You are making huge assumptions about people that carry cell phones into the bush. There is a big difference between an educated, responsible person carrying a cell phone, and an idiot with nothing but a cell phone.

http://www.equipped.org/onyrown.htm#without_it

I would assume that you agree that Doug Ritter is an educated and responsible individual, and it appears that a cell phone is part of his "don't leave home without it" gear. He acknowledges its limitations, but I don't think anyone on this forum is saying there aren't limitations.

The idiot that relies on nothing but the cell phone would probably have gone out with nothing in the days before cell phones. People are either smart enough to prepare or they're not. It isn't like they sit down to learn skills and gather equipment, and then say, "Hey I have a cell phone I'm wasting my time." An irresponsible ignoramus with a cell phone, or without, is an irresponsible ignoramus. Not taking advantage of a technology that could be a valuable tool and save lives, because some people are dumb enough to carry nothing but that tool, doesn't make any sense. It falls under the same logic as "people with guns commit crimes, therefore gun owners are all criminals, and guns should be outlawed." The cell phone doesn't make somebody a careless and complacent boob, but their mindset does. You prepare or you don't.

I never said that everyone should carry a PLB either. That is a leap.

BTW People have been saying that the kids today are screwed up for generations, and possibly for all of human history. That generation of kids grows up like every prior generation, and then goes on to say it about the next. IIRC you are into role playing games and Ren Fairs. I played a lot of RPGs growing up and had several of my friends parents forbid their participation lest they become delusional devil worshippers. That made me one of those screwed up kids that they probably talked about. I have yet to sell my soul, and the extent to which I am delusional is debatable, but I have yet to crawl into the storm drains and stab someone while yelling about orcs. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> (I'm sure you remember the Tom Hanks TV movie where his character did something similar and was institutionalized all because he played D&D. Every RPG player I knew hated that movie.)

Please understand, I do respect your point of view. There are plenty of people that head into the woods wearing cotton pants, a t-shirt, and carrying nothing but car keys and a cell phone. I just don't think the cell phone made them that way.