Thanks Mary and welcome to ETS!

Cell phone coverage is pretty good along my normal routes. I lose connection sometimes in thick bush and on my Northern route home, but generally avoid that way home in the winter.

As for water, my primary method of making drinking water is by boiling and filtering with a bandanna. I also have a filter straw, but I've moved it to the other half of my Get Home set-up, as I can rely on melting ice and snow right now when I'm hiking, although I do have a few MicroPUR tabs in my FAK. I tend to use filters and tabs more when I'm backpacking in the summer and am relying on ground water. Besides, in the winter, I benefit from the heat produced by boiling.