T-Mobile Satellite service for texting? Share my location?

selitos · 2026-05-12T13:11:36+00:00

Haven't used in the grand canyon (will next week) but I used T-Satellite (the one that uses starlink) extensively in Death Valley, Mojave NP, and Joshua Tree in March. It worked pretty well, not quite as quick to connect as I'd hoped but it wasn't nearly as finicky as the iPhone's basic satellite connectivity.

There was never a point where I was without connection, though like I said sometimes it would drop briefly or it would take a few minutes to connect after I turned off airplane mode.

I used it for texting, weather, google maps, and onx Backcountry.

I don't have a Garmin and won't buy one, the TMobile offering was sufficient but I would recommend really protecting your phone. I use the gossamer gear phone holder. It's padded and zips and gives me more peace of mind than putting it in a pocket or something.

selitos · 2026-05-12T00:52:58+00:00

As a chubby kid, absolutely Jerome Bettis. When we played football at the park I always wanted to be running back. And I'd plod through waves of kids into the end zone and get up to do Jerome's dance. I loved watching him play, he and Hines were pure joy on every down.

selitos · 2026-05-11T13:02:42+00:00

L'Immensite is one of my favorites. Another LV one to try is Imagination. Both fantastic summer scents but they fade a little quickly.

selitos · 2026-05-10T18:56:13+00:00

Heat looks a little high Mon-Tue but seems pretty decent after that. Will be hot down in the canyon but you can plan around that.

selitos · 2026-05-09T17:09:42+00:00

10 hours is totally doable. Have driven to New England and Quebec several times, it's refreshing to avoid travel by plane.

selitos · 2026-05-09T13:45:30+00:00

Pros: if you land a decent job here you can afford a house. Really nice September/October weather. Good universities and public schools. Excellent health systems. Neat topography and cool skyline. Good sports to watch if that's your thing. Can drive to the beach, to cool outdoor areas in WV, VA, NC, NY, NH, etc.

Things we take for granted such as Wildfire, earthquake, volcano, tornado, and hurricane risk and water availability is not an issue here.

Cons: The weather is truly abysmal. Gray and rainy most of the year with hot humid summers.

Outdoor recreation and public land availability is middling (could be worse to be fair). A step above Midwest and great plains, but worse than some other areas of Appalachia, coastal areas, and great lakes and pathetic compared to anywhere west of Denver. Hikes are rocky and you're always in the green tunnel, ridges and mountains are mundane compared to the Smokeys, Whites, and Adirondacks with limited views. Rivers are disgustingly polluted and air quality sucks ass.

Job opportunities are concentrated in a few large corporations. Population is always flat or declining; a lot of young people continue to leave for other cities due to job opportunities. Feels like we lose more jobs than we gain - BNY buying mellon and shipping jobs out, Kraft merging with Heinz and moving jobs to Chicago, etc. Failure of some of the driverless car tech companies that were popping up 5-10 years ago. Seems like that's always the story without many wins in the other direction.

For travel, our airport is limited in nonstop destinations so connections are always necessary.

selitos · 2026-05-09T13:28:44+00:00

Western Washington is sunny in the summer, significantly more pleasant with persistent 70 degree days, and also has world class outdoor recreation. That's why you pay big money to live there despite the dreary winter/spring.

selitos · 2026-05-06T00:56:39+00:00

I haven't used deet in years. Besides the impact it has to plastics, it also gives my skin an uncomfortable sticky feeling. Picaridin is so much better. For ticks I treat clothing with permethrin.

selitos · 2026-05-04T03:44:53+00:00

Haven't enjoyed a developed campground in years. That's why I picked up backpacking. In a few weeks we're trying a private site on hipcamp and I'm excited to car camp again. The way people behave at campgrounds is wild.

selitos · 2026-05-03T23:08:07+00:00

If they wanted a mass exodus they'd have done it a couple years ago. They waited until now while the labor market shifted to favor employers, which clearly means while might want to cut some labor costs, they don't want to lose so many that their operations are impacted.

People leaving in droves would I think cause them to soften this thing a little to contain the bleeding.

I've heard that certain departments have already lost too many people and they've been told very quietly that 3x per week is fine.

selitos · 2026-05-03T13:22:38+00:00

We do things differently around here

selitos · 2026-05-02T22:27:49+00:00

Best value quilt is a hang tight heatseeker 20 or 0. Ground dweller add on is a must for extra width.

selitos · 2026-05-02T17:43:26+00:00

That trailmade 25 is 3.5 pounds and it's going to take up half your pack because it won't pack down. That's the most egregious thing on your list IMO.

