- Time of past OR future Camino
- Most years since 2012
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It's not hard, but not necessarily intuitive. This may help: https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/28/20936113/apple-watch-emergency-sos-fall-detection-set-up-how-toI guess I should devote an afternoon to finding out how to use it.
I have an apple watch with fall detection that I learned of before my intended 2020 Camino so I had a couple of years to get familiar with it before my actual 2022 Camino. Having it is always a comfort for my son, who lives several states away and for myself as a single person.Thanks @C clearly. A nicely presented and interesting piece.
It is something I have thought of quite seriously at times. My choice is generally for the "roads less travelled" and while I enjoy company I am usually walking by myself.
A couple of specific times I have acknowledged at least to myself that if I fell and broke a leg I would find it very hard to make contact with anyone, without a mobile signal. Of course as time goes by, mobile signals continue to spread but they are not everywhere by any means. And in a weak moment, when falling, I suppose I could lose my phone (especially as it is likely in the kind of place where I am reliant on GPX guidance and have it in my hand) and see it hurtle down a mountainside.
Specifically on some stages of the Baztan route in French-Spanish Basque country there are some 'lonely places.'
And very definitely a few days while walking the Via Egnatia along the road towards Jerusalem. There are hair-raising places in the mountains in Albania, specifically between Mirakë and Dardhë (I mean hair-raising for an average hiker - maybe not for an experienced mountaineer) and then in North Macedonia especially between Ohrid and Resen.
I think it is good to at least recognise and admit this to oneself. Strictly speaking I have no dependants. If something very serious were to befall me it would be wrong to say "I never thought it could happen" but it would not in any practical way be the end of anyone else's world. I have discussed this before on the forum. And I have revealed that I usually have secreted away in my pack, separate from routine barras energeticas, cheap chocolate and nuts, some superior chocolate - to make a comforting last meal.
I have a new Apple Watch (other brands are available) and it is a bit 'anxious'. If I wear it in the shower it tells me I am endangering my hearing with too loud noises. And once or twice if I make an animated gesture with my hands it tells me that it suspects I have had a fall.
However, more seriously it does have fall and crash detection and can make an SOS call to a satellite if I am out of range of wifi or phone signal.
I guess I should devote an afternoon to finding out how to use it.
Has anyone had any experience with it? Or other similar devices?
I should add that none of this has ever caused me to lose any sleep.
I have a Fitbit with a mind of its own. My better half has an Apple with the Snoopy face on it which is hours of endless glee and I have been tempted to get one just to have a little companion for those lonely slightly dangerous roads that you mention that I think & don’t think about sometimes.Has anyone had any experience with it? Or other similar devices?
So easily done, witness the young lad, Jay Slater, who last set off to walk back to his resort hotel in Tenerife - no water and a dying phone battery and the 70 year old Briton who was lost and found dead in the western Pyrenees at the end of June.Here is an interesting article from the BBC website that is a good safety reminder for people who venture into unpopulated areas.
Let me emphasize right away that there is not much applicability to the Camino Frances or other popular routes. However, all of us who have walked routes where other people might not be seen for days, have probably experienced a few moments when we thought "Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't be here alone and without communication. I must walk very very carefully!"
The article highlights some sensible precautions that can be taken.
I had no problem at all recharging the watch and the phone. I stayed mostly in albergues, too.I have been thinking about an Apple Watch but the thought of having to carry a charger and having to recharge every day on the road discouraged me buying one. I still use FitBit because it requires recharging every two to three weeks. How do Apple Watch wearers do on the Camino? Recharge every night along with your phone? No problems of doing it every night?
To simply answer your question, I wore it for the first time on Camino Ignaciano last November. No problem. And it charges very quickly (under an hour). It has a "unique" charger on the watch end of the lead but the other end fits into a normal USB-C plug.I have been thinking about an Apple Watch but the thought of having to carry a charger and having to recharge every day on the road discouraged me buying one. I still use FitBit because it requires recharging every two to three weeks. How do Apple Watch wearers do on the Camino? Recharge every night along with your phone? No problems of doing it every night?
owever, all of us who have walked routes where other people might not be seen for days, have probably experienced a few moments when we thought "Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't be here alone and without communication. I must walk very very carefully!"
