Concerns About Hiking Alone??? (Spot Satellite Messenger)

[berninbush]

So picture this scenario: You're section-hiking the AT one chilly March morning, well north of the NOBO crowd. There aren't a lot of other people on the trail in that particular section. You're on a stretch of trail with a sharp drop-off to one side. You put your foot down on what you think is dirt, but it proves to be a sheet of dark ice... and suddenly you find yourself rolling and tumbling down the mountainside. A couple of hundred feet later, you land with a thud against a tree trunk and realize that you've broken a leg and a couple of ribs. In shock, drifting in and out of consciousness, you are vaguely aware that you're out of sight from the trail, that there's nobody up there right now anyway, and that if you pass out you're likely to die of hypothermia before anyone even realizes you're missing.

However well-prepared you are, this could happen. If it does, your first aid kit isn't going to do you much good. Your other gear can help stave off the cold (assuming your pack didn't fall off as you tumbled), but it's going to take the help of someone else to get you out of this mess. If you've got a locator beacon, this is the time to use it. It's more responsible to tell the authorities exactly where you are so they can come get you out, than to let searchers spend hours or days (and lots of money) combing the woods in all the places you might be.

You may feel that scenarios like this are too unlikely to justify carrying the weight (or paying the price) for this device, or a cell phone or whatever. That's a personal choice, and certainly you have the right to make it. My point is just that people who choose to get one can have a legitimate reason for doing so. Even if you think their fear is overblown, they have the right to make their own risk assessment. And one of these days one of them might just find you lying by the trail with a broken leg and summon help for you. I'm betting you won't complain or tell them not to bother.

Cell-phone haters must admit that this device is much more discreet and unlikely to bother other hikers...

[Tenacious Tanasi]

When I saw this thread, I thought, what the hey... I'll check them out. My family is the type that gets faint of heart every time I even think of going hiking. And, when I want to take my 3 daughters with me they are triply insane about it. So, off to Google I run thinking this is worth checking out. If I carried one of these contraptions, then maybe they'd give me a slight break on all of the warning me off of hiking cwap.

What I found about the Spot was pretty kewl. The one thing that really sells it to me is that my family can check my progress and can find me at any time via the use of Google maps. The other personal beacons such as the ACR Electronics Microfix 406 PLB with GPS et al did not offer this that I have been able to find.

HOWEVER... there is that $99 annual service fee for the Spot PLUS the annual GEOS Rescue Service fees. Now the ACR et al do not have these fees...ever. BUT, your family can't check your status on those units either.

Hmm...

1) Spot pay $169 for the spot + 99.99 annual service fee + $7.95 GEOS Rescue Service which equals $277.93 + taxes for the first year alone. (Family gets to check up on me any time.)

2) ACR Electronics Microfix 406 PLB with GPS pay one time purchase price of $650 + tax (went way high end here for a point) (Tell the family to stuff it and that you can call for help if need be.)

$650 (cost of ACR Electronics Microfix 406 PLB with GPS w/o any further fees... ever)
-277.93 (first year of Spot only)
372.07 (Difference in cost for the first year alone)

372.07
107.94 (total annual service fees for spot)

EQUALS 3.5 years ... but what if I get out there for several more years?

In my opinion the Spot is a good deal if you only use it for a year. However, if you will be using it every year for several more years to come, then the Microfix is the better deal.

I think personally that if my family wants to check up on me then they can foot the annual service bills if I make the initial purchase of the Spot. LOL

As far as for my girls getting out there... I plan on having micro chips implanted in them as soon as the GPS technology gets its kinks worked out. hehe Don't believe me? There are actually companies working on such technology like <a href="http://www.verichipcorp.com/">VeriChip</a> .

/me cackles like a deranged techy worry wart Momma

Nahhhh.... just kidding, just kidding... I'll just get out there and hike with them.

[Tinker]

Geez! Bring a cell phone, already!

Other hikers can get over it. Set it on vibrate if you're worried about how it will affect others.

I used to hate cell phones. Then I got one. Live and let live goes BOTH ways.

[Tenacious Tanasi]

I usually do carry my cell somewhere in my pack. But, my family really hates that I NEVER turn it on while I'm hiking.

/me giggles

[Last_minute]

Was it last year that three climbers were killed climbing Mt. Hood ? Would having one of these devices saved them?
From what I understand these were some pretty experienced folks. I don't put much faith in modern technology as a safety net but being able to send a final goodbye and coordinates to where your corpse will be...

I'd like to thank Last Minute for posting the information about these. .

SpiritWind, first off, you're welcome... 2nd. I'd give it an 75% chance a SPOT woud've saved those guys on Hood. mmmm maybe 50/50... I believe they went up in t-shirts... so probably like other posts said, having a magic "beam-out-distress beacon" is no substitute for those caught unprepared.

You touched base on what I was thinking. For me, it is more of a comfort level letting those back home know I'm alright...however, one might be going out there in the first place to just say o.k. I'm going to forget about everyone else for a little while and just enjoy myself.

