Satellite Phones: Anybody have one?

[NetDep]

Like the saying goes - "One is none, two is one and three's a spare!".....never more true when it comes to something your life depends on. Hoping it never happens never prevents it and although you would hate to find yourself down a ten foot ravine with a broken leg - it would be nice to reach over and push the "911" on the SPOT, reach in your pack pull out some water and a ration bar, splint your leg as best you can and ready your orange smoke for the arrival of the chopper!!....travel safe!!!

[deleted]

I wish I'd been able to text but thanks to the link to the coverage maps working on it shared it's clear to me why I was unable to do anything. I couldn't text, talk on the phone, use my phone's web browser or run Google Maps. The upper left corner just said "No Signal" and that was that.

Thanks on the trailer compliments Slow. Fred did an outstanding job bringing my vision to life.

[deleted]

NetDep you're preaching to the choir I guess my caution in this area is a result of past experiences. Just recently I fell on a hiking trail and got a nasty bruise but it has occurred to me sometimes when I'm out shooting pictures that if I fell and broke my leg or got bit by a rattlesnake I'd pretty much be screwed if I was in a location with no phone coverage.

When it comes to crazy situations I've been in several. Here is the worst unique adventure I've survived in the past. A satellite phone would have come in really handy that day and possibly could have save me from becoming hypothermic and getting really sick after we were rescued: http://theflirtyguide.blogspot.com/2011/04/colorado-vacation-horror-story-i-fell.html

[NetDep]

Stacie - WOW!! That is quite the harrowing story -- that was a close call to be sure!!! I can see the reason for caution and applaud your solid decision making, both then and now!!

Oh. like eagles - me too!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/netdep/set ... 705428469/

Travel Safe!!

[Rainier70]

Another option: I carry a personal locator beacon (PLB) It is similar to the SPOT system in some ways. It is a dire/deadly emergency beacon. It only beams by sat. to search and rescue. There are no yearly subscriptions and there is no sending "okay messages" or just asking for help from family. Every two years or so I fill out a registration with NOAA.gov

http://www.rei.com/search?query=plb


I have a McMurdo Fast Find

[deleted]

Thanks for that tip Rainier70. If I ever do get into going to remote places on my own that's definitely something I'd want. I'll also recommend them to friends who go to remote locations.

NetDep even though I'm taking my own thread off topic I have to say thank you for sharing your eagle pictures! To be able to go somewhere and be there all day capturing moments... I love that. Here in Northern, CA I go to the more populated nature reserves to photograph birds. Colusa is my favorite. We did see a pair of Golden Eagles once in Colusa County, not at the reserve. They were gorgeous and huge and were scaring the burrowing owls we'd stumbled upon.

[nevadatear]

Yes, in Nevada, except along most og I 80, cell coverage sucketh. And yes, Verizon does offer best coverage from what we have found in actual practice.

[Backroads4me]

Stacie, while I now camp with Bob,----health concerns and a prior, potentially fatal incident I suffered has made us look at our telecommunications liabilities. We now make sure both our cell phones are fully charged, and operational in the areas we want to camp, have chargers in both tow vehicle and TD, take a list of the camping area's local emergency phone numbers with us (may not have access to a local phone book and our phones are just plain phones, nothing fancy). Had I been traveling alone, without being able to immediately summon help (luckily I was with Bob and in my condition I wouldn't have been able to drive), or had we been camping out in the boonies without a phone----the docs told me I would have died, plain and simple.

I've experienced two amazing, "kindness of others" incidents while traveling out west (vehicle troubles, while traveling with an old boyfriend)---I've also had a frightening experience 30 years ago, while pulling a UHaul trailer on my way from Wisconsin to southern Utah. On I-80, somewhere after getting through Laramie, Wyoming, some goof drives alongside me, waving-- then gets behind me and follows me for miles. Disappears, then shows up again doing the same thing. Time and time again. Having just gotten out of the military, equipped with a CB radio, staying close to truckers and "packing heat" (which was placed within arms reach and most likely as illegal as hell if I got pulled over by the cops), I wasn't too overly concerned---just ignored him. By the time I stopped west of Rock Springs, at the "Little America" truck plaza, I hadn't seen the goof for a long time. Now the really scary part---I park my rig on the edge of the lot and as I was walking in, he appears out of nowhere and drives up alongside with "Hey, little lady, you moving out west?" I kept walking, and hurled every swear word I knew, (and some in different languages I picked up in the military). Told him in no uncertain terms to leave me the *#@*%& hell alone. Then hid out in Little America for an hour. Didn't occur to me to call the cops, which I should have, as years later I heard that a young lady was found dead in the Little America area and maybe it was that guy who killed her???? Anyway, I didn't see him again after that, but kept close to truckers in case I had to CB someone.

