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With the recent 11/8/10 hiking disappearance in the Mazatzal Wilderness of our HAZ member- GPSjoe.. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5664 , I feel certain that many of us have been re-evaluating our own personal preparedness when wilderness hiking for an unexpected happening that might necessitate an urgent call for immediate help from "Search and Rescue".

For me who often assumes too much and takes too much for granted when hiking alone or with others in some of our more remote wilderness areas, this above loss of a personal friend and hiking partner has been a true "eye opener" for me. I carry a 25 pound pack on most every day hike because I always try to prepare for the possibility of an unexpected and unplanned overnight and I wanted to be prepared for such (which has happened to me before). Until this GPSjoe unexpected hiking disappearance I had not put much thought and concern into the possibility of an unplanned overnight along with a personal injury that would necessitate an immediate need for SAR help.

I had often thought about those of us who carry a cell phone, or SPOT, or PLB(Personal Locator Beacon), or Satellite Phone, or other?, but I never took action to better prepare myself for the possibilities of this unexpected need for rescue. This holiday season 2010, Santa Claus is bringing me a new pricey high end PLB from Kannad and I did not give "need or price" a second thought this time around.

Now I am just curious how many other HAZ members/guests who are following our GPSjoe forum topic, have done or in process of doing something similar as I?

Amen to the Eagle regarding the check in messages from SPOT. The real benefit is the peace of mind for the folks at home unfortunate enough to care about you.

Any new opinions on communication devices? I'm looking at the Delorme inReach SE device. I saw a few good reviews.

I'd recommend a PLB, in particular:

ACR ResQlink 406 Personal Locator Beacon

nonot wrote:I'd recommend a PLB, in particular:

ACR ResQlink 406 Personal Locator Beacon

Yes, I finally caved in and bought a ResQLink when the rebate was on earlier this year. I hope to never use it, but a few people are glad I now carry one. (Most of them are at work).

Well I finally got a Spot and my family is very happy I have including my ex-wife. I have only used it to check in when I am running late and it works great.

@bknorby
The answer to your question seems to have migrated to the comments on your triplog. I'm pasting the relevant replies here so others doing this research later can more easily find the thoughts and opinions posted there.

rvcarter wrote:I have a SPOT GPS Messenger. This is a slick little device that I bought a few years back (mostly at the urging of my wife) that provides the capability to send an SOS with coordinates via satellite. It has several alert levels, the highest being to send emergency help, and requires an annual subscription. Here is the link: http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=102

The basic subscription fee is $99/yr and you have to buy the unit up front (I got mine on ebay for about $70). It gives me (and my wife) considerable peace of mind when we go backcountry. It's good world wide, except for parts of the Pacific and some of SE Asia. The best part is the low cost of insurance to cover the cost of rescue, about $18/yr.

bknorby wrote:As for communication devices, I've posted questions regarding what people use on many forums. I'm leaning to getting two different types of devices since there are two of us. I have purchased a Delorme inReach SE - they seem to be having a website issue with activations so if they don't fix that fast I'll likely be sending the unit back. The subscriptions are flexible, you can even get a freedom plan which allows you to suspend your service for a while. You can send text messages and get responses. I like the idea of being able to tell your emergency contact that things are OK or what your issues are. I am also looking at getting the ACR ResQlink. The ResQLink device doesn't require a contract and is very simple and strong. Combining the two systems gives us good coverage. Both these devices are supposed to have stronger signals than the SPOT. Someone on a Grand Canyon forum mentioned that their SPOT didn't work in a couple spots in the GC one of which was along our route. I know that no system is foolproof but this did make me cross SPOT off the list. I love going to very remote areas and having better chances of coverage is my main goal.

rvcarter wrote:It's good to look at all the options, but none of them do very well without a clear view of the sky (it seems to me that it works best if the open area is slightly toward the south). For example, if you are close up against the side of a cliff, it may not work well, if at all. I wouildn't dismiss SPOT on the basis of one person's bad experience unless you were sure he was in an area clear of interference. I've had one for several years and have never had a message not get through (from the US or abroad), if I was sending from a location with a clear view of the sky. Good luck on chosing a device; I'm glad you're getting one.

@chumley
The main reason I chose the Spot was that I could send a message that states I am ok. My wife got worried on a hike I did out to Charliebois. I was ok and really didn't need any help but I was running 6 hours late, so she called search and rescue. Luckly I was on my way out to the trailhead when I meet up with the Sheriff deputies. So they didnt send in a rescue chopper.
Since then there has been a few more times I didnt make it back on time ,but I did send my wife and son, I am ok still hiking message and their happy.
I did look at other devices but The ResQLink wont let me send messages. When I am having to much fun on a hike and want to stay out longer being able to send I ok to family is great.

I got a used Globalstar Sat phone for under 300.00 with pelican case etc on Amazon. Air time is crazy expensive but I will probably get a plan with 120 min that doesn't expire for a year--it ain't cheap but with a 91 year old mother who doesn't text or do much with her cell phone I need to be able to speak to her as I need to. I've only used it a couple of times but voice was crystal clear. Has the same failings as most--need to be in an area with clear sky view and Globalstar coverage, while adequate for me, is not as good as say Iridium.

Offer accepted

APRS and a PLB. The APRS gives me many options for contact and the PLB is the last resort when I am in real trouble

I've been doing a lot of research on this lately and finally forked out the dough. I came home today with the ACR ResQLink 406. If your main goal is to appease a worried family at home-- then the InReach is probably your best bet. For those who just want a powerful "oh feces" button-- then the ResQLink is a no brainer. There's no subscription and its 5 times stronger than the InReach and ten times stronger than the SPOT. The battery needs to be replaced in 6 years. ACR claims you have to send it back to them for the $150 battery replacement but the word on the interwebs is that some people are finding their own way to do it.