Overview
Stand-alone Devices
PocketMail
Services
Information About Changing Email Addresses
Reviews

Overview of email for Long Distance Backpacking and Generally Walking Wired
To have email without your computer, you can use dedicated devices for email, devices combined with a service, and free and for-fee services.

The stand-alone email solutions are wireless devices, like (as of 12/03) the PalmOne Tungsten series. The only device combined with a service (that I know of) is PocketMail, which is popular with thru-hikers. email services are well-known and have three flavors, Web-based email account through:
          Your ISP (AOL, Earthlink, mom-n-pop.com, etc.)
          A free provider like Yahoo, or Hotmail
          A fee-based service. like onebox.com

If you are sending email that's your journal for a Web site or want to know more about what's available to keep an online journal, check out Walking Wired's Blog info.

Stand-alone Devices
As of 12/03, the PalmOne Tungsten E, Tungsten T2, Tungsten T3, Tungsten W, and Tungsten C are some of the devices that offer wireless email and limited Web browsing. These devices weigh around 6 ounces and all have rechargable batteries. They have a monthly fee associated with wireless service.
I'm sure there are WinCE-based devices too. I like technology, but I'm not sure I'm ready for the hassle of Windows while on the move.

 Device w/ Service

PocketMail
PocketMail is an email sending and receiving service that requires specialized hardware. It's really easy. They provide you with a PocketMail email address (which can be set up to collect email from your other account if you want). You send & receive from any phone with no hassles. PocketMail provides an 800 number for use in the US, and lots of international numbers for access overseas. You also have Web access to your PocketMail email account. Info from PocketMail

PocketMail's innovation is putting old technology to good use. Each device has a modem coupler, which is the way people used to communicate between computers over phone lines, built in. (In the old days, you'd take the handset from your phone and place it face down on the modem coupler to send & receive data.)

PocketMail Hardware: Composer
The PocketMail Composer (8.2 oz, 2 AA) is a clamshell device that features a a small QWERTY keyboard and screen on the inside and a modem coupler on the bottom.You write and save your emails on the Composer's small keyboard. When you get to a phone, you hold the Composer and the phone receiver together, dial the toll-free number, and press a button.Your emails are automatically sent, and you receive your new incoming email. It's pretty slick.

PocketMail Composer's syncing technology is behind the times. You can sync the data on your Composer (using their CompanionLink software) with most popular PIMs like ACT! and Outlook, but not all versions. For example, as of 12/03, you can't use it to sync with Outlook 2003. You'd want to sync for a couple of reasons: to save having to re-enter all the data (email addresses, etc.) you already have on your computer and to back up your data. If you don't already have your life in a Palm, and haven't ruined your thumbs from using other tiny keyboards, this is the simplest way to go.

PocketMail Hardware: BackFlip for Palm
PocketMail also makes a BackFlip for Palm (5.3 oz, 2 AAA), but, again, they are behind the times. The BackFlip for Palm has an ancient Palm III connector. The Palm III to Universal Adaptor, available from PocketMail, works just fine and solves this limitation. This is the system I use. You must have a Palm that has enough space to load the One-Touch Mail Palm application to use the BackFlip. I do my journalling on the Palm with a folding keyboard, then pull out the BackFlip when I get to a phone. Review

I am a member of their Affiliate Program. I get a kickback from referring you, and I'll use that to give you a sign-up bonus, up to $10. You must initate the process for the bonus by sending me an email from your PocketMail account with the words signing bonus in the subject. You can also choose to forgo the sign-up bonus. My sign-up bonus has nothing to do with PocketMail, so please don't ask them about it.

You must follow the links on this page, or mention Affiliate ID 5356 if you call to sign up to be elibible for the sign-up bonus.

Take me to PocketMail or my PocketMail banner page.

Service
These services require that you have access to the Web, usually through a standard Web browser, but you may also be able to do it through a Web-enabled device like a phone or PDA. For most thru-hikers, this means a computer, usually at a library.

Via ISP
Most ISPs have a Web interface for their email. Ask them about it. You go to your ISP's site and log on. From there, you'd be able to read your email, compose email, and delete spam.

Free Services
The well-known free services are not limited to Yahoo or Hotmail, but those are the most popular. Personally, I can't take the advertising they hoist on the user. That's where fee-based services come in.

Fee-based Services
I don't know much about the details of this category, but it should be pretty straight-forward: You pay a small fee and get advertising-free email functions. They probably include other features too. Onebox is still in business, but check them out before committing a lot of money. Review

Click here for information about improving and simplifying your relationship with email. This is not a link to a sales pitch. It's a link to information.

Information About Changing Email Addresses
One service I know about (but, as of 10/04, have not used or talked to users) is Return Path. They offer a paid service that forwards email from an old account to a new account as long as both accounts are still active. In addition for the same fee, they will import your address book (from most common email programs, including AOL), let you choose who to notify, then sends an email with an update. This is a great way to break free of AOHell.

Here's a Flash demo of how Return Path works. [Get ]
Here's a non-Flash demo of how Return Path works.

If you are making the transition to a new email address, I suggest getting your own URL so that you only have to change email addresses once. When you own your own domain (which is relatively cheap), you own the email addresses associated with it. When you change ISPs you can simply change a few settings and point all the email from your address to the inbox of you new ISP. More info here.

Reviews

PocketMail
Cupcake, site author, writes:
I use a BackFlip for Palm with my PocketMail service. I like it, but there's always room for improvement, especially with PocketMail's Web interface. The hardware, including the Palm III to Universal adaptor (sold by PocketMail and others) works just fine. The One-Touch Mail program interfaces with my Palm contact list, which is a great reason, if you already have your life in a Palm OS device, to go with the BackFlip. I use the BackFlip with a Palm m125 because the 125 has disposable, not recharable, batteries (2-AAA). I'm not changing anytime soon (unless I get a SmartPhone with Palm OS).

Onebox
Fleishman, long-distance backpacker, provided this feedback in Dec of 2003:
[Onebox] was great while it lasted, especially when I used it in 2001, when it was FREE and fairly reliable. In winter 2002, they started charging for the service. It was still cheaper than the alternatives, so I liked it. In summer 2002, the service quickly deteriorated, with lots of unexpected outages. Customer service was always virtually nonexistent. (You'd think it would have improved when they started charging money, but no.)
In August 2002 I was so exasperated with them that I cancelled my subscription. The cancellation process was messed up and they ended up overcharging me. I complained bitterly and they finally gave me my money back. Bottom line, their customer service sucked.
Who knows, they may have gotten their act together again. If so, it's a great service. It was a very effective way to communicate with people at home and other hikers. Other hikers didn't have to have e-mail to communicate. I used it as a voice journal as well, and people at home told me that they loved it. Voice journals tend to be more personal than e-mails. Also, it worked on all touchtone telephones, even ones that weren't compatible with Pocketmail.
On the downside, the biggest drawback (aside from the reliability issues) was that you had to listen to all of your e-mails and compose new ones while you were in town; on Pocketmail, you could write your e-mails in advance (on the trail) and then read your new mail afterwards. Sometimes I would spend an hour or more sitting on the telephone, doing e-mail.

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©2004 John E. Brennan