Diefenbaker
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2010 SJPdP to Finesterre
SJPdP or Hendaye Via Camino Vasco and CF to SdC 2016
Paris to SDC 2018
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Turn off the smart phone except to use it like a basic phone. It is easy!I was looking forward to not taking my smartphone and just taking a basic phone to be used for occasional texts/calls
No need for a GPS. Path is well marked....at least it is on the Camino Frances and Norte. I brought my smartphone for the camera purpose and an occasional email to family and friends with a picture attached. Never made a call on it.I was looking forward to not taking my smartphone and just taking a basic phone to be used for occasional texts/calls
home to loved ones. However I am now wondering if it's worth taking it as it may come in more handy for emergencies, especially with the GPS functionality?
Just wondering: What is the logic of pursuing the "purity" of not carrying your smartphone whilst still wanting to connect to the world by means of (mostly outdated, slow and unsafe) PC's in internet cafes and albergues?If you are one of those pilgrims who insist on setting out before the sun gets up (and waking half the albergue with your flashing headlamp urgh!) or one who persists to finish 35 kilometers even if it is dark out side, you may and thats a big may, you may need a GPS in the dark, otherwise don't bother it will only confuse. Only several years ago every albergue and many cafe/bars had coin operated computers, nothing hi-tech they worked with bicycle pedals (not really) but were good enough. Smartphones are fine if you are in to that sort of thing, expensive and worth more then everything else you will be carrying, and might just attract unwanted attention. Bring a dumbphone SMS texts home to let them know the Spanish bears haven't eaten you and the occaisional call, surely more then enough
Put perfectly panoJust wondering: What is the logic of pursuing the "purity" of not carrying your smartphone whilst still wanting to connect to the world by means of (mostly outdated, slow and unsafe) PC's in internet cafes and albergues?
I've said it before on this forum:
Smartphones have become parts of our life and are a blessing if used diligently. they replace maps, dictionary, flashlight, camera, video-corder, compass, altimeter, printed tickets, tourist guides, notebook, pencil, wristwatch, weather station, give geographic position, walking distance, provide music, news, lists of albergues, hostals and restaurants; and last, not least let you write and send a daily blog to an interested audience back home....but most importantly: they give you peace of mind in the event of an emergency situation. Think of it as a practical, modern "Swiss Army knife" saving a lot of weight.
I absolutely respect a pilgrim's decision to shun all amenities and to walk the Camino in total frugality but cannot help to side with those enjoying good food, good wine, comfortable beds and an iPhone in the pocket. The accomplishment of reaching Santiago is equal to all peregrinos.
Just wondering: What is the logic of pursuing the "purity" of not carrying your smartphone whilst still wanting to connect to the world by means of (mostly outdated, slow and unsafe) PC's in internet cafes and albergues?
I've said it before on this forum:
Smartphones have become parts of our life and are a blessing if used diligently. they replace maps, dictionary, flashlight, camera, video-corder, compass, altimeter, printed tickets, tourist guides, notebook, pencil, wristwatch, weather station, give geographic position, walking distance, provide music, news, lists of albergues, hostals and restaurants; and last, not least let you write and send a daily blog to an interested audience back home....but most importantly: they give you peace of mind in the event of an emergency situation. Think of it as a practical, modern "Swiss Army knife" saving a lot of weight.
I absolutely respect a pilgrim's decision to shun all amenities and to walk the Camino in total frugality but cannot help to side with those enjoying good food, good wine, comfortable beds and an iPhone in the pocket. The accomplishment of reaching Santiago is equal to all peregrinos.
Me too, Scruffy: Metropollaurus Nonbarbamentum. Until this week. I hate the things, but on the last couple of caminos every difficulty I encountered - credit card cancelled, lost in a forest, birthdays forgotten and gifts not sent - people would say 'you can do it on your smartphone'. Everyone had one, and many had those tablets too, top-of-the-range, way-out expensive models. And then they insisted on the cheapest albergues and the menu peregrino. But I digress...Alas, I admit everything, yes I am a dinosaur, Scruffisaurus Barbamentum, unconvinced.
