Integrating Technology Into a Long Trip?

xsalmon asks: "I am about to undergo a long trip around the continental United States, via hiking/cycling/walking and other self-propelled means of transportation, to raise money toward AIDS/HIV research. What kind of utilities/devices would you bring to increase safety/security? I'll be hauling enough in my backpack as-is, so any suggestions would have to be lightweight and portable enough. Any ideas?"

First, the obvious

[Spy der Mann]

A good helmet and knee/elbow guards.

Also, check out this site:

http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/touring/laptop.h tm [kenkifer.com]
It's entitled "Bicycle Touring with a Solar Laptop".

The best tech is low tech.

[AEther141]

If you're even *considering* taking even something as puny as a PDA, you're in for a hell of a shock a few miles down the way. On the Appalachian Trail there's a sweet little racket going for the trailside equipment stores - the guys at the trailhead sell you all sorts of lightly used equipment that you absolutely can't be without at a great price. On discovering that the relatively trivial function of these gizmos isn't worth the immense pain your packweight is causing you, it gets sold for far less than it's worth to the guy in the store a couple of days down the trail (who doesn't have to go far to get a good price for it). I'm guessing this is your first long-distance trip, as the question from people who've done it before is always 'how can I carry less stuff?'. Once the blisters start to appear and your shoulders start chafing, you'll be throwing out anything isn't keeping you alive. Go read about Ray Jardine's methods, it'll save you a lot of time, money and pain.

More info... 9 weeks is not enough

[mnemonic_]

A CNN journalist cycled across America [cnn.com] and it took him almost 12 weeks. You're hiking/walking part of a longer route, you'll probably need closer to 16 weeks. Another useful bit on gear:

Be obsessive about leaving stuff home. You will feel every ounce. Expensive synthetic clothing pays off in light weight, quick cleaning and durability. Footwear is bulky; anything more than one good pair of biking shoes and a pair of sandals to stave off the campground-shower nasties is an indulgence.

Travel light and don't underestimate the rigors of this journey, especially if you're going by foot part of the way. I'm hoping you'll drastically shorten your route, unless you're extremely well prepared.

Read some journals

[TClevenger]

Check out this site [crazyguyonabike.com] and read some of the online journals. A keyword search might help, as I've read about the devices that some people brought with them and how well the devices worked.

I would recommend a Pocketmail [pocketmail.com] device. You can compose email and upload it to a toll-free service from practically any phone with the built-in acoustical modem. (Just hold the device up to the handset.) Also, bring a good phone card; payphones can be a bitch, and collect calls [consumeraffairs.com] are risky.