Communicating from the backcountry for non-emergency reasons is a real challenge. Heck, that is an understatement. More to the point, unless you have a satellite telephone, very often one is simply cut off from the frontcountry world. Yes, of course, cellular coverage in remote settings has vastly grown in the last ten years, but it is still limited, and it is worse for those (like me) who use smartphones. However, thanks to a new generation of Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) this is beginning to change. Historically, PLBs have been used solely for emergencies. They are designed so that in case of an emergency, no matter how remote the location, one can signal for assistance with just a click of a button. Not all products are created equally, though, as some of the more popular ones have technical limitations, thus giving a false sense of security. Arguably the best and most dependable […]
Read more →Earlier today, my friend and fellow outdoors instructor, Derek “The Deuce” Tirado forwarded to me a newspaper article published today in the Canadian Herald Sun. You can find below the story in its entirety. As a heads up, I think that you will find it a gripping account since it plainly illustrates the extreme ends to which one must sometimes go to survive. And, of course, because it underscores one particular life lesson: It is better to potentially be judged by twelve than definitely carried by six. Read on … Lost Camper’s Smoke Signals Accidentally Start Massive Island Fire CANADIAN tourist who broke his foot while camping alone on a remote island in Norway has been rescued after sending out smoke signals – but the fire he started then engulfed a large part of the island. The 25-year-old man, who has not been identified by authorities, spent three days on […]
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