Appalachian trail February 2022

Micksjoiner

Ultralighter
We used World Nomads for insurance. Have used SnowCard in the past too. Never claimed on either though...
Unfortunately, the USA is horrifically expensive for this.

Verizon works on CMDA network (as do Sprint and US Cellular) and is generally considered the widest coverage network across the US. AT&T and T mobile use GSM which is what you find in Europe/UK. My understanding, like Ed, is that CMDA sim won't work in a GSM phone and vice versa, but I'm not an expert. I can confirm that my USA-bought GSM phone works in the UK.

T mobile coverage is rubbish in MA, VT and NH. No idea about further south. AT&T was reasonable, but don't expect to get much in the woods!
Depending on what you need, it may be possible to get by with just WiFi when you hit town?

And may I make unsolicited comments based on your kit list:
  • Midge head net, long sleeves (top and bototm), permethrin. The humble Scottish midge has nothing on the beasts over there in summer.
  • A few screw-in hooks to facilitate easy pitching on wooden tent platforms. P*$$*ng about with guys around twigs jammed under the slats every night is do-able, but not much fun.
  • USA-UK plug adapter. Or just buy a USA multiport USB when you get there?
  • Food hanging kit - more for the mice than the bears TBH.
  • Bin the AT and go Out West. Unless you really like trees. ;)
Hopefully this will be the first of many trips .
 

fluffkitten

Moderator
Staff member
Think US visa services are currently semi shutdown thanks to the plague. Need to start looking at applying soon.
 

lakeshore

Trail Blazer
In 2004 I did Daleville VA to Mt Springer, over 750 miles, pre phone so they are not essential, though I did borrow one on the trail to arrange a pick up at Mt Springer.
In 2010 I did Boiling Springs PA to Mt Katahdin ME with a cheap US Phone (99$) mainly for safety reasons as I go solo. In 2010 I did the John Muir Trail (JMT) in California without a phone as little chance of signal. To avoid panics I told the wife not to worry if she did not receive any information from me. I did ask someone exiting the trail to email her that he had seen me.
I would get a US credit card, stores and banks laughed at my cards, looked at them suspiciously, as if I had just made them; similar with UK driving licence and passport. I found it difficult to put money on the phone with a UK credit card.
I have worldwide, snow sports insurance cover and on the JMT I made sure I had helicopter retrieval over 10,000 feet. In rural areas, which is much of the AT, people have rarely seen foreigners, I was thought of as an Aussie or Kiwi.
I met an American on the AT who had been bitten by a snake. It cost him thousands of dollars for emergency room treatment and three weeks rest in a Motel. To avoid complications I also have note in my passport and insurance details not to treat before contacting my insurance company in the UK; as per insurance instructions. Same instructions now for Europe.
 
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Odd Man

Thru Hiker
I would get a US credit card, stores and banks laughed at my cards, looked at them suspiciously, as if I had just made them; similar with UK driving licence and passport. I found it difficult to put money on the phone with a UK credit card.

No need for US credit card, and they are pretty hard to get if you don't have an address in the US. A prepaid Mastercard works well. I have one from Transferwise which I've used for years without issues. It's free to open up an account, the FX fees are 3rd best in the industry, miles ahead of banks. The app is easy to use, just transfer money from bank account and/or convert existing money in the TW account. They have a free Mastercard which I've used in non-Euro European countries as well as when I was living in Thailand using Thai Baht. You can also have 'local' virtual current accounts for bank transfers, so I have a USD, AUD, NZ, EUR and GBP virtual accounts with local addresses, so someone can locally transfer money to me. In order to get the account, you need to verify your identity with using the app to send over a photo of your ID and address details.

Using this link to sign up will earn you a fee free transfer.
 

lakeshore

Trail Blazer
Thanks Lempo, I was being a bit old school. I have a FX card which I have used in Europe; although in a German village a large card machine inside a bank foyer,(the bank was closed) didn`t like the card. Later when I found a machine I could use I made sure I took a decent amount of cash to avoid any inconvenience later.
I still have memories in the US of trying to use, as pedestrian, a drive thru bank machine. Another time in deepest Tennessee in a bank trying to use my passport as ID the teller shouting to the backroom `Myrtle come and have a look at this,` Eventually they put my passport number in to clear the transaction.
Maybe it is me.
 