Look here for a solutionIF I remember not to use it in the pouring rain
Side effect of new smartphone ownership: wanting to buy all the accessories! I may stick to my old fail-safe ziploc bags for this purpose, though. (I'll put a reminder in my smartphone to buy ziploc shares)
Oi, bearded one, that's a bit of a barbed remark!Metropolly we must really be dinosaurs, haven't met anyone who could understand a joke in Latin in years!
Hey Ulla, I checked out your website and songs, I like it! When are you going to write and sing a song about the Camino? Wait...I see that you still have yours ahead of you, so get the experience first and produce a whole album, I'll be your fan.I SO agree Pano! Time and tools changes! We don't walk in the same type of clothes and shoes that they did a 100 years ago either! I will bring mine for the convenience of having all the tools you mention at hand....just in case and IF I need them and want to use them, and save a lot of weight in my pack! Anything else would be stupid! I do NOT plan to make calls, send a lot of mails or be online all the time, that is not an adiction to me and not why I go walking the Camino. But WHY would I NOT bring it???...when I can!
But then you would be walking the Camino differently from me so that my life spins out of control.We don't walk in the same type of clothes and shoes that they did a 100 years ago either! I will bring mine for the convenience of having all the tools you mention at hand....just in case and IF I need them and want to use them, and save a lot of weight in my pack! But WHY would I NOT bring it???
I don't exactly understand Latin, as I never studied it (if only...), but a childhood of Sunday Catholic masses sung in that language have left a sort of brain residue, so I can take the odd lucky guess!Metropolly we must really be dinosaurs, haven't met anyone who could understand a joke in Latin in years!
Hi Metropolly, welcome to the wonderful world of smartphones.Side effect of new smartphone ownership: wanting to buy all the accessories! I may stick to my old fail-safe ziploc bags for this purpose, though. (I'll put a reminder in my smartphone to buy ziploc shares)
Some GPS on smartphones can use an enormous amount of data, so watch out for the cell phone charges. There are lots of inexpensive GPS devices to do that specifically. Think about one of them.I'm seriously considering starting my next Camino from Hendaye so I may be glad of a GPS function, if I can figure out how it works
hi Falcon, it is not the GPS which uses the data. It is the app if it needs to download a map.Some GPS on smartphones can use an enormous amount of data, so watch out for the cell phone charges. There are lots of inexpensive GPS devices to do that specifically. Think about one of them.
Hey Ulla, I checked out your website and songs, I like it! When are you going to write and sing a song about the Camino? Wait...I see that you still have yours ahead of you, so get the experience first and produce a whole album, I'll be your fan.
Heum... touchy subject! I walked the Camino in November 2013 and there was many people with phones,... of course they don't talk on the phone, these days people text or post with their phones. To each their own. I was just kinda surprised and sad about this. The Camino has that special atmosphere, feeling, setting... that should be sacred. You un-hook from everyday life. You walk, think, share, experience,... I say take photos, write a journal (by hand, on paper,... yes, that still exist ;o)... then when you get back you can post and share all you want. I was so glad not being "connected" to anything for 35 days. Of course I communicated with my loved ones when and where I found computers with internet along the way. Many Albergues have computers and you can hook-up there and send an e-mail or skype with loved ones (Skype, not so much because of technology issues in most places). It is so special if you can just enjoy, absorb everything without being hooked to that phone.... my two cents anyway.
My main concern was whether Pilgrims had become so engrossed in their phones that they didn't notice anything or anyone around them whilst on the Camino. I loved the fact that when you passed another Pilgrim in 2010 they would also say 'Buen Camino' at the very least and when I'd stop at a bar for breakfast or sat down for my evening meal there was always a lovely, friendly atmosphere and most people would acknowledge each other when someone sat down. I'd hate to think that these days a large number of people wouldn't notice when other people came in their vicinity and thus the friendly atmosphere that existed 4 years ago had now been watered down.
