First of all I’d like t0 thank the folks that gave their thought on my last blog post about Advanced Medical Training. I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to do yet, but the comments were extremely knowledgeable and helpful.
Minimalist Camping Trip
On to the fun stuff. Not long ago I met a young guy that’s got lots of experience in the woods and doing solo survival trips like I’ve done. Needless to say we hit it off and we’re planning a bug-out bag trip for this coming weekend if everything falls into place. 
My bag is pretty light and the idea behind it is to get home in case of an emergency where I can’t drive. Instead of a sleeping bag I’ve got a wool blanket, instead of a tent I’ve got a poncho, and things like that. To be honest it really won’t be a hardship and I’m looking forward to it even though we’re touting is a “minimalist camping trip.” What’s going to make it even more fun is my oldest nephew is coming along and this will be his first experience sleeping in something he made himself instead of putting up a tent.
I’ve been working with him this summer and he’s at the point where he can start a fire with a firesteel, split wood with his knife, and do other tasks without losing fingers. Another bonus is that he hasn’t been on the computer as much lately. Hard to do that when there’s no wifi connection!
Anyway, I’ll report back and hopefully will have a few pictures or even a video or two to share.
Smart Phone
This next section is for Ranger Man. He laughed when I told him I had one and told me I’d have to write about it. So here ya go RM!
A couple of weeks ago I took the plunge and bought a “smart phone” to replace my old pay-as-you-go cell phone. This smart phone is a Samsung Galaxy and it’s also a pay-as-you go phone that I picked up at Walmart.
I’ve been the biggest detractor of these rigs because I always see people with their faces buried in them and letting the real world slide by. After having one for a couple of weeks I can see why; however, I make it a point not to check the phone if my kids are with me or at least until after they’ve gone to bed or are otherwise occupied.
Now, let’s talk about the positive aspects of a smart phone. These little phones are truly the next step in sharing information. People get caught up on the texting features, but what really got me was the camera and the GPS. The GPS software on this phone is way better than the one I bought a few months ago. I’ll write more about it later, but I’ve been very impressed with being able to turn on the phone, then turn on the GPS (I don’t usually keep it turned on thanks to my tinfoil hat) and knowing precisely where I am at any time with a satellite map to see what’s around the next corner. Unbelievable!
The camera isn’t any great shakes, but it’s not bad either and does very well for what I like to do with it. It also shoots videos and everything is easily transferred to PC for uploading.
There’s a Facebook app that my wife likes, an email app that downloads all my email at any time and puts them in one convenient location for my viewing pleasure. I can check out www.shtfblog.com any time and see what you guys are writing and I can even send emails and replies to you. I will say that the touch screen typing is beyond me though. I can get a few sentences out after some laborious typing, but that’s about it.
It may not do any one thing exceptionally well; however, it does do a lot of things very well.
Of course if there’s an EMP of some kind it’d probably be rendered useless, so I still keep a compass and other manual stand-bys around, but so far it’s a neat little rig that I’ve been getting a lot of good use out of.
Is a smart phone for everybody? I doubt if everybody would benefit from one, but anybody who likes to be connected would certainly be able to enjoy one.
Thoughts? Comments? Shout ‘em out below!
-Jarhead Survivor
Daily articles Monday through Friday.
25 comments
when I can find a way to transfer my unused prepaid minutes, to a new smartphone, then maybe I’d do it. I have to admit, the technology is pretty amazing. just about everyone else in the world seems to have one.
I believe if you stay with the same carrier and keep your current phone number plus move the chip to the new phone, then you shouldn’t have any problem keeping your prepaid minutes. But I could be wrong. Check with your provider.
Thanks SL, I’ll look into it.
not as critical as it was a few weeks ago, i was able to get a replacement battery for the old phone.
Irish, you wanted some ice creepers — Uncle Sam’s Retail Outlet has snow treads for sale, look good. Also for the rest of you, they also have Poncho liners for 10 bux new, and a whole bunch of other goodies. Stuff goes fast, so check it out and order fast.
Disclaimer — they take my money, but they don’t give me any
thanks sput, I’ll check them out. could probably use a new poncho liner too!
**update**
saw lots of things to add to my wish list. i was a little dismayed to see a few “made in china” items with NSN’s…
(National Stock Numbers) but I’ll get over it. the “stabilicers”
are probably the best ice walking product i’m likely to find for the money. i’ll probably buy a few of them for family members. next project: tire chains for the BOV…
(owners manual says not to)
**update #2**
i was all set to blow my OPSEC and make an order, but they don’t offer “Priority Mail” or even “Parcel Post” as a shipping option. UPS shipping costs more than the item i wanted.
I have one of the low-cost smartphones and I’m pretty much like you in not wanting to emerse myselft into it, but, if I need it, it does a great job of providing me with info or connectivity just about anywhere.
I had a pay as you go plan, but quite frankly I found that Ting.com provides a better value for me. It’s not for everyone, but if you don’t constantly use your phone, it will beat most pay-as-you go plans.
You being a “Jarhead” and all, maybe you can answer me some questions?
What has more testosterone than the entire Marine Corps? One of Chuck Norris’ nuts.
Is it true that they got the idea for soft body armor from Chuck Norris’ chest hair, which will also stop bullets.
I understand that they were going to cast Chuck Norris in the lead role of the movie “The 300” but decided that nobody would watch a movie called “One”
Is it true that those “Handicaped” parking spaces are really reserved for Chuck Norris and the signs are just there to warn you what will happen if you park in one? ….just ask’n
Haha! All true. Here are some other facts:
When Chuck Norris was born, the only person who cried was the doctor. No one slaps Chuck Norris.
