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RE: Rethinking a Personal Survival Kit
One more thing about beacons. Apparently there's a new kind of Beacon called a SPOT that allows you to send short text messages with a location ping. That message goes to a website and I think emailed to people you nominate. It also has a distress mode. I think you have to pay a subscription fee.
Our rescue services don't yet recommend these devices over a SPOT. Though any beacon is better than no beacon.
I think the solution for me is to stick with group hikes in well marked areas. It would be unwise to rely on a beacon at this point, it would be a false sense of security and a disservice to whoever has to come rescue my dumbass, lol. It would be better for me to build skill and confidence in a safe/controlled way. I would be irresponsible to get myself into trouble on a whim to face my fear. Better to prove to myself that I'm committed by learning how not to get lost, then decide to look into beacons before testing myself. I'd feel ridiculous setting the thing off 100 yards from the road.
My approach too. I don't want to burden anybody either.