TonyC, I only carry one device, myself, but was concerned about keeping it charged; there isn't always a convenient outlet. I took a Zagg 6000 portable battery and my wife and I never had a problem on our Camino. It was good for about 4 full charges of an iPhone. Plug it in and it recharges. Plug one or two devices into it when it is plugged in, and they charge first. When the phone runs down, plug into the Zagg and keep walking.I will be taking a representative sample of devices, currently limited to Smartphone, Tablet and Compact camera.
I'd just like to remind you, if that's your photo, it's way past your bed-time - and should you be walking so far?
I forgot to add that I would also be taking a backup battery pack as welln which can recharge any of my Android devices " on the way" if necessary.
I used RunKeeper (IOS) in combination with a local SIM card from Movistar. Very good app, it works online but I got well through the days; nice to know where you are and the distance you walked! The map though did not cover the Camino area well enough (in Sep.'14); had to resort to Google map for more details, sometimes.Those who use an iPhone GPS AP, which ap do you like and why? Can it be used off line? Is it a heavy battery hog? Thank you.
Don
Absolute nonsense that 3G data is expensive. Sure if you are silly enough to use international roaming on your SIM card from home... but I am on camino now and when I flew in to Madrid my first stop was a mobile shop where I bought a local SIM card with 1GB of data for a MONTH for only 10 euros! Download viber and you can call home for free. Not carrying a mobile with internet access was not an option for me as I have no choice but to answer work emails once a day and more importantly... I have an 11 year old daughter at home and I need to be able to speak to her whenever I want without worrying about costs and rushing the call. With 3G and viber I can call her for free when I want and she can call me. All for 10 Euros! Money well spent. Added perks of the smartphone are the apps such as Wise Pilgrim... no need to carry the heavy Brierley guide... translator, gps, 16megapixel camera, torch etc... and of course I am responsible on how and when I use my phone so not to disturb others. At least 10 other pilgrims have downloaded wise pilgrim since I showed them... prefering it to the book.
I got lost LOADS of times on the Frances - which I walked before smartphones were on the market. In the absence of a phone I got involved in quite intense conversations, even heated arguments, with myself and therefore often missed the yellow arrows. When an outsider joined in the discussion, we'd often get lost together. I've been lost on every Camino, and in fact on every walk I've done, even within a mile of my own home. Probably most people aren't like me (thankfully). But on the other hand, the person who invented GPS must have had a certain type in mind...If you start in daylight hours and finish before 7pm you have NO use for a GPS.
For those who have not walked this camino please understand this;
********You cannot get lost unless;
You are on the phone and not concentrating.
I think you are worrying about this too much. If you are focused on other people's use of phones because you are concerned that too many people will be using them too much, then of course you will notice everyone who is using their phone and every person who doesn't say Buen Camino - these instances will stand out and seem like they are more prevalent than they are and your concerns will be a self-fulfilling prophesy. It is sort of like when you are considering buying a certain type of car - suddenly you see that kind of car everywhere - they've been there all along, fairly unnoticeable, but now that you are paying attention, you see them all the time.
Your description of your Camino in 2010 is exactly the experience that I had this year. People do say Buen Camino, they do chat at the dinner table. People do notice when other people show up. Don't worry. And think about it - these people who you see on their phones, ignoring the rest of the world - do they really seem like people who would even consider walking the Camino? One of the reasons that the Camino is so special is because it takes a certain kind of person to even consider going. I saw a quote a while back that said something like "Happiness is finding people who are the same kind of crazy as you are." I felt like that was the Camino - so many cool people from all over, but everybody was a certain kind of "crazy" to think that walking across Spain and staying in bunk beds next to strangers is a good idea.