When @C clearly and I were on the Lana last year, there were several spots where she (Movistar) had service and I (Vodafone) did not. Ender tells me that Movistar has better overall coverage. In a true emergency, that won’t matter because when you dial 112, you will connect with any network that is available.I have walked on some less traveled routes and I do not ever remember not having a signal
I had no problem at all recharging the watch and the phone. I stayed mostly in albergues, too.
Yes!When I do remote hikes, I just carry a PLB - as do many experienced and all sensible back country hikers. It operates by satellite so no need for a phone signal. Definitely not needed on the French Camino!
I know someone who had a serious fall while wearing an Apple watch (walking in his neighborhood near home). The watch asked if he had a fall & if he needed help. He clicked "yes" for help. Ambulance arrived and had him at the emergency room before his wife (back at home) knew there was a problem! Newer versions of the watch will also inform your emergency contact of the situation after calling for medical help.Thanks @C clearly. A nicely presented and interesting piece.
It is something I have thought of quite seriously at times. My choice is generally for the "roads less travelled" and while I enjoy company I am usually walking by myself.
A couple of specific times I have acknowledged at least to myself that if I fell and broke a leg I would find it very hard to make contact with anyone, without a mobile signal. Of course as time goes by, mobile signals continue to spread but they are not everywhere by any means. And in a weak moment, when falling, I suppose I could lose my phone (especially as it is likely in the kind of place where I am reliant on GPX guidance and have it in my hand) and see it hurtle down a mountainside.
Specifically on some stages of the Baztan route in French-Spanish Basque country there are some 'lonely places.'
And very definitely a few days while walking the Via Egnatia along the road towards Jerusalem. There are hair-raising places in the mountains in Albania, specifically between Mirakë and Dardhë (I mean hair-raising for an average hiker - maybe not for an experienced mountaineer) and then in North Macedonia especially between Ohrid and Resen.
I think it is good to at least recognise and admit this to oneself. Strictly speaking I have no dependants. If something very serious were to befall me it would be wrong to say "I never thought it could happen" but it would not in any practical way be the end of anyone else's world. I have discussed this before on the forum. And I have revealed that I usually have secreted away in my pack, separate from routine barras energeticas, cheap chocolate and nuts, some superior chocolate - to make a comforting last meal.
I have a new Apple Watch (other brands are available) and it is a bit 'anxious'. If I wear it in the shower it tells me I am endangering my hearing with too loud noises. And once or twice if I make an animated gesture with my hands it tells me that it suspects I have had a fall.
However, more seriously it does have fall and crash detection and can make an SOS call to a satellite if I am out of range of wifi or phone signal.
I guess I should devote an afternoon to finding out how to use it.
Has anyone had any experience with it? Or other similar devices?
I should add that none of this has ever caused me to lose any sleep.
... unlike a friend of mine, who clicked "no" and then lay on the sidewalk for hours, waiting to be discovered by a passer-by. Don't lie to your watch!I know someone who had a serious fall while wearing an Apple watch (walking in his neighborhood near home). The watch asked if he had a fall & if he needed help. He clicked "yes" for help.
Great news and they are a great device. However if you are walking in isolated areas, you might not have cellphone connectivity. I'll opt for the PLB and shell out the few hundred dollars for it.I know someone who had a serious fall while wearing an Apple watch (walking in his neighborhood near home). The watch asked if he had a fall & if he needed help. He clicked "yes" for help. Ambulance arrived and had him at the emergency room before his wife (back at home) knew there was a problem! Newer versions of the watch will also inform your emergency contact of the situation after calling for medical help.
So while I can be a little irritated when my watch asks if I have fallen (due to that exhuberant arm swinging), I recognize that wearing one can be extremely valuable!
P.S. I love answering my phone on my Apple watch! No need to root around and search for the phone when it rings.
We also have experience making an emergency call to our son via Apple watch, when we had locked ourselves out of the house!
How heavy/big is it?I carry a personal locator beacon. It costs a few hundred dollars but guarantees that an international help system jumps into life if it is triggered.
How heavy/big is it?
My experience is in Greece but I think it is the same all over Europe where as long as you buy a sim outside of the country it works for ALL carriers From Oz you can buy a 12 gb sim for $32 (based on o2 UK system) - can't be topped up but at that price just buy 2When @C clearly and I were on the Lana last year, there were several spots where she (Movistar) had service and I (Vodafone) did not. Ender tells me that Movistar has better overall coverage. In a true emergency, that won’t matter because when you dial 112, you will connect with any network that is available.
