Tracking forum members? (Leaving Wed. & Loved ones 'freaking out')

[SoLive]

Is it possible to track members while they're walking? I thought after I posted my dates on the calendar this would be a possibility.
I thought I saw information somewhere in the forum that read 'last seen......' but I can't find it again.

I'm just trying to find all of the various ways I can comfort my loved ones' concerns/fears of not being able to know where I am at the end of each day.

I've got WhatsApp & iPhones 'Find Friends' but I wanted to give them a way to reach out to the forum if absolutely necessary. I don't know where they should go/look in the forum otherwise.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

 

[C clearly]

I thought I saw information somewhere in the forum that read 'last seen......' but I can't find it again.

Depending on your settings, other forum members may be able to see when you were last active on the forum. It doesn't track your whereabouts, and provides no other information than whether you were signed into the forum. And that is only if you have your Preferences and Privacy options set to allow it.

Privacy options

• Show your online status - This will allow other people to see when you are online.
• Show your current activity- This will allow other people to see what page you are currently viewing.

If they want to ask something on the forum, they need to become members and make a post.

 

[SoLive]

Depending on your settings, other forum members may be able to see when you were last active on the forum. It doesn't track your whereabouts, and provides no other information than whether you were signed into the forum. And that is only if you have your Preferences and Privacy options set to allow it.

Privacy options

• Show your online status - This will allow other people to see when you are online.
• Show your current activity- This will allow other people to see what page you are currently viewing.

If they want to ask something on the forum, they need to become members and make a post.

Thank you so much C clearly!

 

[alexwalker]

There is a device called "Spot" that will allow you to leave your traces, and others to follow it. Do a Google search.

 

[RJM]

Do you and any of your family members have Facebook or Twitter?
You can instantly communicate on either. Tell them where you are, what you are doing through private messages. Can even call them on Facebook messenger, with or without video camera.

 

[domigee]

Is it possible to track members while they're walking? I thought after I posted my dates on the calendar this would be a possibility.
I thought I saw information somewhere in the forum that read 'last seen......' but I can't find it again.

I'm just trying to find all of the various ways I can comfort my loved ones' concerns/fears of not being able to know where I am at the end of each day.

I've got WhatsApp & iPhones 'Find Friends' but I wanted to give them a way to reach out to the forum if absolutely necessary. I don't know where they should go/look in the forum otherwise.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

With whatsapp, you can send your location....

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hola @SoLive . OK I can understand that some family members will be more than a little apprehensive about you setting off to walk "alone" 800km across Northern Spain. But after three camino adventures I can tell you, the events of April 2015 notwithstanding, the Camino is probably the safest place in Spain. You will start out on your own but will meet fellow pilgrims and make some firm even lifelong friends. The above advice on technical methods to "track you" may be suitable alternative. The other aspect I need to hilight - virtually every albergue on the Camino has wifi - some excellent ; some just so-so. You will be able to logon and send quick emails to family bringing them up to date on your adventures. Buen Camino!!

 

[trecile]

If you all use Google maps you can share your location in real time https://support.google.com/maps/answer/7326816?co=GENIE.Platform=Android&hl=en

 

[Kitsambler]

You can set up a private (ie, access by invitation only) blog on Wordpress. Then use the Wordpress app to post a brief daily update. Alternatively, if your family is not tech-literate, appoint one central Point of Contact and text that one person.

 

[C clearly]

All of these are good ideas about how to stay in touch. However, it might be a bad idea to set up the expectation of daily messages without fail. Might even be a good idea to hold off on some days, so they learn not to panic if you don't post. Things come up, wifi is broken, you are super tired, you forget, etc., etc., and sometimes you'll miss a day.

 

[lissie45]

Is it possible to track members while they're walking? I thought after I posted my dates on the calendar this would be a possibility.
I thought I saw information somewhere in the forum that read 'last seen......' but I can't find it again.

I'm just trying to find all of the various ways I can comfort my loved ones' concerns/fears of not being able to know where I am at the end of each day.

I've got WhatsApp & iPhones 'Find Friends' but I wanted to give them a way to reach out to the forum if absolutely necessary. I don't know where they should go/look in the forum otherwise.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Seriously? THis stuff can go wrong easily and then they totally freak. Explain that you will be fine, and if there is a home emergency give them your ph number

 

[camino07]

My son tracked me on Find my Phone app every day after my amnesia episode on the Madrid this year.

 

[SoLive]

Thank you everybody for all the wonderful responses! They have been extremely helpful!
The funniest thing for me to discover is that the more options there are the more I want to get AWAY from them! Hence the reason I'm going on my Camino! I know you all here know that feeling!
I will assure them that both THEY & I will all be fine & there will be a limit to how often I will check in. I will also give them a designated time to call/text on WhatsApp for emergencies only!!

