Use of Mobile Phones While Backpacking/Traveling in India

    While Backpacking these days we often think of the mobile phones a practical gadget to carry around but have you wondered if they really are so            practical or have they become an annoyance to those looking for a calm, relaxing and peaceful experience? These electronic gadgets, especially              smartphones       like Apple and Blackberry are becoming a very common sight with almost all Backpackers these days. They sure are a way of              reaching out for help in an emergency, but they can also fail at times.

    The Advantages vs. Disadvantages 

    In case of an emergency, such as an injured hiker/trekker on a remote trail especially in the hills, someone with a cell phone can be of great help in         alerting the local police/rescue team instead of having to go hiking down in order to get help. This can save valuable time and even a life in a serious       medical situation.  

However in a country like India, there are a lot of places where a cell/mobile phone cannot get a signal from a cell tower. This usually happens in remote areas and in valleys surrounded by high mountains – Gangotri & Parts of Leh being perfect examples. A lot of times even if you do manage to get a signal, it isn’t strong enough and the voice keeps cutting off. Not only the network, the battery too can give you a hard time as it tends to discharge very quickly during cold weather

Things to keep in mind with you cell/mobile phone while backpacking in India

To make sure you are able to use your cell/mobile phone while backpacking in India to full use, here are a few quick pointers :

• Firstly, make sure as soon as you leave your battery is fully charged. Once you start climbing uphill it is advised you take the battery out of your cell/mobile phone as keep it wrapped in a cloth and keep it in your backpack.

• Secondly, make sure you have all the important emergency phone numbers readily available when heading off to the hills or any National parks.

• Thirdly, at higher places of altitude we would highly recommend you to carry sets of Walky talkies. It has proved to be of great help to Backpackers in recent times.

• Lastly, Use it as only an emergency device and not as a gadget to play games or update “Status” messages on facebook or other social networking sites else the whole feeling of getting away from your daily life would mix in and spoil your peaceful time in the wild.