Personal Locator Beacons? Do I need one?

[Kate Anthony]

My husband is voicing concerns about my safety during my upcoming solo JMT hike. I started backpacking last year and have done 5 previous solo trips of 3-5 nights in the Sierras and one three day trip in the Grand Canyon. My husband has never had any problems with my shorter solo trips but the report of the missing hiker (now deceased) in NM have him worrying about my safety. He suggested that I carry a PLB and I'm debating the pros and cons of each model and if I even need one. The ResQlink seems to be the best at summoning help but it would be useless if I was unconscious and couldn't activate it. The InReach isn't as good at summoning help (weaker signal) but it would provide tracking information to rescuers if I didn't exit the trail head when I was supposed to. The InReach also provides a method to communicate if I'm delayed by weather or some other factor. However, if it malfunctions or the batteries go dead, will it cause my husband unnecessary worry and possibly an unwanted rescue attempt? The JMT will be packed with hikers in July and I wouldn't have to wait long for someone to pass by but do I really want to rely on someone else for help? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[Roger Caffin]

Up until recently PLBs did not exist, and people went walking quite happily, even on long trips.
On our 2-month long walking trips in Europe we never ever carry a PLB. I don't even own one.
On known trails where there are walkers all the time, you are unlikely to be without human contact for a day. People WILL help.

All that said, maybe a good SIMPLE mobile phone with a good antenna might be enough. NOT a 'smart phone' where the batteries will die in a day or two, but a really simple one which is left switched OFF all the time until you want to make a quick call.

Guarranted 100% safety is a total utter myth (mainly confined to the USA). It never existed and will never exist. Relying on a PLB may actually be less safe than using your brains.

Cheers

[M B]

No, you dont NEED one.
The JMT is a heavily travelled trail, a VERY heavily travelled trail, and there are rangers in the backcountry as well.

You can think up scenarios where it would save your life though.
You can also think up scenarios where other things would too, you just dont focus on those.

If it makes you or your husband feel better to carry it, why not? Its cheap today, and relatively light. Buy one, rent one, dont agonize over it, just move forward and forget about it.

[Jonathon Self]

I agree with MB.

If it makes loved ones feel better, just take one. I'll probably resort to getting one eventually to make my wife feel more at ease.

[Dave T]

I have one. I carry it during lots of solo activities (e.g. kayaking, drives in the boondocks, off-trail hiking). But I wouldn't carry it on the JMT if I stayed on the trail.

[Jennifer Mitol]

My family pressured me to get one two years ago (inReach), and ever since I've gone ahead and brought it…now I find it kind of fun on longer trips to have people follow me and send me a message every now and then.

I do get a bit lonely and miss my loved ones when I'm on the trail for more than a week, so it's a nice way to both keep in touch as well as add a bit of safety in the off-chance I either need a rescue myself or come across someone who does.

It's an easy 6 oz really….not a big deal.

[Katherine .]

I felt for my own comfort level I wanted to have something. Doesn't make me invincible, but a good tool in some circumstances.

I deliberated ResQLink vs InReach a bit. Money aside, preferred ResQLink for simplicity.

Another thing I've heard mention of, and have been meaning to check out is some way you can use an iPhone for that GPS trail of breadcrumbs (one at each place you turn it on). Anyone have more details on that?

Also, I told my husband and father (who are my registered emergency contacts): if you get a message that I've activated the signal it could also mean I've encountered someone who needs help.

[BlackHatGuy]

When do you start your hike?

[Robin B]

I'm generally a fan of PLBs for any remote travel where you're unlikely to encounter other people for extended periods of time. I own one and I use it regularly in remote or difficult to access areas. On the JMT, however, I don't think you need to carry one.

First, the trail is very well used. As long as you stay close to the trail, you'll meet lots of people. In fact, one of the most enjoyable parts of that trail is how social it is and how quickly you make friends.

Second, so many of those people you'll meet will have all sorts of devices and they'll all be more than happy to use their gadgets to help you out if necessary.

So while I think PLBs are a great step forward, and typically recommend them to anyone who asks, this is one case where it really isn't necessary.