Chuck Norris can pat his head, rub his stomach, and roundhouse kick you at the same time.
Chuck Norris frequently donates blood to the Red Cross. Just never his own.
Chuck Norris was born the day before Germany surrendered in WWII just saying
Did you know that Chuck Norris can start a fire just by starring at the wood.
A friend of Chuck Norris once asked him if he could call him “Chucky”. Chuck Norris just starred at him until he exploded!
Smart phones have a lot of great features and capabilities. But in general most of them are geeky and time consuming. I have a simple phone and I carry it ONLY so I can find my wife when it’s time to leave Walmart, oh yeah in case I need to call 911 someday to. Otherwise it’s off. I get no kick out of talking on the phone or texting and I hate it when the phone rings. In fact we got rid of our home phone and with my phone shut off it is so damned peaceful you just wouldn’t believe it. Now if I could just get my wife to feel the same way…
Smartphones, a detractor of sort’s, I often hear people say that with the smartphone they know where they are at, how do so many people lose themselves? Or do so many travel to exotic cities other then their own and not know the area? To each their own, and do you always get the right information or just some other guys thoughts,,,, heard a young lady ask her smart phone where would the best place be to bury a body from where she was at,,, going weird ehhhh…. I see alot of self entertaining going on, guess what I’m drawing app’s and app’s for this and that,, grow with the times or get left behind….
@ Charles – “I see alot of self entertaining going on,” – and therein lies the danger. These devices make it very easy to get so involved in yourself that you can exclude all else.
I’ve been reading maps and doing pace counts and following azimuths for years, but with the phone all you have to do is press a button and there you are on a map! It’s very simple… but again, therein lies the danger. When you stop doing things the manual way and start depending on your technology you are ultimately setting yourself up for eventual failure.
Absolutely correct Jarhead. When the battery runs out of juice, which it will AND at the most inconvenient time, you need to understand some old school basics. That’s why I’d rather learn orienteering than to depend upon a handheld GPS even though it’s pretty darn nice to use.
I just recently realized that I can store hundreds of PDF files on my iPod/iPhone and read them using a free app called iBooks. It’s awesome!
You can also use an iPod to download photos to when on vacation. Some of the memory sticks in a camera can only hold a hundred or so high resolution photos but you can transfer them to an iPod & free up the camera’s memory stick space. I set up my ex brother-in-law for a 3 week trip he did to Africa & he took about 1,200 high res pics & loaded them to his iPod while on the trip. When he got home, we transferred them to his computer.
Macs are very intuitive.
JS, point taken, once we loose the feel for real life the cyberworld has u hooked, nothing wrong with knowing tech, take it deep, take it far, but hold on to your manual knowledge, so many today have no sense of direction, on the road, in their life, for the future, three in one being as we are, spirit, mind and body….
Smart phones:” I didn’t like the 20th century, and these damn thing are makin’ me hate the 21″. Seriously, most of the places i go where you can get lost ya’ can’t get a signal without a sat phone. That and my landline house phone bugs the crap out of me. Why have heartburn in my pocket? I don’t play video games, rent movies,or much of anything “modern” I think “TECH” toped out with steam trains. I like being “lost in the wood”till I choose to be “found”.
The GPS and mapping on an iPhone are the bomb. When I’m riding my bike, I love being able to switch between map and satellite views so I can see the actual road I’ll be riding on. I’ve changed routes more than a few times when I’ve seen that the road I wanted to take looked like a death trap.
I love my smart phone! I read my email, and this blog. I never would have found so much preparedness information without it. I do not like sitting in front of a computer.
Jarhead,
The key to Smartphone typing is using your thumbs only. Then it’s just practice – the keyboard is set up the same way as a computer keyboard so there is no learning curve in finding the keys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBk0rDLdTvE&feature=related
I’ve been using Smartphone’s since they came out & quite frankly, I love it because I send a lot of emil on the fly & forward documents, it saves me A LOT of time. Also, I take photos of various issues & email them to clients.
Yesterday a shower valve went bad at my ex mom-in-law’s & went there to help her out. I could not get it removed so I took several pics, sent it via text to my plumber friend & he told me exactly what to do & what kind of valve to get – in a matter of a few minutes. It also helps that I am very much into technology – it is a never ending source of fascination for me.
I am into Macs for many, well researched reasons but you made a great choice with the Galaxy Smartphone.
Smart phones make excellent coasters. I have had one for over two years and I still cannot type on the touch screen without hitting several buttons at once. I am going back to a flip phone as I do not use it much.
Jarhead,
I see you finally took the plunge and got the ultimate mark of the beast (a smartphone) 😉 I have a Galaxy as well and while it’s no substitute for what you carry in your head; it can a welcome supplement to your survival gear. Have are some apps I have on mine that you may want to look into:
Cargo Decoder (Decodes Hazmat Cargo Labels)
Combatives 3-25.150
Epocrates
Fema
First Aid
IPharmacy
Knots Guide
Relief Central
Signals
Survival 3-05.70
U.S. Army Survival
Compass
Flashlight
GPS Essentials (you’ll love what it does to the camera)
Morse Code
Smart Measure
Super Swiss Army Knife
Elerts
Police Scanner Radio
I also strongly suggest you get Lookout Security, it will trace your phone in case of lost or theft. A backup solar charger is good to have too. All these apps are free as well. Enjoy!