Can a technophobe survive?

[caz]

Capt. George,

I am 71 years old, have a 6 pound cat & a 160 pound wife. We started camping with our Airstream about a year ago. We use a smart phone, laptop & the navigation system in our Tundra. Smart phone for calling ahead, laptop to plot & print out a paper route ahead of time and the Nav system to drive real time. I really like the Tundra Nav because the on board voice advises you where & when to take exits/ramps. We purchased our Flying Cloud Airstream because it has cool things like electronic ignition for stove, water heater & furnace, but fewer gadgets & motors than the Airstream high end coaches. I like manually operated things. Also, using my Garmin chart plotter on my sailboat really helped me acclimate to travel over land. Go for it Capt. George.
Capt. Bill Caz.

[eggman]

The great thing about an Iphone ( can’t speak about others, but there’s always someone online or at an apple store ( with an appt) to help , is that you really don’t have to learn all the things you can do with it all at once. Use it as a phone. Then learn texting. Then maps. Then searching the internet. Then the camera. Then how to hook up to internet at wifi spots st campgrounds. Before you know it, you will be staring at that glowing rectangle more than you can imagine, just like the digital natives.
Seriously, though, a smartphone is an invaluable tool for your safety. Wouldn’t leave home without one.

[tbashin]

My dad got his first smart phone at 91 years of age. He just turned 92. One of my sisters set it up for him and linked his emails to it and showed him the basics he needs to know. Since then he's gotten himself a Facebook page, reads the paper online, text messages us 4 kids all the time too.
The Google app or Map apps are easy to use. Just type in what you want to find and it gives you options to choose from. Just like your computer. You can do it too. Just go for it.

[Seemore2006]

70 is not OLD. Buy a smart phone and hire someone to give you some lessons. Also Keep a Walmart prepaid phone that you are familiar with during your smart phone learning curve. After you get used to a smart phone you will see how much harder the flip phone actually was to navigate. Most of all have patience.

[SeeMore]

Capt. George - no worries. I have a leg in both worlds. Though I made my professional career in IT, I follow the old world mindset and behaviors as a retiree. I dropped the electronic leashes when I left work, the need to be constantly available to whomever, and began the search for a slower pace: no smart phone, no watch, etc.

The answer to your question is simply, "there are alternatives." You can buy "exit books" which have all the businesses along the interstates, as well as other books for campgrounds (etc.) which were used by RVers in days long gone. They are not near as handy or quick to reference as smart phones, but are doable if too much tech is off-putting. Your simple flip phone will do nicely.

I do employ an old Garmin GPS (bought in the nineties and not updated since) for major routing. At the local level, I pre-plan using Google maps on my Mac before departure to gain insight/awareness of road changes and local attractions and make reservations mostly on ReserveAmerica. You can also do this at any number of businesses along the way using their public WiFi. I rarely look for a stopping point after mid-morning for that evening's layover and call ahead to confirm availability shortly thereafter when I do.

Of course, all the folks who promote acquiring a more expanded comfort with IT are right about the added freedom of movement and accessibility on short notice provided by a smart phone and mobile data plan, plus the willingness of tutors. The added benefit is more screen time once they stop for news, entertainment, e-mail, etc., as campground WiFi is sketchy at best. Personally, I am happier doing activities other than screen time and certainly don't miss the emotional disturbances/irritations brought on by instantly knowing every tweet, disaster, et al, blasting world-wide within seconds. There is comfort in being ignorant of some subjects.

Each to their own is still an admiral mindset.

[TouringDan]

Capt. George

Welcome to AirForums.

Once you get a bit used to your smart phone, you will wonder what you did without it. Get an IPhone, an IPad and the Allstays App like others have said. It will be the best $10 you ever spent. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Also, learn to camp without hookups. It will open up lots of camping options. We rarely camp with reservations.

Dan

[TxTravelsUSA]

Hey Capt, Have no guilt about your reluctance to embrace technology. You have a valuable skill in map reading! Also, GPS will take you on terrible roads, wrong roads, narrow roads, weight restricted roads, roads with low bridge clearance, and just when you need it the most.... will lose the signal. I have a Rand McNally Motor Carriers Atlas that has been a lifesaver. It has clearly marked the roads that a semi can travel. It’s fine to have the GPS but review your route in the Atlas before you pull out and save yourself from disasters. I bought my atlas right after my map app took me to the wrong campground....in the San Isabel Mountains instead of the San Juan Mountains 140 miles away (I took a screen shot to prove to my kids that I followed the route it plotted, and didn’t take a wrong turn) The maps app also took me in the wrong entrance to Garden of the Gods, on a one lane road in West Virginia and a gravel road in Tennessee.
IMHO you need both the old and the new! Just keep working on your tech skills while you enjoy your paper maps and reach your destination safely.

