We just spent a weekend in the wilds on southeast Ohio. The great outdoors and all that crap. (I should probably have prefaced this by saying I am not a fan of the outdoors.) But it was quiet and peaceful (when I could get away from people). The biggest thing to get used to though was going low tech.

Now, the place we stayed had all the amenities (I don’t camp – see above comment re: outdoors). But we were in such a (relatively) secluded spot that there was no cell coverage. I mean none – no 4G, no 3G, no bars and no WiFi. The nearest coverage was in a small town 20 minutes away and we only went there once during the course of the weekend.

Honestly, I didn’t mind being out of reach. I rarely call people anyway and no texting for a couple of days isn’t a big deal. But only being able to use a phone as a camera and alarm clock makes you notice how much you rely on it.

Multiple times during conversations someone would want to check something online, but no. We actually had to remember things or take them on faith (oh, the geek talks that were had around the fire, trying to recall the names of actors and movies and characters!). There was a lot of “if I could check FaceBook right now” or “if I was able to Google that” or “remind me to let you know when I get back to civilization”.

It makes you think about what’s going to happen if (when?) it all goes boom and an EMP knocks out coverage on a large scale. People will freak and for all the wrong reasons. How will they survive if they can’t tweet about the disaster, instagram a pic of current conditions or update FaceBook with complaints?! Then again, think of how quiet things will be.