SPOT

[Lowjiber]

For the past couple of months, my wife and I have spent countless hours deep in the Mojave Desert hunting meteorites. We have all the toys necessary for such adventures...A Jeep, snake boots, snake gaiters, pistols loaded with snake rounds, etc. However, there is NO cell phone service in such remote locations, and we've only seen one other person in the area since in eight hunts.

I became concerned about 911 service not being available in the event that one of us got hurt, etc. CB radios are out of the question for several reasons...the major one being how to get our location quickly and accurately to the proper responders.

After a bit of research, I found a device that is essentially a GPS with a 911 emergency button (among other things) that is not dependent upon any cell phone system. It's called a SPOT.

Here's the website: http://www.findmespot.com/en/

The device costs $150 and comes with lithium batteries. The user needs to subscribe to the service via the website. There are several options available, but we opted for the 911 emergency service, emergency roadside assistance, Check-in-okay that lets friends know where you are (including a GoogleEarth link) via email, and the ability to send another email to another list of friends for any other purpose. Each feature is activated by its own button and sends the appropriate message along with your current location.

There is another feature that will track your locations as you move about. It might be handy for some, but we have another GPS built in to a watch that does that for us.

The annual fee for the services we purchased (along with loss/damage insurance for the device) are $149.

I'm hardly a salesman for the device, but the peace of mind gained by knowing we can summon help when it's really needed is well worth the price. If your MDing puts you in a similar situation, it might be a useful tool to add to your arsenal.

[angellionel]

That does look like a neat gadget, one that would come in handy in many situations. I was reading about how fishermen use it to record and keep track of the best areas to fish. I sure could have used it many years ago. lol

[hobbes_lives]

Now I'll feel safe when I come visit you for some meteorite hunting!

It's definitely a worthwhile investment in your safety.

[Lowjiber]

Come on Buddy!!! We'll hit the desert.

[coinnut]

Sounds like a good price for a service you hope to never need lol Some good insurance!! It must link directly to a satelite service of some kind, since your phones don't operate there. I think it's a great idea.

[del]

yes you need something out there in the vast remote arid wilderness , i hope you never have to use it my friend

[Epi-hunter]

I have thought many times about that when I was in the woods or some desolate area by myself.

[Ferrous]

Oh boy another toy. lol Now you need to get a satellite phone with video upload. Then we can see what you're doing. thumbsup01

[Spiderwort]

The company I work for bought several SPOT units a few months ago for our foresters to carry when working in remote areas without cell service or out of company radio range. They seem to be very dependable. So far we haven't had to use the 911 service but it's a great comfort to get the out of the woods notice via e-mail and text messaging from an intern when we send them out to remote locations to work alone for the day.

[Jason in Enid]

Sounds like cheap insurance and peace of mind!