Great investment for your family

[deadjeep]

http://www.sierraexpeditions.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=515

After watching all the different people get lost this winter on the news, I can't help but think this would be a great investment for people headed into the backcountry.

[denverd0n]

I've got one. It's not bad. For real, honest to goodness emergency situations I'd really prefer a PLB, which communicates directly with search and rescue authorities. This one communicates to a satellite telephone company, and then you have to rely on them to relay your message to the authorities. The good thing about this is that I can send out an "I'm OK" message when I want to. Gives the wife a warm feeling. Since I'm OK a whole heck of a lot more than I need SAR, I figure this is a good trade-off.

One thing I definitely do not like about it is that the only confirmation you get that it has sent its message is that the little light that blinks while it is TRYING to send, will come on steady for five seconds while it is ACTUALLY sending. Then it goes back to blinking. So, if you don't happen to be looking right at the unit at that particular five second moment you will never know that the message was sent. It would be much better if the light blinked while it was trying, then went to steady while sending, and then just stayed steady.

[Budman]

I have had a PLB probably save my butt. At a minimum, it saved me from a long and painful hike out of the wilderness in AK. Long story short. I wrecked my canoe, and blew my knee about 40 miles from my truck in the middle of nowhere AK. Tried to hike it, but when the pain got to be too much, I sat down on a big gravel bar, opened a beer that I caught as it floated by, and pulled the activater thing. Chopper came and got me.

[Oscar]

Alaska has beer fish damn pack my bags I am out of here oh my choice would a PLB.

[Budman]

Alaska has beer fish damn pack my bags I am out of here oh my choice would a PLB.

No silly. when the canoe went over, my beer cooler dumped into the river. I spent the better part of the day scooping them out of the river.

[GPP33]

No silly. when the canoe went over, my beer cooler dumped into the river. I spent the better part of the day scooping them out of the river.

With a blown knee, presumably in ice cold water. Glad to hear you have your priorities straight. There was already one tragedy, better fend off a second by preventing your beers from floating away.

The Arkansas river tends to have beers floating down it on popular rafting weekends. Gotten a few that way myself.

I think a PLB would be better as well since it goes straight to the S&R. It would be interesting to know how the accuracy compares.

[denverd0n]

It would be interesting to know how the accuracy compares.
The SPOT includes a built-in GPS. The "I'm OK" messages I have sent with it have all been extremely accurate. I would expect that it would be the same between the SPOT and a PLB with a built-in GPS.

[deadjeep]

Guy on the forum I found this in said it was accurate enough for a evac copter to hover over his tent at 3am as an impromptu test.

[OlBlueCJ7]

Guy on the forum I found this in said it was accurate enough for a evac copter to hover over his tent at 3am as an impromptu test.

:bs:

Who sends out a helicopter for a 'test'? Seriously, if you believe that....

[deadjeep]

:bs:

Who sends out a helicopter for a 'test'? Seriously, if you believe that....


Copter out for pilot seat time. Pilot and guy holding the spot were friends, guy had the google map position.