This is a personal view, and one not all of us share. I used a GPS to record all my trips, including the Camino. I also use it to geo-tag my photographs, and on occasion, I have used it when I have taken an elegant variation, and needed to confirm I could reach the next town along the track I was using. My view is that there a plenty of uses for a GPS.If you start in daylight hours and finish before 7pm you have NO use for a GPS.
Rubbish. I am always amazed by past pilgrims who clearly didn't get lost pontificating on how easy it is to navigate, particular the CF. Those of us who have gone astray know just how easy it is to miss a way mark or mis-interpret some signage, particularly when there are few other people around. Walking in the morning twilight increases the likelihood of missing an sign, and extra attention is required if you are going to walk then.For those who have not walked this camino please understand this;
********You cannot get lost unless; You are on the phone and not concentrating.
Goodness, what a quaint notion. It's a pilgrimage, not a retreat from the world. It doesn't require abstinence from contact with the non-Camino world. Nor do I sense abstinence would have made my appreciation of the special nature of the camino any greater.And please don't read the papers from home , just enjoy where you are....for when you get home you will have realised what a special place you were in.
Im just taking a basic!I was looking forward to not taking my smartphone and just taking a basic phone to be used for occasional texts/calls
home to loved ones. However I am now wondering if it's worth taking it as it may come in more handy for emergencies, especially with the GPS functionality?
Added perks of the smartphone are the apps such as Wise Pilgrim... no need to carry the heavy Brierley guide... translator, gps, 16megapixel camera, torch etc... and of course I am responsible on how and when I use my phone so not to disturb others. At least 10 other pilgrims have downloaded wise pilgrim since I showed them... prefering it to the book.
Go for Wise Pilgrim app. Brilliant.is the Brierley guide any good ?
I just downloaded eCamino and am thinking of paying for the app to get the guide and offline maps, which saves on data. It is 9euro, 33 stage maps, offline, 1000 or more poi, log your progress, keep your diary and photos... Could be nice.
And of course, no added weight...
The biggest battery drainers are gps and screen, the more they are on, the less time your battery will last.
So turning on briefly to check your position is best, unless you want to track how far and how fast you are going.
I agree... let's stay cool people..Perhaps a little more "here's what I've done" and "here's what works for me". A little less telling people what to do.
I agree... let's stay cool people..
Perhaps a little more "here's what I've done" and "here's what works for me". A little less telling people what to do.
Bill
My Tracks is a good app I find. I use it more than most, nice and simple and easy on the battery.Someone mentioned apps - I love using Map My Walk for my practice walks, and it's free. Any other good suggestions for androids?
We have just invested in a Power Monkey explorer - (LINKY) - the battery is not huge (2200mAh) - about the same as a full charge on the mobile phone, but as it has a solar recharger, so we can keep topping up all day if needs be, and should not need to find a power socket.
Someone mentioned apps - I love using Map My Walk for my practice walks, and it's free. Any other good suggestions for androids?
The Wise Pilgrim app appears to be only available for the iPhone (http://wisepilgrim.com/)Go for Wise Pilgrim app. Brilliant.
Not true... I have a Samsung and downloaded from Play Store... as have several others I am walking with. At first it was only for iphone but about 2 months ago he brought out android version.The Wise Pilgrim app appears to be only available for the iPhone (http://wisepilgrim.com/)
Maybe they will see sense somewhere along the line and rewrite it for the much more popular Android device community.
Actually....not true! I've done it on many a hike thru the Ziploc baggie!! In fact I just tested it again right now and my iPhone works just fine in the bag! Now talking might be another issue but using it for maps or directions isn't a problem. So zip it up and Buen Camino!Hi Metropolly, welcome to the wonderful world of smartphones.
