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If you love hiking, camping, and being outdoors in the great outdoors, a smartphone is convenient to take with you for making calls, texting, and tracking your location. That’s if the one you’re using can connect in the middle of nowhere. Even though phone services are getting stronger, if you’re truly off-grid, a phone won’t always do the trick. There are a few options you can turn to if you’re planning a camping trip that can make all the difference in an emergency.
Two such gadgets are personal locator beacons (PLBs) and satellite messengers. PLBs are portable devices capable of transmitting a distress signal to a satellite which is then sent to search and rescue agencies. Whereas satellite messengers offer the same functionality, but also include the ability to send SMS and your GPS location, much like on your smartphone. If you want an emergency device with a stronger signal in case you get lost, a PLB may be the best solution, while a satellite messenger comes with more features.
Both offer the ability to track you if you get lost or injured on a trail or if you can’t find your way back to your tent or car, for example. If you’re at the campsite and your car breaks down without phone service, you can activate the device.
When to use a PLB
When planning a camping or hiking trip, whether it’s local or deep in the woods, a PLB is a great tool to have with you. It is best suited for life-threatening emergency situations, such as if you are injured while hiking. You can carry it with you in a pocket or bag, and it has a function to simply find your location. They provide peace of mind to you and those who care about your safety if you travel alone.
PLBs act as a one-way communications device that sends your location to rescue teams. Once you activate it, an emergency signal is broadcast for up to 24 hours. If you are in the United States, this signal is sent to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), but any 406 MHz PLB can broadcast worldwide to all 36 participating countries. Emergency services are called to your last ping location and dispatched to find you. It is not necessary to subscribe to a service to use it, but PLBs must be registered beforehand. You will need to replace the battery if you activate the PLB in an emergency.
A good example of a PLB is the ResQLink 400 Personal Locator Beacon, priced between $400 and $460. It’s designed for outdoor adventurers, with GPS support, five years of battery life, and 24 hours of battery life. This means that once activated, it will send your location for a full day. If you can wait at your campsite, you may be able to get internet using Starlink Mini as a satellite internet antenna.
When to use satellite messengers
Satellite messengers are lightweight devices that track your location via GPS. You can mark various locations during your trip so search and rescue teams or family and friends can see which direction you were traveling and where you were last located. They are best designed for longer cross-country tours or multi-day tours for backpacking, backpacking and camping where cell service is limited or not accessible at all. Or if you want to notify friends and family of your location and trip, satellite messaging is the best option.
Like PLBs, once activated, a signal is broadcast and can be picked up by an emergency dispatch center. However, unlike PLBs, satellite messengers provide two-way communication between the user and the dispatch team. Once a team is dispatched to the location, they can communicate with the user and let them know the essential details. Their operation is similar to that of iPhone satellite messaging during the North Carolina floods.
The Garmin inReach is a good satellite messenger. Priced around $300, it’s a cheaper option than a PLB. But its use, as well as other satellite messengers, requires a subscription, with prices varying by product. It is always best to do thorough research to find the best brand for your personal needs.
