Back before cellphones

D.E.Bishop wrote:
I recently finished some volunteer work at a fairly remote Scout camp. I had water hooked up but used my Solar for power and I did not have internet. I don't like to carry my pay as you go, cheapo, cell phone while I work, I soon became use to the peace and quiet of living there. My DW likes to hear from me so between 4pm and 6pm I had strict instruction to phone home.

Your mention of remote Scout camps reminded me of a trip I went on, as one of the leader, back in the early 90s. Our troop went on a High Adventure canoe trip in the back woods of Maine. We were assigned a guide to go with us and dropped off at a lake that was interconnected with several more lakes (Richardson Lakes). About half way through the trip we had to change plans because of some near hypothermia after a few days of rain. The guide carried a two-way radio to call in any problems or changes of plans. When he tried to call in he got no answer. Good thing we solved our own hypothermia problem. He even tried from the middle of one of the lakes, no answer. After a day of rest and warming we decided to hike to the top of a small mountain. He called in from the top and the other end wanted to know where he was at, said it about blew out their speaker he came in so strong. Turned out the batteries had went dead on one of their relay radios on a mountain top and they had not gotten around to hiking in to replace. On top of the mountain we had line of site with a working repeater or base camp. No one thought about being without a telephone for around 10 days. The boys were more concerned with how long we had to drive when we were back before we could find a McDonalds, since they had enough camp food and wanted "real" food. Can't imagine a trip like that now where ever boy and leader would have a cell phone. Wonder what the coverage is in the back woods of Maine?