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SPOT Satellite Messenger

SPOT Satellite Messenger description

When you're headed into the backcountry or traveling abroad in unfamiliar territory, pack the SPOT Satellite Messenger for worldwide satellite tracking and emergency alert capabilities. The SPOT utilizes GPS technology to transmit your location to your SPOT account every 10 minutes. Send a check-in signal and your coordinates (which can be tracked with Google Maps) to your friends and loved ones via text message or email, or send a help signal for non-life threatening situations when you need assistance. When you send a 911 signal, the GEOS International Emergency Response Center alerts the appropriate agencies (SAR, paramedics, embassy, etc.) of your exact location, and notifies your emergency contact about the receipt of a distress signal. For maximum reliability, The SPOT also performs a self-diagnostic test each time you turn it on. The SPOT requires a yearly service plan for activation. Backcountry.com athlete Karl Meltzer will carry the SPOT when he attempts to run the Appalachian Trail in less than 47 days, starting August 5. Follow his progress with the SPOT at www.whereskarl.com.

Bottom Line: Wherever adventure takes you, keep yourself safe and your loved ones in the know.

Also in CO. Travel all over the state for outdoor stuff. As soon as you leave I-70 you get no cell service, as Cowboy states. I oftentimes hike alone and Spot's OK feature is brilliant for me. I send an "ok" every hour or so to let my husband know I'm good. It's really cool that the coordinates map on Google, and your friends/family can see exactly where you're at on the map. I feel good that I could call 911 if I really got in trouble. The optional $100k of rescue cost insurance through Lloyds of London for $8/year is a steal and comforting. The unit is sturdy, and seems like it is waterproof. I've already dropped it several times on the rocks with no problems (wish cameras came that bomber).HOWEVER, the tracking feature, where it automatically sends info on your position every 10 minutes (which you have to pay $50/yr extra for), doesn't work well at all. Don't waste your money on it. Like any GPS device, it doesn't pick up signals in the woods, and it seems to not be able to triangulate fast enough to get you located if you are moving all the time. So, if you want to use it to periodically let your loved ones know you're good and let them see where you are once in a while on the map, want the security of being able to call in the cavalry in a dire situation - great, A++, get it.If you are super geek, like some of my friends and think you are going to get a nice real-time track laid out with the tracking feature while your running or hiking, forget it. Probably not for you. The technology might get there someday, but it's not in this 1st gen version.

My wife worries when I disappear into the wilderness for a multi-day backpack. This reassures her that I am OK...or not. I also like to go solo so if I do get into trouble...at least I have some way of calling for help if I should ever need it. Works like a charm.