Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

Oh, that reminds me. After I hit the SOS button one of the messages from them asked if I wanted them to call my emergency contacts. I said no, and thank you. I sent a message to my wife, her cell, to say what happened.
Two way is the way to go.
With it paired to my phone, I can text anyone in my contact list. But, it comes from a 'Strange' number. You need to let them know that it is from you.

Ken in NC

 

Yep. I did this with a borrowed InReach 2 Summers ago. Guy broke his ankle above 13,000'. They borrowed a Spot from a passing hiker, and then he left with it. Heli showed up and couldn't see them in the rocks (didn't know where they should be looking). I was contacted by other hikers, borrowed an InReach and went up to them. Once contact was established I was able to give them precise instructions on needed gear, injury and location for the next morning. Long, cold night but a very successful ending and the kid that loaned me the InReach didn't have his girlfriend panicking at home.

 

I put a quick messages on my Garmin inReach explorer reads:

I'm OK, SOS msg is for someone else. No IN/OUT msg until SOS is canceled.
Will send msg when I am able.

I had a similar msg on my Spot, never used it.

Since it took up to 10 minutes before Spot would send and w/o any indication that the msg was sent I would have to guess if it had been sent. Nice with the inReach that I can send the above msg right away then trigger the SOS.

 

The previous examples ^^^^^^ are the main reason why I was leaning towards the mini over the spot or ResQLink PLB.

 

If going with a single device I'd recommend an inReach something or other. The PLB is the most reliable in an actual emergency as far as being certain a message will get through with poor sky view, rain, heavy forest cover, etc. but in the 99% of the cases that the inReach will also get through the fact it allows two way communication will make coordinating a rescue much easier and more reliable. And as already mentioned you can use an inReach as a deadman switch to handle cases in which you are unconscious or trapped with no sky view (e.g. fall down mine shaft, a real thing where I often visit) while a PLB offers no protection in those situations.

 

The mini is a Garmin inreach. Not super worried about poor sky view or heavy forest cover (AZ has its advantages). I liked it because it has both the SOS function and the messaging part so it saves me from needing two devices. My wife will appreciate the messaging so I can send the pre formatted messages to check in with her when I am out on the AZ Trail. Then for me if something bad happened and I can not self rescue I have the SOS as a backup.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/592606

 

Yeah, I know. I own one . Point was any of the inReach products would do the job (including the Mini). There is little if any reason to buy a Spot these days. The PLB is different from both with a bit more reliability than anything inReach in an actual emergency but a PLB is a big compromise in that is the only thing it does.

 

Ahhh gotcha I took for the inreach something or other as you were not sure which one it is, not a reco to pick up any of the inreach choices.

 

I have an old Delorme InReach SE for over four years.

It has always sent messages or tracking points out. Never has it dropped one.

My main “emergency” use has been to coordinate getting someone out of a situation close to an emergency, but not one yet.

My other main use is letting people at home know everything is ok, but I am delayed by hours and not to call SAR.

I also use tracking as a last known location in case anything goes really wrong.

I still file a plan at home and don’t count on the InReach. I always tell people it could break it, malfunction, or be lost. No news is good news until the drop dead time/date.

 

Is that a choice?
I can text my wife while SOS is active.

 

I did, and it was not a problem. So much time between messages.

 

The more important aspect, regardless of the tool being employed (smoke signals, whistle, cell phone, inReach, sat phone) is having the conversation with the person(s) you would be communicating with, and understand each other's expectations. Example
You may decide you will share your Trip Plan with an individual, but only contact them when you need to, or when you are not back by a certain time frame, and you provided clear instructions on what you expect them to do and who to call passing on the information from your trip plan

Another example is you may check in by text at each stage of your trip, updating your intentions along the way. "At the trailhead", "half way up", "will check in in 4 hours", "need a ride at 10 am" etc. When they don't hear from you, after your pre-determined intervals, then that triggers some action on their part that you've discussed.