Can't beat a good whistle - they never run out of battery power! I bought my daughters theseAnd yes, I always carry a whistle - I used it to call/ guide the ambos in from the road. I was near a stream, no way they'd have heard me just shouting.
... and in Europe, on mobiles new enough to support Advanced Mobile Location, the phone will send your location to the call centre, even if you haven't enabled location services.Incidentally I suspect most people know this but just in case you don't : when you call emergency services, your phone has two built in overrides.
The first: it will use any available base station, no matter whose network it is. Also, occasionally there is a signal which is too weak to be usable for normal calls, so it's ignored - until there is an emergency.
So even if your phone says it has no available service, try.
2nd/ it will override the automatic shut off for a low battery (which the phones maintain so that they don't lose memory) so short emergency calls can often be made even with a “flat” battery.
True I should have mentioned that. I'm not sure if all of Europe has yet introduced it but they're certainly working on it (EU mandated). However all of the countries that we predominantly walk Caminos in - France, Spain and Portugal - support the system.... and in Europe, on mobiles new enough to support Advanced Mobile Location, the phone will sent your location to the call centre, even if you haven't enabled location services.
I would be cautious about this. It would be worth checking with the local registration authority whether PLB use is permitted in specific countries. It is not uniform across the CEPT. See here: https://cept.org/ecc/topics/maritime/personal-locator-beacons-plbs-usage-in-cept.Hence why in certain circumstances such as the OP, or some of the more remote camino's such as @domigee's Via Lemovicensis/Vézelay way , a PLB is well worth considering.
Doug, you're absolutely correct - I was misusing the term (PLB) and I have updated my post accordingly.I would be cautious about this. It would be worth checking with the local registration authority whether PLB use is permitted in specific countries. It is not uniform across the CEPT. See here: https://cept.org/ecc/topics/maritime/personal-locator-beacons-plbs-usage-in-ce nopt.
In the cases you suggest, France and the UK seem to only permit PLB use in maritime environments. That would not be helpful for those walking.
I checked this before taking my own PLB to Norway this year, and confirmed that using it there, should I have needed to, would not have been a problem.
Last year I walked a Madrid/Salvador/Primitivo/Finisterre-Muxia Camino, so I an no stranger to Frankencaminos. But yours looks a combination it would be a challenge to stitch together.I will walk the Aragones/Madrid/Coastal CP
When I get to Puente la Reina I will hope on a bus to Pamplona then take a train to Madrid. Sahagun to Porto and then back on the camino again. I just look at the travel days as rest days and checking out the scenery some more.Last year I walked a Madrid/Salvador/Primitivo/Finisterre-Muxia Camino, so I an no stranger to Frankencaminos. But yours looks a combination it would be a challenge to stitch together.
This feature has significant limitations. It won’t work if you’re in forest, or in some parts of the world, and you have to pay for it (except the first two years after you activate the watch). Also, the iPhone your watch is paired with is what connects to the satellite, so it has to be exposed to the sky!However, more seriously it does have fall and crash detection and can make an SOS call to a satellite if I am out of range of wifi or phone signal.
Apple watch can’t connect to a satellite. The smallest device capable of sending a SOS signal via satellite is Garmin InReach mini. I bought one, subscribed to Garmin rescue service and feel much safer now when walking in remote areas.However, more seriously it does have fall and crash detection and can make an SOS call to a satellite if I am out of range of wifi or phone signal.
“last meal of chocolate… good planningThanks @C clearly. A nicely presented and interesting piece.
It is something I have thought of quite seriously at times. My choice is generally for the "roads less travelled" and while I enjoy company I am usually walking by myself.
A couple of specific times I have acknowledged at least to myself that if I fell and broke a leg I would find it very hard to make contact with anyone, without a mobile signal. Of course as time goes by, mobile signals continue to spread but they are not everywhere by any means. And in a weak moment, when falling, I suppose I could lose my phone (especially as it is likely in the kind of place where I am reliant on GPX guidance and have it in my hand) and see it hurtle down a mountainside.
Specifically on some stages of the Baztan route in French-Spanish Basque country there are some 'lonely places.'
