by mikestorrent 9 hours ago
> people who didn't have internet access, which with cell service, StarLink (yeah, Elon Musk, I know but it has been a game charger in remote communities) and similar services
I'm not bringing Starlink on a week-long kayak voyage. My cousin isn't bringing it on his hiking and hunting trip in the bush. There's no cell service out there - radio is all you get, at best. This might not be tremendously well used, but there was and continues to be utility for radio broadcasting that one can receive on a cheap low-powered device for free with no subscription in the middle of nowhere. None of your suggestions touch that.
> we'd still have roads maintained for horse and buggies.
Do you leave the city, much? Ever drive up an FSR?
For people who live in remote areas, Starlink has been very helpful. Hiking and outdoor activities, much less so.
For what it's worth, we're probably a few years off from ubiquitous availability of cheap, sat-based cellphone data. In fact, my iPhone has free sat-based texting right now.
Although also, I really don't enjoy that crucial safety services such as weather data are being discontinued. And I actually really don't enjoy the premise that I'll be able to be reached anywhere in the world, even the remote wilderness.
On the other hand as someone who has gone on week long (and longer) hiking, kayaking, and most frequently canoeing trips in Canada I was completely unaware of this service, and would have been completely uninterested in it is I knew about it.
We just take it as it comes and deal with it...
It's pretty good for backcountry hiking/camping (or offroading in general) where you are potentially hours away from any kind of cellular service. Some of these weather radio stations have (had?) pretty good coverage. A cheapo radio that can receive weather radio frequencies could last weeks on a single battery charge. It's great to know if my planned hike for the next day is possible or if we should make alternate plans, or if a giant storm is due later in the day, that kind of thing. Once you've been out for a day or two, all the forecasts you had ahead of time are obsolete and incorrect, particularly in the mountains.
Yeah, forecasts are definitely pretty worthless past day 2 or 3, and I can see how someone could find it useful... but part of the charm with camping to me is definitely the decision making process being based on "look at the sky" and not "ask the technology". Definitely a personal taste sort of thing.