As for what information of what to communicate- location, time, current circumstance, weather, what actions you are going to do, and what you are asking for or expecting, finally what resources you have at hand.

 

& InReach works better than Spot, in terms of getting a signal out from.my experience.

 

Had a successful overnight at Consultation Lake and summited Whitney the next day.

My gf received all my messages and updates from my Inreach Explorer + fine all weekend.

 

Specific to the topic at hand when to call sos.
https://adventuresmart.ca/images/NSS_Right-Call_Pamphlet_En-c.pdf

 

Overall the adventuresmart.ca website is a valuable source of info. Example https://adventuresmart.ca/land/survive-essentials.htm

As Canucks, we are happy to freely trade such information without discrimination.

 

And a timely bit from today's news - when things go sideways because there wasn't that discussion of expectations of communications, or the expectations were not followed.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/rcmp-communication-phone-charger-1.4807548

 

On the subject of rescue. I'll use myself as a good example from Saturday. Plan was to summit Picacho Peak in the lower AZ desert a 1.2 mile ascent with 1900 feet of elevation gain. Weather forecast was initially mid to high 70's as a low with high temps around 99 We usually do not reach high temps in AZ until 4-5pm. Actual weather at 7:15am 92 degrees 30% humidity, and climbing. Up on the trail 95 ambient + heat reflection off the cliffs. Normally I would consider this a fun hike/climb cause I love sketchy scrambles. I made up about 1000 feet in .7 of a mile and felt the effects of the heat. Instead of being an idiot and continuing on I decided to turn back, I felt some of the symptoms of heat related illness, skin turning cool and clammy. No vomit but feeling nauseous. While I probably could have found some shade rested and continued. The sections above us are the more technical part involving near vertical climbs and traverses along a shear cliff face with pre attached cables. I decided it was not worth the risk to my friends and SAR should I have continued and succumbed to the heat up above the cables. I headed back down the hill, cooled off with my chilly towel and waited for the others to finish. A couple others ended up turning back, and the rest of the group looked miserable when they finished. If myself or someone else pushed too hard and needed to be rescued it was pretty clear it would have ended up endangering a lot more people.

 

Good on you Matt, for being self aware, and able to adapt your plans to the conditions.

With Hyper or hypo thermia, it was good that you made decisions before the extreme temperatures affected your ability to think clearly. If you wait too long to make those decisions, one of the physiological effects, is your brain function; ability to process information, and make rational decisions on that information digresses very rapidly, and you won't notice.

I look for the signs that I simply call 'mumbles, stumbles, and fumbles' - Mumbles changes in speech patterns - either someone that is normally chatty is not, or vice-versa, they get quieter, or their topics shift focus rapidly. Often their short term memory is also impacted.

Stumbles is fairly obvious, faltering in their stride, or simple obstacles becoming difficult.
Fumbles - simple motor skill tasks such as opening a water bottle, or sandwich bag, or forgetting that they put their hat down and its not on their head.
Any or all signs of change to take notice, that things are deteriorating for that individual, even if you do not feel its effects.

Talk to someone you suspect is struggling, ask them simple questions and observe their reaction will quite quickly confirm if intervention is needed.

 

Often need for SAR calls, are not from a single, catastrophic event, but a combination of little slip ups, and decisions, that culminate in 'oops, now i'm in trouble." For the audience here, understand that SAR does not 'judge' you on your actions to determine if you are worthy of a SAR callout. (We've done dumb things ourselves!) We do base a level of response on factors of your circumstance such as known injury or medical condition, are you by yourself or in a group, terrain, weather, age. The more honest you are in communicating your circumstance when you request help, regardless if YOU think it maybe embarrassing, the better co-ordinated response you will get.

Trust me - we laugh about your circumstance, AFTER you are out of your predicament, then relate how we may have done similar stuff, or be blown away by your amazing luck in some cases.