Solo hiking wth a personal locator beacon ?

[John B]

pspscott,

Very informative article.  My take away from it:  1. pick location to activate the unit with a clear view of the sky if possible (this is also clearly indicated in my units instruction manual)  2. DON'T move the unit once activated  3. Stay put  and 4. Have an alternative method of signaling SAR--I have a mirror that I carry for this purpose, in addition to a high volume whistle.

Thanks for the link!

[lonerock]

Wspscott'

Very good article. The PLB is not perfect by any means but the issue is one of accuracy in given situations and not whether it's of value as a potential life saving device. In the case reported the average inaccuacy of the PLB was about 700m over several reported readings in severe conditions.  The bottom line is that it was instrumental in locating the stranded hikers. Good advice by John B and article about how to maximize the use of the PLB and having supplemental devices available to assist SAR teams in locating you. My number one rule when hiking or backpacking is to come back alive so that I  can hike another day. A simple rule that has never failed me.

[wspscott]

It is interesting what different people take away from the same article.

"We immediately realized that we had no idea why the subjects had activated the PLB, and unlike 90% of our searches we had a pretty good idea of where they were" This ended up being a bad assumption

and "The satellite-based location fix is obtained from the 5 watt, 406MHz radio signal alone, and not using a GPS. It is accurate to about 5 km. This is the default operation of the PLB system." I have no idea if all PLBs work like this.

and "Without knowing the reason for the PLB activation, SAR teams must proceed as if an injury has occurred"

It was a combination of these that led to my purchase of an InReach last year. I like the ability to communicate with SAR and provide info about an injury as well as location details. The ability to ping my wife with location updates is nice as well. If I ended up falling off a cliff, she would be able to see my last known location and that might help SAR recover my body

In the end, don't do stupid #$^%&^# is probably a pretty good guide for backpacking and for life in general

[lonerock]

It's difficult to make assumptions about the PLB used in the article without knowing the brand,model and age of the device. From what I've read some of the newer ones have a lot more features and include GPS and radio transmission that can be picked up when rescuers get closer to help pinpoint location. I would probably choose a PLB for a real basic device since it doesn't require a subscription fee.

[SoonerDad]

I just picked up an Inreach unit

Less for the possibility of rescue and more for the peace of mind for those that worry about me

[grizzled]

On 2/27/2016 at 7:42 AM, John B said:

I always carry an ACR rescue beacon--much more powerful and reliable signal than SPOT.  It does not require me to "check in"--only to yell for help if needed.  I believe I paid $280 for it two years ago.  I think that's a small price to pay for an increased level of safety--especially when one considers the amount one invests in other gear.

Bought the same unit 2 years back.  For me, and maybe it's just an elderly thing, but one miss step in a boulder field 25 miles from the nearest trailhead and you could be under the proverbial deep pile of dodo.  And without any such means to summon help, that dodo pile will be your final resting spot.

[coconutjennyb]

We have one, useit hunting bush camping. My husband is a paramedic and they work we live in northern Ontario with a nation park on one side and a provincial on the other.  And he has had several calls where people have used them, and they sent out a team to fetch hurt people out of the wilderness.

[Sonoma_Lass]

We use them at work. Lord knows where we might fall and be unable to get out or run into angry pot growers. If I'm traveling in the woods in July - Nov, I've got my PLB very accessible!

[Surfcam]

About 25% of my hikes are solo. I carry my inReach on all my hikes whether solo or in a group. I check in with family each night but I always let them know not to worry unless they haven't heard from me in 3 nights. In about 30 nights of use in the past year it's only not delivered my message once. Besides general peace of mind for family, I have it in case of needing it for a beacon. At the very least, I'd carry a PLB in case myself or another hiker needed a rescue. Nothing is a guarantee but it's just another piece of gear to better my chances of a safe trip.

[JeffreyH]

You don't need PLB in most cases, but it gives loved-ones peace of mind.