[pct-l] To SPOT or not to SPOT [AND] Money along the

[Kathi]

I got a SPOT at the end of the summer this year after I made a couple of 
solo trips. My husband and dad had asked me to get a SPOT previously and 
I didn't want to carry the weight. I have a tracker on my cell phone and 
my husband was thinking he would get a reading every once in a while to 
see I was moving forward. He got a signal the first day and then none 
thereafter. That kinda freaked him out. But I was VERY clear with he and 
my dad that if they didn't hear from me or see me moving forward via the 
cell phone tracker that didn't mean I was lost or injured so wait until 
I didn't show up out of the wilderness when expected before panicking.

Anyway, I could tell my husband was a bit rattled not having a way to 
tell if I was okay. In fact when he could get a signal on the cell phone 
tracker he was taking screen shots so if he did have to call SAR he 
would be able to show them where I was. So cute!!! So seeing how rattled 
he was a got a SPOT and I could see the tension leave. So that was well 
worth it to me. I am the type however that I won't push the "help" or 
"SOS" button on that thing unless I am willing to fly in a helicopter. I 
am so afraid of flying that I will pretty much have to be almost dead 
before I'm willing to do that so for me thinking I can "just get out of 
the situation" doesn't factor into my personality. For me the benefit of 
carrying it is for those at home. Even though on my end it looked like 
my SPOT was transmitting my "I'm Okay" messages the last couple of days 
of my trip, apparently it wasn't. But I had given my dad and husband 
such a pep-talk about not calling SAR or support until I didn't come out 
on the day expected, even if they weren't getting "okay" messages from 
the SPOT, that they just waited patiently until they did get a SPOT 
message a couple days later. So I guess what I am saying (and it seems 
others too) is that having or not having a SPOT is not the problem, it's 
how you decide to use it and think about it's abilities and educate 
those back home about it.

Puddles


On 10/13/12 2:01 PM, Devon Taig wrote:
> I would, however, make sure that spouses and significant others understand
> that a SPOT can break, get lost, or run out of batteries.  When your loved
> ones don't hear from you via your SPOT transmission, will they still rest
> easy?
> I am a firm believer that everyone should hike their own hike, but I also
> think we should all give serious thought to how technologies like a SPOT
> transmitter affect our individual experiences in the wilderness. As you
> said Ed, we should give just thought to how our decisions affect others
> too, but every hiker should ask themselves whether a SPOT takes at least
> some of the WILD out of wilderness.
>
> River
>
> On Sat, Oct 13, 2012 at 2:35 PM, Ed Jarrett <edjarrett at msn.com> wrote:
>
>>> With just a map phone and a SPOT it’s too easy to think, “No problem. If
>> I
>>> get lost, confused, or scared I’ll just punch the panic button then start
>>> scanning the horizon for the helicopter that’s coming to pick me up.”
>>>
>>> Steel-Eye
>> On the other hand, being able to push the button every night can greatly
>> improve the peace of mind for a spouse not traveling with you, making it
>> easier to get away for an extended period.  It would be selfish for me to
>> not take them along just to lose a few ounces.
>>
>> Ed Jarretthttp://aclayjar.blogspot.com/
>>
>>
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