[pct-l] search costs

[Marcia Powers <gottawalk@xxxxxxxxxxx> (Marcia Powers)]

You're right that technology is arriving there. We are on the fringe of
Silicon Valley and as we were planning our CDT hiked a neighbor knew of a
company that leases GPS trackers to put in cargo containers to keep track of
the shipment.  Our neighbor wanted us to carry the device so he could check
the web and get our coordinates at any given time. It turned out that the
device is currently too large and heavy for distance hikers.  I would
consider weather I would want my hike to be tracked to that degree. I see
pros and cons especially on the more remonte and trail-less CDT.

While hiking the PCT, when we arrived in Warner Springs S&R zoomed in and
waved their antenna over us asking if we had an emegency transponder as they
were getting a signal right where we were in the PO. For one creepy minute I
actually thought worried family members had bugged us!

HYOH
Marcia
Gottawalk
----- Original Message -----
From: <CMountainDave@aol.com>
To: <pct-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2003 11:19 AM
Subject: [pct-l] search costs


I think that GPS technology is the answer to to reduce the costs of search
and rescue, because it would minimize the cost of the search. Surely they
can
come up with some sort of device the size of a credit card that could be
carried by anyone out in the woods and be activated when the need arises, by
either the looker (optional?) or the lookee . It would be completely
unobtrusive to the wilderness experience. No more guessing where someone is
when someone is overdue. I'd bet most people would gladly carry such a
device
if issued with a permit for free, and I'd bet volunteer rescue services
would
gladly monitor such a system. Techno geeks have at it!
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