 

[Paul on camino]

Viewranger free app has a feature called buddy beacon which can upload your position every 5 minutes to a website which they can be given access to.

 

[Deleted member 12253]

Dump your phone just walk. I never ever give my location.a text each day to nearest and dearest and dont worry buen camino

 

[t2andreo]

I was going to recommend they use "Find My Phone." But Camino07 already suggested it...

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Having GPS on all the time can really suck the juice out of your batteries. If you can remember to turn GPS on and off here are two smartphone methods that will work with email.

Set the camera to allow your location to be encoded within the photo data. This can be read by apps. Send them a picture.

There is an app called My GPS Coordinates that shows your location. It can be used to email the location along with a link to Google Maps that will show that place on a map.

The second method will be kinder to your data plan.

 

[Meggins]

As someone previously mentioned SPOT is the thing! Ask the worried members to gift you one. Simply enter the emails (up to 10) of those you wish to follow you. End of day or lunchtime hit the button and it automatically sends emails to your list. Also has an emergency button that will send out closest search and rescue if you are in dire straits!
Can use worldwide. Buen camino~

 

[AlmostAnastasia]

You can also check out the app Life360. With this app they can track you, and you can track them.

 

[Easel]

We just finished (Ponferrada to Santiago) and my wife used POLAR STEPS. It followed you via GPS even with the phone in Airplane Mode to save battery. It allows you to add photos to specific days and to write a summary of the day. It worked quite well for us. The APP is free. Their business model is to then sell you a book of your Polar Step posts. That is certainly optional after the trip is complete. Your family can then Follow You across Spain and enjoy some of what you experienced.

 

[Vanozza]

Is it possible to track members while they're walking? I thought after I posted my dates on the calendar this would be a possibility.
I thought I saw information somewhere in the forum that read 'last seen......' but I can't find it again.

I'm just trying to find all of the various ways I can comfort my loved ones' concerns/fears of not being able to know where I am at the end of each day.

I've got WhatsApp & iPhones 'Find Friends' but I wanted to give them a way to reach out to the forum if absolutely necessary. I don't know where they should go/look in the forum otherwise.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

I use Facebook to post a status update along with a couple of photos.

 

[Icacos]

Thank you everybody for all the wonderful responses! They have been extremely helpful!
The funniest thing for me to discover is that the more options there are the more I want to get AWAY from them! Hence the reason I'm going on my Camino! I know you all here know that feeling!
I will assure them that both THEY & I will all be fine & there will be a limit to how often I will check in. I will also give them a designated time to call/text on WhatsApp for emergencies only!!

Sounds like you are on the right track. Allow yourself the wonderfully freeing experience of going 'off the grid' as much as you can. I told my family how they could check in to see where I was if they wanted to, but otherwise I requested no contact unless in an emergency.

 

[BPG2017]

A bit late to reply… you've been on the Camino for three days now, I hope… but I was going to say the same thing that C clearly has said, and I think it is important enough to repeat and emphasise. Don't do the Camino with the feeling that you have a duty to check in with home very day! And don't set up their expectations! It's part of the experience of a pilgrimage to cut yourself loose a little, and your loved ones need to understand this.
I did check in almost every day, because I live with a highly-strung 90-year-old mother… But even so, I skipped a day from time to time, telling her in advance. Just as a matter of principle.

 

[trecile]

A bit late to reply… you've been on the Camino for three days now, I hope… but I was going to say the same thing that C clearly has said, and I think it is important enough to repeat and emphasise. Don't do the Camino with the feeling that you have a duty to check in with home very day! And don't set up their expectations! It's part of the experience of a pilgrimage to cut yourself loose a little, and your loved ones need to understand this.
I did check in almost every day, because I live with a highly-strung 90-year-old mother… But even so, I skipped a day from time to time, telling her in advance. Just as a matter of principle.

That's why I simply set up location sharing on Google Maps. My husband could always see where I was, but I didn't have to call or text him all the time. I didn't have to think about staying in touch, and was free to just enjoy my Camino.

 

[Deleted member 83944]

My parents track my sister using Find My Friends. And actually it makes them worry more I think. They used to track her husband as well (he set it up) until they started to question why he was in Northern Ireland, or not going to work on a certain day. Then he turned it off! I also met an Alaskan man on camino once who was wearing a full on radio beacon for the benefit of his wife. I teased him a bit about having a parole tag on. I actually think these things cause stress, because there isn't a clear line of action if something 'looked wrong'. How long would you wait to do something? How often per day would you check it? It just feeds off itself.