[Zorg Zumo]

Here's a writeup that might help with your decision process:
https://sites.google.com/site/hobbyhintstricksideas/Home/spot-messenger-information

I've been a Spot user since 2008. I wander around solo and I carry Spot out of consideration for my loved ones.

[Richie S]

Realistically you don't really need one in most locations, but it does give loved-ones peace of mind.

I had to tell my wife that no news was ok at times as I did always have the help button on the inreach.

Strap more about people knowing you have he ability to call for help than the real need to call for help in my book.

[Kate Anthony]

Doug- I start my hike on July 14.

[Kate Anthony]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I agree that my husband's peace of mind is what is important. I'm planning other hikes in the future in more remote areas and it might be a good idea to carry one.

[Mike M]

look at the SPOT too; I used one during the Bob Marshall Open and it allowed family members to see exactly where I was at any given time, they knew where I was camped each night via a message sent (and the end of the tracking for the day)

if I had needed to bail, they would have gotten a message and then could see by my track where I was going to end up

the SPOT will track for 2-3 weeks (best to shut it off at night), battery life is very good

not saying you need one for the JMT, but if you have other trips in remoter areas, well worth the 4 oz imo

[Michael Wainfeld]

I got a PLB after doing some off-trail routes in the Winds, where traversing the many boulder fields could take hours, and there were few other hikers. So even though there were two of us, if anything bad happened, we could get help. I decided on a PLB (ACR RescueLink) vs a Spot because the signal is supposedly more robust, and because my wife has absolutely no interest in knowing my precise location. We leave an itinerary, and I call when I'm out. Another option is a Sat Phone, which can be rented for about $50 a week.

[kevperro .]

I have to admit the concept of them violates some of the very reasons I go into the wilderness. But… like all incremental safety measures that steal our personal freedom there is a valid argument for their use.

[Andy E]

My group is starting on July 14 also and are happy to help if we see anyone in trouble!

[Anonymous]

I rent a spot 3 every year, like others have said it gives good peace of mind to your spouse/loved ones. I tried to save the 6oz this year and asked my wife if I could not bring it this year, that went over like a lead balloon lol. I think it provides a fun positive for my young daughter also to pull up my tracking information and look at the map online to see where daddy is and have my wife explain it to her. The custom message setup is kinda cool too, rather than just the "ok" predefined message. Anyway, the long and short of it is, if it makes my family feel better, I feel better.

[Valerie E]

I'm leaving shortly for the CT; I'll be hiking the first 300 miles solo, with my husband joining me for the rest. Since the CT is not nearly as popular as the AT/PCT/JMT, I anticipate long stretches (away from trailheads) without seeing anyone. I decided on the InReach because it enables 2-way communication (either with your husband, or with First Responders). I think it will be reliable.

That said, having done the JMT last year, I found it "crowded". The only day we didn't meet people was when we skipped VVR: the official JMT between the 2 VVR cut-offs was totally deserted! Other than that, you'll be meeting people all day, every day (they're hard to avoid). In that sense, the JMT doesn't feel like "wilderness". Please stress this latter point to your husband — I'm sure it will make him feel better. Have a great hike!

(Edited to add — I only mentioned the crowds on the JMT so OP's husband could worry less about her being on her own — I was not implying that she shouldn't carry a PLB; quite the contrary, I recommended InReach so that she could text with her husband, and because the studies have found it to be reliable.)

[Jenny A]

I am also a female that hikes alone most of the time. I have both a PLB and a Delorme Explorer. Have never used the PLB for an emergency and only carry the Delorme when I am gone for extended periods and get lonely and want to shoot a text to someone. (The backcountry in Yellowstone N.P. is w-a-a-y less crowded than most anywhere in Colorado!)

That being said, I carry one or the other of the devices mostly for peace of mind for folks at home, though the Explorer was extremely handy for scheduling resupplies on the CT last year. Usually, I just shoot a text or make a cell call every few days if/when service is available. The odds of you needing to activate an emergency device are very low. I think they have potential to cause more of a problem if for some reason tracking gets messed up or a regularly scheduled contact doesn't make it through, then folks at home worry needlessly. You want to be very clear about what people should do if they do not hear from you.