Something else to consider----do you have a mirror big enough to flash at aircraft and know the S.O.S. signal. Believe me, even the high flying airliners (at least out west) may take notice if it catches their eye. Case in point, St. George, Utah-----my nephew and his boy scout group were up in the mountains above the valley St. George sits in and while they were up there (and without the scout leader's knowledge), started playing around with their camping mirrors and signaling their friends (apparently at an appointed time) to their buddies down in the valley. I remember looking up and seeing a flash come from the mountains, but was preoccupied with something and didn't think much of it. Lots of people camp or hunt up there and you may see an occasional flash off metal, etc. Anyways, a flight heading for Las Vegas saw what they thought were distress signals, contacted the local small airport, who contacted the authorities, who sent out a rescue party -----at which point there was "splaining to do", and hell to pay.

Being an attractive, young lady, traveling alone, of course you know you may garner unwanted interest from those who are creepy. Having the proper telecommunications is the smart thing to do but (Don't answer here if you don't feel comfortable doing so), but have you considered "packing heat" and getting a concealed carry permit?

[deleted]

Deb thanks so much for all of these insights.

Really glad you were able to get the medical help you needed when you needed it.

I've never owned or shot a fire arm before but some of my friends and family members have and enjoy shooting at a local gun range so perhaps it's time to consider learning more about them.

And the mirror SOS idea. Wow. I'd never have thought a plane would send in a distress call. Definitely great information if I ever get into serious boon docking or hiking alone.

The creepy guy on I-80 does make me want to get a CB/Ham Radio so if that ever happens I could alert nearby truckers if I felt I was in danger.

I'm going to have a lot of reading to do to thoroughly understand each option suggested in this thread and create a good fall back plan that suits my needs. Thanks again to everyone who has left a comment. You've all given me so many more options than I realized were available when I started this thread.

[Shadow Catcher]

I commend you for wanting to be out on your own.
If we do serious boondocking out west I will be looking at a PLB personal locator beacon. SPOT does not have a particularly good reputation and there are other sources check out http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ ... acons.html
REI rents sat phones btw.

[deleted]

SOS mirror not smoke signals. They're completely different things. And I appreciated the suggestion especially since it's been proven to work. I'm sure it's too extreme a solution for on the side of the interstate but since the thread has also evolved to include boondocking and hiking to shoot nature and wildlife photography it's a good suggestion. If it's not one you find useful please just ignore rather than mock it.

Thanks Shadow Catcher! I didn't know REI rents satellite phones. I'll definitely do more research on rentals and the SPOT system.

[warnmar10]

...

I've never owned or shot a fire arm before but some of my friends and family members have and enjoy shooting at a local gun range so perhaps it's time to consider learning more about them.

...

Cogito ergo armatus.

[bdosborn]

Cogito ergo armatus.

Occidere me tu, Smalls

Bruce

[deleted]

Impressive guys, latin and on topic.

[Backroads4me]

really? flash your mirror for smoke singnals???????????????????????????????????? I mean comon guys. lets get real here!

slow

Slow, I would have thought a rancher, like yourself, being in an outdoor environment, around livestock and wildlife, large farming machinery and a myriad of potential occupational hazards, could appreciate the usefulness of "old fashioned" technology. Granted, the old fashioned kind may be unnecessary or silly when you're standing in the middle of civilization. BUT what if (while out in the boondocks--or a worst case scenerio) it gets broken, the system is down, or gosh forbid the darn batteries have run down???

Anyway, here's a useful link detailing the use of signaling mirrors (and it has handy Morse Code info. too!).

http://www.adventuresportsonline.com/signal.htm