[pegjust]

I get it having a husband at your age and I am 19 years younger. It actually works-this dynamic. I agree that the internet is crucial so if you are savvy with a Mac you can navigate an iPhone. It is the Best way to plan ahead and navigate. So many great apps that are worth getting from Parky to Waze. But in the end, traveling should be enjoyable and some-what relaxing. Just go for it. Learn as you can. Grandkids (teanagers) are a good resource! Have fun

[streaminwild]

Originally Posted by capt george

Am I the only stupid person out there?

Capt george, I bet your blood pressure is lower than most teens with smart phones Welcome to the forum captain.

[rowiebowie]

Just know on the newer Android phones that Google will know every where you go, and even estimates your mode of travel (foot, auto, rail, even if you are standing still). As least if you believe the segment I just watched on Good Morning America.

One of the female hosts was given a new Android phone. It was not yet activated with any cell provider, they claim it didn't even have an installed sim card, and wi-fi was disabled. After a few hours of traveling around NY, the host returned and the phone was activated. A former White House security adviser downloaded the information the phone had collected prior to activation. It showed all the data in my first sentence (above) including elevation that had been sent back to Google. While the segment mentioned you can delete this information (can you really delete information already transmitted?), it did not mention any way to turn the data collection off.

Just make sure you behave yourself. You wouldn't want any bad marks on "personal credit rating" (reference to China).

[perryg114]

I don't use the smart phone as a data hub and I don't shop or make reservations with it. I use the GPS a fair amount but I much prefer a PC to actually get work done. Smart phones do nothing well and it is a cumbersome interface to get data into and out of it. I really don't like that any yahoo can make a reservation where in the old days there were some hidden gems where it is not a constant drunken tail gate party which seems to be the norm in most state parks in the south. You can always call and make a reservation but you better make one.



Perry

[TheParula]

Go to Apple Store buy a smart phone. They will get you started. Go t at least one free lesson . You will be able to fairly easily operate an iPhone using your intuition. Yes really that’s how Steve Jobs intended us to use them you will like it in no time

[75Bob]

yeah yeah laptops and I-phones great but it takes time to learn how to use them and while your driving is not a good time. My phone twice lead me down some dirt road to no where once and again to a dead end street I had to back out of it for 300 yards.They don't even sell maps at gas stations?? I had to special order one from Barnes and Noble, however the one thing I did learn is that you can still get a FREE paper map at Visitor Centers. There usually right after you cross into a new state. Stop there!! Some even have people you can talk to about your possible nightly destination. This is how we use to do it. So if you don't want to do the crash techy coarse on computers do it the old way. But the phone you selected?? Ouch, may as well leave it at home, it wont work and will just frustrate you. Oh yeah, they don't have pay phones any more either. Some places look at you funny when you pay cash? Go figure.Safe travels.

[TouringDan]

Like everyone else I used to use maps when I traveled. I still carry them as a backup. Using GPS, I have been misdirected a few times and have been sent down a dirt road that narrowed into a single lane cow pasture as I opted to take the “short cut” option. I did make it to the festival ok and I guess it was a short cut, but I learned that never again would I turn onto a dirt road shortcut. However, even though mistakes can happen, GPS is the preferred way to navigate and the easiest and safest way to navigate in big cities at night. I suspect that 99% of folks, with a smart phone, use GPS to navigate. It is important though to use some common sense and have a feel for where you are going. And just like when I used to navigate with maps, if I am unsure of the route I pull off the road to figure it out, using GPS (and a paper map if necessary).

Dan

[Lily&Me]

I don’t care for GPS, but prefer my PocketEarth app which allows all the usual map and navigation features but also shows my location in absolute real time, even without internet service.

Maggie

[eubank]

I really do prefer a well-done map over the fragment of territory available on a smart screen. We use the smart phone only as a last resort.

That said, we plan trips with maps and with Google earth / maps on the laptop. Once the day's particular segment of a trip is laid out, it's hardly rocket science to short-term memorize both overview and details, and to have the map in the hands of the co-driver for reference. And for particularly complex sections in cities, I simply take a few notes and have them handy. (In general, though, we simply avoid travel through cities if possible.)


Lynn

[garry]

I enjoy new gadgets but HATE learning how to use them. I was 77 before getting a smart phone and the manual was really bad. Now 3 years later I wonder how I ever got along without it. I just bite the bullet and ask for help or google a question on my laptop.

I travel quite a bit and use a GPS and have been a GPS user for 20 years the new ones talk to you, show picture of your exit and what lane to be in. However; you can not follow a GPS blindly as it can lead you astray.

With a little help a young man like you should be able to figure out a smartphone unfortunately you will have to ask for help the manual will not get you where you will need to be when using it. I found out people love to show old folks their tips and tricks.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by McDave

I really think I would be happier back in the 60’s or 70’s with dial phones and paper maps.

I think life was better then, but I remember well having to cash a check before the bank closed on Friday or else I wouldn't have money for a date!
All my communications were via mail, and research took forever using encyclopedias.
My wonderful cataract surgery wasn't available, and there was no internet to discuss it!
Now, where did I put that slide rule?

