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

Sat Oct 13 20:49:39 CDT 2012

Ned, 
I experienced the daily Spot signals not always going through. Basically I needed a large arc of sky with a southern exposure to be sure it went through. If I was under canopy or in a narrow canyon the signal wouldn't go thrrough, although I'd be unaware at the time.

When I was injured I was under canopy in a steep sided canyon. I pressed the button and then crawled to a clearing on the trail. The signal went through and I noticed the back of the device noted that a red light would flash if the signal had not been received. I surmize that there is a priority for 911 signals.

Incidentally, three other hikers I'd been camping with for the last section came along and waited with me for the first helicopter. It repeatedly missed all of our efforts to signal them, except one hiker who had a red jacket. The rest of us may as well have been invisible. I recommend red or yellow for at least one item just in case.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

Ned Tibbits <ned at mountaineducation.org> wrote:

>>From our point of view as practical wilderness safety instructors, the SPOT 
>system provides a fallible sense of security. Do not place your safety, 
>security, or peace of mind on anything electronic in the backcountry. They 
>can fail in more ways than one and the ripples can be felt a long ways (you 
>may not know that your friends back home are getting really worried or that 
>30 or 40 SAR people are being mobilized to go look for you!)
>
>However, the idea is a good one. It's just not perfected yet! During one of 
>our SAR training exercises we had an Air Force Captain teaching us about how 
>the Emergency Location Transmitters (PLBs, ELTs, SPOTs, etc.) and the system 
>of satellites they work within connect to his National Response Center (out 
>in Nebraska or Kansas, if I recall right) and forces get dispatched to aid 
>the lost or injured. In essence, the SPOT works on a different and smaller 
>network of satellites from those used by the military and commercial 
>aircraft (think multiple satellites flying two grid patterns across the 
>globe both longitudinally and latitudinally compared to two flying just one 
>direction). Thus, it takes longer to connect with the SPOT system (which 
>then has to call the National Response Center to request help for you) and 
>get resources mobilized your way.
>
>As many of you have already said, the SPOT units, themselves, do not always 
>make their daily signal connections either (and unfortunately, you don't 
>know this at the time).
>
>Either way, you, the user, thinks that everyone back home is merrily 
>watching your progress and getting your daily "I'm fine" messages while you 
>figure that if anything does go wrong, all you have to do is rely on 
>technology to "call for help" when it may either not be able to do so or 
>just take quite a while to do it.
>
>Then we have the issue of battery maintenance--don't let them get cold or 
>run out of power or let the unit get wet. Will you be able to guarantee this 
>once you hit the backcountry?
>
>Yes, they are lighter and cheaper than a more definitive answer, but are 
>they a sufficiently reliable and predictable method of safety 
>communications? What do the smart Guide Services use? They are leading 
>novice hikers and climbers all the time into remote, rugged international 
>locales. What works for them?
>
>A Satellite phone.
>
>
>
>Ned Tibbits, Director
>Mountain Education
>www.mountaineducation.org
>-----Original Message----- 
>From: Jeffrey Olson
>Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2012 2:47 PM
>To: pct-l at backcountry.net
>Subject: Re: [pct-l] To SPOT or not to SPOT [AND] Money along the
>
>Having started hiking alone before there were guidebooks- only topo maps
>- let alone SPOT or iridium satellite phones, the idea of carrying
>something that would let my loved ones know how I am is a bit over the top.
>
>I hiked a long section hike with a girlfriend in the early 90s. Her dad
>was dying of colon cancer.  We were hiking at a pace where we would get
>to town and a phone every week or so.  The day we got closer to town
>she'd get emotional cry her way down the trail.  I totally got it and
>left her alone.
>
>She'd check in and her spirits would rise and we'd have a great time
>eating town food and doing couple stuff.
>
>The listserv started back in 1994 or 1995 if I remember correctly (Brick
>of course knows).  If you have access to archives, spend a half hour or
>so reading what people talked about.
>
>One thing that's pretty obvious, is there were few, if any, women
>participating in discussions, or starting the trail alone.  That has
>changed wonderfully!
>
>There was also no way that someone on the trail could communicate with
>the outside world outside of towns.
>
>I totally support young men and women, who often times for the first
>time, are doing something outside of parental influence, gently insist
>that s/he will check in when they get to a town, and that the parental
>units may not hear anything for a couple weeks. You might help them,
>"Get used to it..."
>
>I know it won't be long before you'll be able to lie in your tent near
>Tyndall Creek and talk to your Mom (mine is 86) on the phone.
>
>The question will become, do you want to...
>
>Jeffrey Olson
>Rapid City, SD
>
>
>
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