On a completely different discusion, I was amazed to learn this weekend...about how quickly the 'outside world' can find you on the AT. A good friend of a friend of a friend... was thru-hiking AT in '04 and his mother passed away while he was on the trail. Because the family knew the hikers trail name, and he posted it on sign in posts, registers, etc. a trail runner was able to locate him by the afternoon of her death.

Kudos to all the volunteers, rangers, etc. who make the trail what it is!

[shelterbuilder]

Now that I can't actually SPEAK well enough to be understood over the phone, my wife worries like crazy when I go out. I have a cell phone, and I carry it, but I keep it turned off unless I want to call wifey. Then, she has to ask the questions, and I simply push one "tone" for yes and two "tones" for no. (Her first question is always, "Are you alright?") While I have no intentions of getting any fancier than this for now, I realize that THINGS CAN CHANGE!!! (Heck, ten years ago, the cell phone ALWAYS stayed home when I went out hiking.) I still believe that the 3 most important safety devices that you can carry with you are: planning; planning; and planning.

[JERMM]

The only reason I will be carrying one of these devices to to help keep "peace of mind" at home.

[Roots]

The only reason I will be carrying one of these devices to to help keep "peace of mind" at home.

I can completely relate to that. I'm carrying one of them, but it is definitely a thought. My hubby, being a hiker himself, gets it. I like not having to explain things to him. My 12 year old daughter even gets the hiking world, she has grown up with it. My mom and dad is a whole other story. If they knew about one of these then she would probably get me one.

[Lone Wolf]

a gun and a cell phone are a must

[Jan LiteShoe]

a gun and a cell phone are a must

And don't forget your RFID chip!
Big Brother doesn't want you running off into the woods and stuff.

[JERMM]

And don't forget your RFID chip!
Big Brother doesn't want you running off into the woods and stuff.

don't mention that to my parents, they would have me on the table getting an implant tomorrow. Last night they were worrying about wild animals on the trail, this weeks animal of choice is a coyote. In an attempt to divert their attention elsewhere, I explained coyotes are afraid of humans and don't want anything to do with us. Maybe I should send them a few pictures from the other thread with the big rattler.

[10-K]

a gun and a cell phone are a must

Don't forget the candle lantern.....

[Jan LiteShoe]

don't mention that to my parents, they would have me on the table getting an implant tomorrow. Last night they were worrying about wild animals on the trail, this weeks animal of choice is a coyote. In an attempt to divert their attention elsewhere, I explained coyotes are afraid of humans and don't want anything to do with us. Maybe I should send them a few pictures from the other thread with the big rattler.

LOL! Good luck with that.
You are as capable a prospective thru as I've met.

And parents will be parents ...

[JERMM]

And parents will be parents ...

so I've been told

I just got off the phone with them, this morning they are worried my food won't hold up. I told them not to worry if it goes bad I'll feed it to the wild animal so they won't harm me and there will be stores along the way that sell SPAM. There was some exchange between them about which one of them I belong to.

[Quoddy]

I purchased a SPOT sattelite unit from REI and activated it for unlimited service on January 24. The product and service are almost totally useless for anyone who is on the move or in the vicinity of trees. There is no signal in anything but the most completely open space, and then ony after a long waiting period.

GlobalStar with which the unit is activated has a NO REFUND policy. In order to try the unit, I paid $157.93 less than 4 full days ago. I tried it for 3 days and found it TOTALLY lacking in real world useability. In otherwords, you have to pay to even try it, and then you are screwed. Be warned!

[hammock engineer]

Cell phones work on the whole AT?

[Last_minute]

I purchased a SPOT sattelite unit from REI and activated it for unlimited service on January 24. The product and service are almost totally useless for anyone who is on the move or in the vicinity of trees. There is no signal in anything but the most completely open space, and then ony after a long waiting period.

This is why I don't condone using products I haven't tried...however, I'm still going to investigate it... I'm young, dumb, and money still grows on trees...

[hammock engineer]

I purchased a SPOT sattelite unit from REI and activated it for unlimited service on January 24. The product and service are almost totally useless for anyone who is on the move or in the vicinity of trees. There is no signal in anything but the most completely open space, and then ony after a long waiting period.

GlobalStar with which the unit is activated has a NO REFUND policy. In order to try the unit, I paid $157.93 less than 4 full days ago. I tried it for 3 days and found it TOTALLY lacking in real world useability. In otherwords, you have to pay to even try it, and then you are screwed. Be warned!

If you still want to part with it in a month send me a PM and I will take it off your hands if the registration is transferable.

I heard the complete oposite review from a buddy of mine that bought one and uses these sort of things.

[shelterbuilder]

Cell phones work on the whole AT?

No, I can think of at least one place in Pa. where they do not. It's a remote location in a deep valley, and until you start to climb out, there is no service.