Most of the people I've met use gut hooks.

So what I do use my phone for a lot on the trail is gut hook.

You want to check gut hook?

I think oftentimes I seek comfort in looking at gut hooks. I love gut hooks. If you think the

Donner Party wouldn't have used gut hooks app with GPS in 1846 the near a few sandwiches short of a picnic. Welcome to yourpacker Radio presented by the Track. I am your host

Zach Badger Davis. This is episode number 13 of our Trail Correspondence Series.

In today's show, we touch upon a divisive topic,

technology in the backcountry.

After all, a through hike or any endeavor in the backcountry should be an opportunity to disconnect from our devices and instead to connect with our surroundings and fellow hikers.

Right? Perhaps there's some irony in this belief as we consume monologues and conversations

recorded by hikers on their phones.

Where do we draw a line? More specifically, our hikers

tell us about their experience with technology on trail, how it's impacted

their hike and how they witnessed their fellow hikers relationships with their devices.

Ultimately, our correspondence share whether they think technology is good or bad for the

trail community and its culture. So, without further delay delay here it is. Enjoy. Hey everyone, Floss here. I'm going to give you some of my thoughts on technology here on the trail.

I think first most obvious point is that I wouldn't be able to be making this recording unless I had this technology known as a smartphone to make the recording.

That has definitely been something that's useful, but I mean in terms of being more honest about the whole thing,

having the phone around has been for me.

Great, I mean you can probably tell from some of my past recordings that I might

get a bit more homesick than others out here. So being able to connect with my parents, my girlfriend, my brother, my sister, all those sort of people.

And being able to connect those things up along the way has been really great.

...