[pct-l] need some info - Or keeping found!

[ronm@fallingwater.com (Ronald Moak)]

JoAnn,

It's always dicey trying to depend upon some electronic device to get the
attention of the outside world when things go awry. Cell phone only work
when there's a good tower in line of site. ELT's are pretty ineffective in
deep canyon country where their signals bounce all over the place and yield
lots of false readings. Satellite phones are expensive and may not be
effective depending upon where you happen to be hurt. All in all, we're just
not there yet. 

At the point the old tried and true methods still work the best. A well laid
out itinerary with short stays in the backcountry and frequent
communications with home. That way you minimize the amount of time you're
likely to be stuck somewhere before someone misses you. 

Still even that may not be enough when we're traveling on stretches of trail
that may take 5 or 6 days to traverse. If you're injured early in the hike,
it maybe a week before anyone is out looking for you. Traversing these
sections may be more safely done during seasons when more traffic is on the
trail. That way someone is more likely to find you before you're missed at
home.

Nothing is perfect, but then one of the joys of going out there is knowing
that you're getting back to your roots when all you had was your wits to
keep you safe.

Ron
------------------------------------
Ron "Fallingwater" Moak
http://www.fallingwater.com/ <http://www.fallingwater.com/>