries once in a while to check e-mail. I go camping to intentionally "get away."

That said, I have a story.

Last summer, just before we set off on our planned-in-advance, three-week trip, I got a job offer. Since I was already under contract to a different employer, I didn't feel right about just dumping them and going to the new job. So, the cell phone and library computers got a work-out from me on our trip! All the negotiations - first to get released from the old job, and then to come to specific terms with the new one - took place on the road. It was a bizarrre experience for me, being 1000 miles from home and doing cell-phone negotiations for a better salary and working conditions! Slapping mosquitoes with one hand and two feet while standing in a campsite making a deal on a cell phone. I never thought I'd become one of THOSE people! Hey, you do what you gotta do.

This summer will be different, I expect.

[AustinBoston]

This varies widely for us.  We had one trip last year when we basically checked the cell phones for messages once in a while (otherwise they were turned off).  We have often camped in areas that are outside cellular coverage.

On a second trip later in the summer, we chose a campground because they had wireless internet availability.  But this was because DD's wedding was less than a month away, and it was one of the few opportunities for both DD's and DW to actually be in the same place at the same time to plan last minute items.

We sometimes bring the laptop in order to download pics from the digital camera, but once the download is done, the laptop gets put away.

One thing we've never done is bring a printer.  Anybody do that?

Austin

[garym053]

Leave Cell Phone, 'puter, TV and anything else that would intrude from the "outside" world into my piece and quiet.
I DO however bring a Weather/emergency Radio!

[NadMat]

I understand the views of those who are all about 'leave all that crap behind'. Although looks like most of us do take our cell phones these days. While I had to take my laptop originally because of work reasons, I found that it was nice for a few other functions, mostly for handling pictures, or as a rainy day something to do thing, just pop in a dvd or play a game. I usually will not use the internet unless is just available at campground wirelessly, or if am doing a longer than a weekend trip, will usually check my email every couple of days, if necessary connecting thru my cell phone. The other thing it can allow, is that when am doing software development project, working alone on computer for periods with occasional communication with others on project the pup can become my 'home office' and can enjoy a couple of weeks on the road, without officially taking 'time off' from work to do so.