Micksjoiner

Ultralighter
No need for US credit card, and they are pretty hard to get if you don't have an address in the US. A prepaid Mastercard works well. I have one from Transferwise which I've used for years without issues. It's free to open up an account, the FX fees are 3rd best in the industry, miles ahead of banks. The app is easy to use, just transfer money from bank account and/or convert existing money in the TW account. They have a free Mastercard which I've used in non-Euro European countries as well as when I was living in Thailand using Thai Baht. You can also have 'local' virtual current accounts for bank transfers, so I have a USD, AUD, NZ, EUR and GBP virtual accounts with local addresses, so someone can locally transfer money to me. In order to get the account, you need to verify your identity with using the app to send over a photo of your ID and address details.

Using this link to sign up will earn you a fee free transfer.
Is the card you mentioned better than the Halifax clarity card.
 

edh

Thru Hiker
Cards change.

I take a Caxton, and recently added a Santander Zero as a backup.

Checkout what deals are good nearer the time.

FWIW I never had a problem with my cards in the US.

One thing to watch is not to use these cards as a 'payment guarantee' as this can lock that fee up on the card. Use a credit card for the guarantee and pay with the money card.

Then...you probably won't stay in as many hotel as some are wont to do....
 

Micksjoiner

Ultralighter
When you say money card do mean credit card that you add money like mentioned above,if so is this the best way to pay for stuff in the USA thanks
 

Odd Man

Thru Hiker
Is the card you mentioned better than the Halifax clarity card.

I haven't compared them, but Transferwise account and card are solely for travel / forex use and they are specialised for that. There are no other monthly fees. There's the FX rates, which were 3rd best of the kind last time I checked and when converting currency or withdrawing to your own bank account, there's a £0.50 charge depending on the currency.

It's a Mastercard, but it's not a credit card, it's a pre-paid card, so you need to have the funds in your currency account to use it for anything. The clever thing is that if you have multiple currencies and you run out of one, it should convert from others (if you had balance on other virtual currency accounts) to cover what you needed to spend.

This is why you can't compare this with high street bank issued debit cards with low or zero FX fees.

You can compare TW card with Starling, Mondo and the like.

Like @edh said, it's good to have a credit card to use as guarantees and also to have a backup card in case the main one doesn't work.
 

Micksjoiner

Ultralighter
I haven't compared them, but Transferwise account and card are solely for travel / forex use and they are specialised for that. There are no other monthly fees. There's the FX rates, which were 3rd best of the kind last time I checked and when converting currency or withdrawing to your own bank account, there's a £0.50 charge depending on the currency.

It's a Mastercard, but it's not a credit card, it's a pre-paid card, so you need to have the funds in your currency account to use it for anything. The clever thing is that if you have multiple currencies and you run out of one, it should convert from others (if you had balance on other virtual currency accounts) to cover what you needed to spend.

This is why you can't compare this with high street bank issued debit cards with low or zero FX fees.

You can compare TW card with Starling, Mondo and the like.

Like @edh said, it's good to have a credit card to use as guarantees and also to have a backup card in case the main one doesn't work.
Thanks for that seems the way to go as said will have better look later on in year.
Still trying to find mobile phone SIM .UK 3 network really only seem to include USA in contact with no penalties but only 3g.
 

maddogs

Ultralighter
When you say money card do mean credit card that you add money like mentioned above if so is this the best way to pay for stuff in the USA thanks
At the other end of the complexity scale...a "no foreign transaction fee" credit card (I have Santander Zero) worked just fine for me, admittedly back in 2015. No problems with acceptance other than US hasn't gotten around to ChipandPin so you have to remember to sign the bit of paper ;). The exchange rate is the MasterCard or visa rate on the day of transaction.
If I need to withdraw cash, I just go online* and pay the balance in full as soon as the transaction posts which avoids any interest. I don't see the advantage of a prepaid card over this kind of credit card?

*...ah, that was your other question about mobile phones :rolleyes:
 

MartinK9

Section Hiker
I took a Post Office Travel card. Had no problems using it.

As for phone I winged it. I bought the Garmin In reach Expedition package and used that to send texts home. You will be in town every 3-5 days and I was going to use that time to have phone conversations.
 

Micksjoiner

Ultralighter
Started filling b2 visa,
One of the questions was asking for the address of where I was going to be staying.
I was going to put the approach trail address.
Any ideas thanks
 
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