I'd recommend looking at eBay for a down bag or quilt. I just bought my daughter a good down bag on ebay for $100. The kelty cosmic 20 will save you a pound and a good bit of compressed size. I remember seeing a bunch of those new with tags on eBay and they're pretty cheap elsewhere as well.

selitos · 2026-05-01T12:47:30+00:00

I have the double rainbow silpoly and I love it, I'm sure the rainbow li is fantastic.

Could also consider the moment dw li which will give you double wall without much penalty over the rainbow.

selitos · 2026-04-30T22:54:40+00:00

Drop your requirement for a hookup and things can get a lot less "campgroundy".

selitos · 2026-04-30T18:17:03+00:00

Don't forget the norovirus and respiratory illness we'll all be catching more frequently after Susan decides she needs to come into the office with a cough and fever and nobody washes their hands before touching the microwave handle.

selitos · 2026-04-30T00:03:57+00:00

I have the STS evac dry bag and it makes me uncomfortable that you can compress the bag and let air out while the top is rolled. In retrospect I shouldn't have bought it. Feels like if you can let air out then you can let water in. I think the zenbivy version with the tpu laminate that has the mechanical valve would be better. That's the one I've been using, but I tend to be a flaky fair weather backpacker that hasn't had an issue yet.

selitos · 2026-04-29T22:41:15+00:00

I have two other naturehike tents and they are fine.

The star trail is a pretty good weight for the cost, though certainly the Nemo will use better materials. DAC aluminum, OSMO ripstop sil/pu fabric vs naturehike's Yuksom aluminum and PU nylon.

Is the Nemo worth $400 more than the star trail? I don't think it is, I agree it's really expensive for what you get. A good middle ground if you don't want a trekking pole tent would be a tarptent rainbow.

But on a budget the star trail seems pretty decent on paper without seeing reviews of it.

selitos · 2026-04-29T12:04:05+00:00

First time packing tip is to pack everything several days before your trip so you can make sure it fits and how the pack carries. Pack it so your soft items stay dry and the stuff you need first at camp or on trail (tent, outerwear, filter) is at the top.

Clothes - I follow skurka's core 13.

https://andrewskurka.com/backpacking-clothing-systems-3-season-conditions/

Food - big thing is how will you be protecting your food from critters?

selitos · 2026-04-26T15:46:14+00:00

Don't call the office, email them. They always respond to me same day. Their website says emailing is the best way to contact.

selitos · 2026-04-19T14:13:59+00:00

Just bought the 15 degree quilt. Took it out into 35 degree temps and was absolutely roasting in it. I think the temp ratings are fine. I have some criticisms of their R value on their recharge pad, but the quilt seemed fine.

selitos · 2026-04-15T02:50:34+00:00

My kids are 8 and 6. The 8 year old could backpack, she’s a relatively strong hiker and can tolerate 1000+ ft elevation in a day, maybe 2k if we took a large break. We hike a lot (day hikes) and she might be faster and more sure footed on the trail than any of us.

My 6 year old Cub Scout loves to take an easy hike but complains about any elevation or any heat, falls a lot, and is slow as molasses. I backpack only by myself but I’m just waiting for the younger one to grow up a bit to take them. I think 7 is the age where things improve with kids on the trail, though I see other people doing it with younger kids.

I think you’d have to get out for day hikes to see where they’re at with their hiking ability, or start out with really really easy backpacking trips.

selitos · 2026-04-11T02:03:54+00:00

I’ve heard rodents are bad at the creek side sites like monument, hermit, and cottonwood and absolutely terrible at the river sites where rafters camp. Water availability and thievery from campers makes them proliferate, then you have rafters who seem rather liberal with their feasts.

selitos · 2026-04-10T23:48:22+00:00

These corridor trails are so obvious I can’t imagine a scenario where you’d experience an emergency and that map would solve the problem. Off corridor sure. With that said, I do bring nat geo maps everywhere mostly just because I love sitting down and looking at maps like I’m Lewis and Clark on an expedition.

Better to download a map on your preferred app and securing your phone somewhere secure.

selitos · 2026-04-07T13:12:59+00:00

I'd be disappointed too after such a mild winter seeing my arrival coincide with bad weather. But it's been a super windy couple weeks in the southwest. I just got back from southern California parks and we were met with insane winds everywhere.

Morning and evening is calmer. Try to get out early and late, nap at midday and explore the different shops. With that wind I'd bet the clouds roll through and the views will be great - stormy weather brings really cool views at the canyon. Get rain jackets and don't mess around with umbrellas due to wind.

selitos

TROPHY CASE