Itchy Shoes

Spot Satellite GPS Messenger

The Spot Satellite GPS Messenger is something that I have been thinking about purchasing for a while now and as I near my final decision I thought I would voice my thoughts.

This unit seems to be full of promise for rescue and incorporates a few additional features that make it much more practical. In my time in the backcountry I have only ever required assistance once and that came in the form of another backcountry user after we had self rescued, had things gone differently we certainly would have required outside help.

The features of the GPS Messenger for those unfamiliar with the device include:

• SOS Function
• Help Function
• Check-In Feature
• OK Function (Custom preset message)
• GPS Progress Tracking (Additional subscription cost)

The emergency SOS function in my mind would offer peace of mind to have the possibility of a rescue initiated without having to get out to the road and back to phone service. However being that I work in emergency services I realize the reality of this feature. We often get 911 calls that are cut off or dispatched to a GPS location in the bush without additional information. By the time we arrive at the patient and determine that there is actually and emergency and extra resources are required a fair amount of time has already passed and the weather conditions may not be cooperating to bring in extra resources such as a helicopter. Not to mention the possibility that people may end up pushing themselves past their abilities requiring assistance they would not normally have relied upon without the device.

The Help function is where the device starts to become practical in my mind. With the account for the device you can pre-program messages before each trip. You can coordinate this feature for purposes such as “bring food to meeting point” for the extended backcountry trips that require food caches or the “we need assistance but not badly enough to call the Conservation Officers in” buddy system.

The Check-In and OK feature are essentially the same, but again, with the pre-programmed messages you can really make these out to be whatever you want. The added bonus of this is the ability to track your progress on a map for later reference, perhaps while marking that new climbing route you just put up.

This little unit has some useful features with the benefit of an “Oh Sh!t” button. I would imagine that I will convince myself shortly that the cost to benefit ratio is worthwhile. However I keep coming back to the idea that no matter what technology you carry with you, there is always the possibility that it will fail and you will require the hard skills that must be attained to recreate in the wilderness. Technology can not replace the knowledge that is vital to survival away from the city.