{"id":1102,"date":"2019-04-24T11:25:07","date_gmt":"2019-04-24T10:25:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.naturetravels.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1102"},"modified":"2019-06-25T14:34:19","modified_gmt":"2019-06-25T13:34:19","slug":"are-mobile-phones-good-or-bad-for-outdoor-activities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naturetravels.co.uk\/blog\/are-mobile-phones-good-or-bad-for-outdoor-activities\/","title":{"rendered":"Mobile Phones – Curse or Blessing in the Outdoors?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When I first discovered the lure of the outdoors on bothy trips and hillwalking weekends in the Highlands of Scotland in my twenties, mobile phones were mysterious, bulky devices wielded only by fast-talking stockbrokers \u2013 I distinctly remember laughing out loud at the sight of one besuited yuppie braying \u201cSell! Sell!\u201d into a monstrous thing the size of a lunchbox as he strode commandingly along a street in Edinburgh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t know anyone who owned one. And even if I had, they certainly weren\u2019t something you\u2019d want to take on an outdoor adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why would you? The thing would take up half your backpack and leave no room for the chocolate biscuits. Those were the days of lo-tech adventuring \u2013 we simply left a note on the car dashboard saying, \u201cParty of 4, Glen Affric bothy, returning 5th April\u201d, and headed off into the hills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"I'm
I’m sure my phone’s down there somewhere – can somebody call it? Photo: Nature Travels.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward 25-odd years and the world is of course a very different place. The word \u201cphone\u201d no longer accurately describes the miniaturised miracles we all carry with us wherever we go. Actually making calls now comes far down the list of most common uses of a mobile phone. Many users even say they could happily do without a call function on their phones completely!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mobile phones have permeated every corner of our lives, and the time we spend in the outdoors has not escaped the invasion. But what have we gained, and what might we have lost, along the way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour phone is not a substitute for your brain\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

There is no doubt that the prevalance of mobile phones has made a huge contribution to the safety of travellers and outdoor enthusiasts. Hours of walking to find the nearest phone or the front door of a friendly local to knock on can now be replaced with a call to emergency services (or friend, or maybe Mummy!) in seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sounds great \u2013 but (take a deep breath, this may be a painful revelation):mobile phones don\u2019t always work!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Don't
Don’t rely on your phone to tell you where you are. Take a map and a compass, and know how to use them. Photo: Nature Travels.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Consider any of the following scenarios:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n