Back country travel is often fraught with dangers. With 4WD'ing, working with multiple tonned equipment in a (normally) remote area, and with little to no cell phone coverage, the dangers are often increased. Piece of mind for loved ones at home waiting for you is oft times, hard to come by. Enter Spot.
Spot is a combination GPS locator and Satelite communication device. The GPS records your location and, when needed, sends what is essentially a text message over a very basic sat phone. In essessence, Spot tells people where you are. Spot, unfortunately, doesn't tell you, where you are. More on that later. I received a Spot for Christmas and now that I've tried out my new toy and I have some basic first impressions.
When transmitting your location, you have a few message options. At any time, you may send an "I'm okay" message. When some assistance is required, you can send a "Need Help" message. Both messages are pretty generic and are entered, long before you hit the trail, via the spot web configuration (fount at their findmespot.com website). This is also where you asign what e-mails and cell phones that will receive the generic message.
"Need Help" then, is almost useless. The button and the basic, generic message it sends will be of no use to the person that attempts to come to your aid. Namely, it does not send the all important WHY that you need help. Forgot TP? Press "Need Help". Broke an axle or a flat tire? "Need Help" just doesn't convey what is actually needed. After your would be rescuer makes their way to your location, they are more than likely unable to assist you. There is another button however.
When the brown stuff hits the fan, you can hit the "911" button and send a distress message. It sends yet another generic, although more dire, message. The difference is that it sends the message as well to the main spot center, where they can dispatch the nearest emergency services to your aid. This button should be used when in actual emergency only, as it does contact emergency services in your area and sends them to your last reported location. There have been some stories of people abusing this button. Don't be one of them,
I have heard rumurs of people having problems with Spot sending out their location properly. In the instructions, they mention that the spot logo needs to be pointed at the sky (or at least have a clear view of it). Never had problems with sending out a signal with the device in this orientation. Every time I hit the "I'm Okay" button, my ol' lady received the message and, as far as I know. It was fairly accurate. I've used sat phones in the back country and they can be spotty (pun intended) but the Spot did not let me down in that regard.
In addition to messaging, Spot has a few other interesting features, the most compelling of which is the track feature. Spot will send your gps co-ordinates to a website (powered by google maps) where the people at home can track your pogress. It's not continuous as it only sends a locations every 10 minutes. This shouldn't be much of a problem on the trails we're normally on with CT4WD but is pretty useless at highway speeds. I had a problem some problems with the Spot not tracking the whole day. After re-reading the manual a few times I realize this was due to user error. The "Okay" button and tracking can not be used simultaneously.
Spot has new devices either in stores now or on the way. One of which solves the problem of needing two gps devices. One that let's everyone know where you are and another so you do. DeLorme and spot have teamed up to make a much more full featured device called the Earthmate PN-60 . Spot also has a follow up to the original spot with "Spot 2". Spot 2 will feature a more powerful gps unit and the buttons have been revised.
I'll stick with my spot for now and provide updates to it's usefulness as time progresses. I can already see myself upgrading to one of the newer units though. True piece of mind in the backcountry at last? We'll see but so far so good
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