[pct-l] Emergency position locator

[wpsnotebook at charter.net (Richard Woods)]

 >My partner is planning a 2-month hike this summer on the PCT and John 
Muir
 >Trail. It would be great if she could call for help in a medical
 >emergency--none anticipated, but you never know. So I'm looking for
 >information on emergency radio transceivers for hikers and wonder if 
you
 >have any recommendations. Are there particular frequencies most likely 
to
 >be monitored for emergency calls? Any brands/models of transceiver 
you'd
 >recommend? Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

There is a world-wide emergency locator system in place, but I have two 
disclaimers:
I have no detailed knowledge of the legalities, or consequences of 
using it.
I don't have a specific idea of how much a unit would weigh, or how it 
could be used by a backpacker. Your choice what to carry, as always.

It's possible these days to carry an EPIRB, Emergency Position 
Indicating Radio Beacon or PLB, Personal Locator Beacon. Set one off 
and the nearest rescue unit (probably a fixed wing aircraft first, 
followed by a helicopter) will home in on it day or night. It's a 
satellite linked transponder system monitored world-wide 24/7.  Battery 
powered, the units are very robust, and set off when activated 
manually, or the vehicle carrying one sinks, or crashes. And setting 
one off will bring into play a lot of very expensive emergency 
resources on your behalf. If you really need it, etc...... But 
preventing false alarms would be your total responsibility, and the 
fiscal consequences might be dicey. You certainly would not want to 
turn it on "Just to See If It Works!"

I did a quick Google search for 'Personal EPIRB.' Lots of hits - here's 
one of the first, and not a product endorsement.
Try this web site: http://www.acrelectronics.com/product.html
Their Aerofix 406 Personal Locator Beacons weigh 12 oz. and have a GPS 
feature of some kind that broadcasts your position accurate to within 
300 feet.

At the very least, we all should be knowledgeable of the use of search 
and rescue visual distress signals, even without a beacon or phone. An 
SOS stamped out in the snow, or laid out with logs or rocks, can be 
just as effective when the search is on. Smoke markers and emergency 
flares are a possibility too, but we all have to take personal 
responsibility for knowing both how and when to use all of this stuff.

Rick