Never Get Lost

[condor22]

Totally agree Gold, I also carry a Garmin E20 GPS. It's pocket sized and has the Garmin Maps installed. It operates on 2 x AA batteries, I use Alkaline. But it is also about process of use as much as anything.

I permanently have a Waypoint in it's memory called "CAR". Before I leave the car I go to that waypoint and Reposition it "Here", or where I am, making sure it has locked on to satellites, and then "Go to waypoint so I know it has positioned the GPS at the car.

I then turn the GPS off and put it in my pocket. Given I have the detector in one hand, sometimes the pick in the other as well as looking where I'm going, I'm not going to be constantly looking at it. If the sun is out, I also take note of where it is relative to my direction of travel and depending on time out I also consider how far it might move in the sky (Yes I know it's the earth moving lol).

If I lose my bearings relative to the car, I switch the GPS on and go to the CAR waypoint. On the odd occasion I have used it, I have been as little as 50M from the car and it was not visible to me.

By doing this, I get over 12 months out of a set of batteries, so no need to consider recharging batteries for a trip, just to check battery level.

 

[blisters]

This is similar to the inreach that Garmin bought from Delorme which I've been using for s long time. The big difference of these devices to plb and phone is you can be auto tracked by dropping location breadcrumbs. If you are incapacitated your family can view online and locate you to within 3 metres.

If you are injured e.g. snake bite you can relay exactly what the issue is and particulars to family or emergency services. If you will be delayed say if you are bogged there's no need to send out search and rescue from a plb. It will still act like a plb and you can use it as a gps if need be.

I read a while ago that plb/epirbs should only be set off if you believe your life is in imminent danger and you should try hf first.

With inreach you can communicate with your prospecting buddy if you are working different areas if they also gave one. All done over satellite.

You can pair them to your phone so you can send and receive sms and email using your contacts. You can also post to social media if you're in to it.

These are a great bit of kit but you do require a monthly subscription. With inreach you can change to a cheaper plan in quiet times.

In my view these types of communicators are the best all round remote safety kit.

One problem though is you can always be contacted so if the house heating fails while you are out you'll get called back to fix it!

Jon

 

[Decoy]

Being totally negative or the equivalent of technological book burning is not the answer.

Electronic technology is great and in many cases it will save lives, its that one odd person where it fails and dose not have a backup that is the concern.

Young kids are not being taught preparation and readiness, hell these days many parents would fail if **** hit the fan.

Sadly gone are the days of scouts, girl guides and cadets etc even PCYC are now panicking over legal repercussions.