Using the New SPOT GPS Messenger
I received an early present from my Christmas wish list; the latest GPS Personal locator beacon from SPOT otherwise known as the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger. I took it out for a test drive on an easy hike to Bison Peak in the Lost Creek Wilderness of central Colorado. The SPOT performed well. I wanted SPOT primarily to keep my wife informed of where I was when I was out of cell phone range, medicine which happens often with my iPhone/ATT in the Colorado back country. Also, I thought it would be nice to see my tracks when I got back home. Finally, it might be fun to share some of my climbs while they are happening in addition to posting trip reports after they are over. Has climbing become a spectator sport? Continue reading my experience at Gear Reviews
Tracking Expeditions
Keeping up with friends and family on a far-away mountain expedition has always been challenging. Some teams post dispatches every few days to their website, other climbers just use sat phones to call in. Now a new trend has emerged using a satellite transmitter to “beam” your location every few minutes enabling your location to be shown on a map. Also you can alert Search and Rescue with a touch of a button in an emergency. The SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger has emerged as the leader in this category. There are some variations on this theme but SPOT has made it very simple – perhaps too simple. Their 2nd generation unit has just been released and is smaller, lighter with improved performance. To get everything needed – unit and tracking service – it costs over $350.00 with an annual renewal. You can read all the details on their website. continue reading in Gear Reviews