[UnklJoe]

My suggestion to the original poster is: Get a tablet PC (for example, an Apple iPad, or a Samsung Tab) with cellular service built-in to the device. Several cellular providers have single-device plans for just such devices.


This way, when you turn on your tablet and there is cellular service where you are turning it on--you will be immediately connected to "the Internet."


There are few things as frustrating to new users as connecting to WiFi routers or hotspots when traveling. Not only can it be difficult at the best of times, many campgrounds have very limited connections to the Internet and with lots of campers using the WiFi at the campground it can be excruciatingly slow. So, if you're already a technophobe and you're trying to learn this new-fangled stuff you have a couple of real troublesome things you have to overcome immediately (connecting to WiFi, and putting up with the slow service). Best to eliminate as many frustrations as possible when trying to learn something new.



Another very frustrating thing about using a smartphone only to search and enquire and to learn about the World Wide Web and searching and browsing--is that many websites are NOT optimized for smartphones (though that's changing--there are still MANY sites which are NOT optimized for smartphones and just don't display properly, or the "buttons" don't work on a smartphone, etc.). That's why a tablet PC (such as an Apple iPad, or a Samsung Tab) with cellular service is a good idea--rather than trying to learn all this new-fangled stuff on a smartphone.


I use paper maps all the time (prefer to use them, actually). I use web-based maps and app's just to check that I've chosen a good route and to estimate driving/travel times (and they are simply estimates). I have heard both extremes ("I will NEVER use a PC or smartphone for navigation," and, "There's TOO MUCH INFORMATION on a paper map--it's too hard to read!" (the latter from a recent college graduate).


In today's RV world in the USA one almost has to make advance reservations at campgrounds, especially when traveling in peak season to popular destinations. KILLS any kind of spontaneity in my personal opinion. I have a DW (Dear Wife) who insists on knowing where she will be laying her head for a night, so we MUST have reservations for camping. And sometimes that means months in advance--or we just don't go (sad, but true). We both still work, too, though that's coming to an end (not soon enough!), so that's part of the situation. But, when that's no longer a concern, we are going long-term camping WITHOUT reservations, even if that means a night or three in a Walmart parking lot because we couldn't get a site at our first or second or third or fourth campground we drive into.


Another benefit of having some kind of World Wide Web access is that paper maps and 'exit maps' don't always show every campground (not that web-based applications always do either!). But, you'll probably find more, and find more information (including telephone numbers you can call to enquire about availability and pets).


Smartphones can have pretty large screens--though I find that many people seem to have an initial aversion to be seen using one of them. But, I can say almost everyone I've known who opted NOT to get a smartphone with a large screen initially--changed their mind later (sometimes just a few months later). Even if you initially opted for a large screen smartphone, it can still be frustrating having to scroll around (left and right sometimes, as well as up and down). Again, a table PC (such as an Apple iPad or a Samsung Tab) won't have nearly as much of that.



AND, as many others have said--it's pretty likely in your travels you will find fellow campers who will be happy to share that they know and their little tricks, tips and hints. As well as recommendations for campgrounds and sites.


Hope this helps! I think trying to get along with NO technology is going to be time-consuming and a little frustrating (for different reasons). If you find you can do without technology--EXCELLENT! You can sell your tablet and be done with it. And, by getting a tablet with cellular service you will be getting around having to learn another frustrating aspect of technology (WiFi). (The tablet will also have WiFi capability, BUT you don't have to ever use it if you don't want to! And, if you do--well, it's already built-in.)


If you're ever in a campground and see an AS and a couple with three Standard Poodles, mosey over and introduce yourself. That will be the DW and I and our pack o' poodles (friendly and easy-going, all of us). And, I'll be happy to try to answer any questions you have about tech(nology) and RV'ing (I'm still learning abou the RV stuff, but I'm a fast learner).


P.S. I only recommend Apple because in my personal experience (and I don't own an Apple iPad) they seem to have the simplest and most intuitive operating system. Especially for people who are new to technology, or who don't seem to like technology very much. It can still be frustrating, but as some have said--if you don't mind going to an Apple store you can make an appointment and get help with the device. (If you can't find a camper willing to help--and I would be very surprised if you couldn't (find a camper willing to help).)


Safe travels! I think your story and experiences going forward would be very helpful and informative to others. Drop a line back here as you travel and let us know how you are faring!!!

[cwf]

Hope your 'Piping aboard' has been fun.

My wife is our NAGRAvator. Most places now do their 'reservations' online... especially the governmental ones... that necessitates internet connectivity... you may be able to go to a local library to access.. but that can be a hassle.

We have Garmin GPS... and a couple of RV centric iPhone and PC apps to locate and plan.

Come back here to ask questions... after all if you can post here, you are better off than many...

Sail on...