The ziploc bag is a good idea if you want to keep the phone dry. However you would not be able to use it without taking it out of the bag, as it is not able to transfer your finger presses (capacitative). The one in the link is a very good solution and I think we may get one too.
glad I was wrong, usually Apple makes it so you have to buy expensive accessoriesActually....not true! I've done it on many a hike thru the Ziploc baggie!! In fact I just tested it again right now and my iPhone works just fine in the bag! Now talking might be another issue but using it for maps or directions isn't a problem. So zip it up and Buen Camino!
The Wise Pilgrim app appears to be only available for the iPhone (http://wisepilgrim.com/)
Maybe they will see sense somewhere along the line and rewrite it for the much more popular Android device community.
Hi and thanks for the "Heads-Up". I had searched on the Play Store under "Wise Pilgrim" and saw nothing.Not true... I have a Samsung and downloaded from Play Store... as have several others I am walking with. At first it was only for iphone but about 2 months ago he brought out android version.
. At first use it looks impressive and the author states that most of the information is available off-line, so hopefully there will be little need for wi-fi or 3G connections on the track..
GOD BLESS YOU I couldn't have said it better myself...Just wondering: What is the logic of pursuing the "purity" of not carrying your smartphone whilst still wanting to connect to the world by means of (mostly outdated, slow and unsafe) PC's in internet cafes and albergues?
I've said it before on this forum:
Smartphones have become parts of our life and are a blessing if used diligently. they replace maps, dictionary, flashlight, camera, video-corder, compass, altimeter, printed tickets, tourist guides, notebook, pencil, wristwatch, weather station, give geographic position, walking distance, provide music, news, lists of albergues, hostals and restaurants; and last, not least let you write and send a daily blog to an interested audience back home....but most importantly: they give you peace of mind in the event of an emergency situation. Think of it as a practical, modern "Swiss Army knife" saving a lot of weight.
I absolutely respect a pilgrim's decision to shun all amenities and to walk the Camino in total frugality but cannot help to side with those enjoying good food, good wine, comfortable beds and an iPhone in the pocket. The accomplishment of reaching Santiago is equal to all peregrinos.
However I am now wondering if it's worth taking it as it may come in more handy for emergencies, especially with the GPS functionality?
I thought I was still alone with these thoughts hotel medicis.Regarding GPS, I highly recommend the old-fashioned GPS: just follow the yellow arrows all the way to Santiago.
That's really all you'll ever need.
MotionX for GPS... or if you've got any useful tips that would also be very welcome!
So... If any one has any great apps that they think I could use please let me know... I've got Wise Pilgrim and Mapmywalk... or if you've got any useful tips that would also be very welcome!
My smartphone arrived yesterday and I'm very excited!!
So... If any one has any great apps that they think I could use please let me know... I've got Wise Pilgrim and Mapmywalk... or if you've got any useful tips that would also be very welcome!
My smartphone arrived yesterday and I'm very excited!!
I'm the total opposite to some in that I've refused to join the 21st century... much to the annoyance of friends and family I didn't have a mobile! (well I had the cheapest pay as you go from Leclerc and never charged it). But my forthcoming walk changed my mind for me and I think it's also given my family a little peace of mind.
I decided that my smartphone can be
I dont think it will detract from my experience at all... I just think it will make life a little easier and my pack a little lighter.
- my camera/video recorder
- my guide books
- my music
- my reading book
- my tourist information
- my map
- my link to home (and this forum)
- I can scan and copy all my important medical records and other important documents and have access to them
- I have a phone book
- an address book
- Michel Thomas loaded to help me improve my Spanish (and even my French)
- I've found a very clever app that translates text for me
- GPS - not to show me the way but to show where I've been
- It also gives me access to my blog/journal - which I will update when I have a moment
- it's a tool that allows me to store information and ph0tos online so they are safe even if I lose/break the phone
- all of this and it fits in my pocket!!
So... If any one has any great apps that they think I could use please let me know... I've got Wise Pilgrim and Mapmywalk... or if you've got any useful tips that would also be very welcome!
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