In rereading the OP's initial comments, she states that a PLB/SEND would make her less reliant on other people should she have trouble. I might suggest that since a PLB only gets activated in a life-threatening emergency, she is very much relying on others' help in that instance! These devices actually make you more dependent on the help of others, not that that is a bad thing. If you need help, most people are going to be happy to help you.

[Bean]

The InReach isn't as good at summoning help (weaker signal) but it would provide tracking information to rescuers if I didn't exit the trail head when I was supposed to. The InReach also provides a method to communicate if I'm delayed by weather or some other factor. However, if it malfunctions or the batteries go dead, will it cause my husband unnecessary worry and possibly an unwanted rescue attempt?

I got the inReach not too long ago, but bought it mainly as a 2-way satellite texting device. Wouldn't of bought a PLB or a Spot, because if I ever needed help, I want to be able to talk to people. Especially if weather was maybe going to stop them from being able to get to me.

For the JMT, if your inReach malfunctions, have a plan so that your husband will give you enough time to reasonably hike out of where you are to contact him in another way. As others have said, there is plenty of help out there. So, it's more of a psychological thing for him than it is any sort of necessity.

Batteries… I only turn my inReach on twice a day, or maybe 3 times. Mainly just when I start in the morning, telling everybody where I'm headed and at night telling everybody where I ended up. Sometimes if I make a drastic change in my plans, I may power it up to let people know. Haven't been able to test it, but I'd imagine if done carefully enough, on a full charge it could operate for a month like that.

Bonus for me, is when living in an earthquake zone, it's nice to have if my area lost cell coverage and I wanted to let my parents know we were ok.

[J R]

There may be traffic on the trail, but are you literally going to stick to the trail all the time? I don't. That ridge over there probably has a good view, I think I can scale that dome, looks like a beach on the other side of that lake, I'm going to try to find a ledge above the canyon floor to camp on, just a little further out on that overlook, etc. You can get hurt somewhere close to the trail and not be stumbled upon easily by others.

I always carry either a PLB or satcom device, just in case, I think it's prudent. But wherever one comes down on the issue I would suggest that there being other people on the trail is not a real justification for going without.

[Kate Anthony]

Jenny A – Thanks for the input. I always leave a detailed plan of where I'm going, when I will arrive and who to contact if I don't arrive when I'm supposed to. My comments about relying on others to help was not to imply that others would not be happy to help, it was coming from the mindset that I am responsible for my safety and can't count on someone seeing me if I fall down a ravine, get washed downstream during a river crossing, or get hurt off trail. These are not likely scenarios on the JMT but are reasonable in the other parts of the foothills and Sierras where I have hiked. I really appreciate all of the SAR folks and what they do and hope I never have to use them because I made a bad decision.

[Kate Anthony]

You are right JR. That was exactly what I was thinking when I said I didn't want to rely on others to help because they may not hear my whistle or be able to find me.

[Larry De La Briandais]

I also have a spot and when I went on my first solo trip to Yosemite my wife insisted that I carry it. I got it activated just for that trip. She did not like my going by myself as I have never done that before. It was also winter and I had never backpacked in winter either. I was confident that I could easily handle the conditions, she not so much.

Getting many, "I'm okay" messages and being able to see where I was on a map certainly helped ease her mind. It also helped her know when I was likely to be heading home. I stressed that all the signals do not go through and not getting a message meant nothing. I sent enough so that she got enough. I also pointed out that a "911" call could easily be for someone else.

I wouldn't have activated it and taken it if my wife didn't want me to. But, it was simple to do and well worth giving my wife some peace of mind.

I also borrowed a spot (the same on actually) on my first backpacking trip to Yosemite. My wife went with me and a buddy of mine suggested I take it. His wife later told me that he had a blast watching my progress once I turned on the "tracking" feature. These devices really are for the ones "left behind". :^)

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