And very definitely a few days while walking the Via Egnatia along the road towards Jerusalem. There are hair-raising places in the mountains in Albania, specifically between Mirakë and Dardhë (I mean hair-raising for an average hiker - maybe not for an experienced mountaineer) and then in North Macedonia especially between Ohrid and Resen.
I think it is good to at least recognise and admit this to oneself. Strictly speaking I have no dependants. If something very serious were to befall me it would be wrong to say "I never thought it could happen" but it would not in any practical way be the end of anyone else's world. I have discussed this before on the forum. And I have revealed that I usually have secreted away in my pack, separate from routine barras energeticas, cheap chocolate and nuts, some superior chocolate - to make a comforting last meal.
I have a new Apple Watch (other brands are available) and it is a bit 'anxious'. If I wear it in the shower it tells me I am endangering my hearing with too loud noises. And once or twice if I make an animated gesture with my hands it tells me that it suspects I have had a fall.
However, more seriously it does have fall and crash detection and can make an SOS call to a satellite if I am out of range of wifi or phone signal.
I guess I should devote an afternoon to finding out how to use it.
Has anyone had any experience with it? Or other similar devices?
I should add that none of this has ever caused me to lose any sleep.
I don't think this is quite true. My guess is that most of us who walk on less-travelled routes do get Spanish SIM cards. I certainly do. However, occasionally we find ourselves in terrain that can be a bit hazardous and also there are spots where there is no phone reception. Those occasional hazards are what we are talking about.we won’t spend $40 euros on a SIM card that includes a phone number that can be used in case of an emergency.
Shortly before leaving for my Camino last year, I bought an Apple Watch Ultra - longer battery life and quick charging. And also for some of its emergency features which fortunately I never had to use but my husband felt better knowing I would have. Before the Ultra, my regular watch might run low on battery power by the end of my longer training walks, particularly when I was in dead cell areas (it helps battery life to also carry your phone), and I didn't want to run out on the longer Camino stages. The Ultra was great, even on my longest day (25+ miles) I still had plenty of juice at the end; it charged quickly, usually fully charged while I was taking a shower, then charge my phone.I have been thinking about an Apple Watch but the thought of having to carry a charger and having to recharge every day on the road discouraged me buying one. I still use FitBit because it requires recharging every two to three weeks. How do Apple Watch wearers do on the Camino? Recharge every night along with your phone? No problems of doing it every night?
If you phone for Mountain Rescue in the UK - which you can’t do direct, it’s via the 999 control centre who then contact the appropriate MR team - the first thing the team will do is message your mobile ‘phone which will respond to them with your location.For winter hiking in the UK we take a bothy bag for emergency shelter. We haven't used It in an emergency but it's useful to get out of the wind or rain for a rest stop.
We have also used It in a hailstorm and to wait out when the weather closed in and visibility was reduced.
I use the Kapar from Alpkit which comes in various sizes.
What Three Words is also a good app to know and communicate your precise location.
Does anyone know if there is a reasonably priced GPS out there that has an SOS button that will send location in emergency?Here is an interesting article from the BBC website that is a good safety reminder for people who venture into unpopulated areas.
Let me emphasize right away that there is not much applicability to the Camino Frances or other popular routes. However, all of us who have walked routes where other people might not be seen for days, have probably experienced a few moments when we thought "Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't be here alone and without communication. I must walk very very carefully!"
The article highlights some sensible precautions that can be taken.
Garmin in-reach mini 2 is my personal pick following considerable research. €250. Subscription required, but can be taken on a month by month basis.Does anyone know if there is a reasonably priced GPS out there that has an SOS button that will send location in emergency?
Try an online review like this one to get a feel for what's on the marketDoes anyone know if there is a reasonably priced GPS out there that has an SOS button that will send location in emergency?
Does anyone know if there is a reasonably priced GPS out there that has an SOS button that will send location in emergency?
Does anyone know if there is a reasonably priced GPS out there that has an SOS button that will send location in emergency?
Yes, a tragedy that I must admit was on my mind this Summer.As the OP says, it is unlikely to happen on Camino but there is a very sobering story just recently in the news in the UK, Dr Michael Mosley was a famous dietitian, author and TV personality who was on holiday in Greece with his family, "On 5 June 2024, Mosley went missing on the Greek island of Symi while on holiday with his wife. He left St. Nikolas beach to walk to Symi Town, approximately two miles (three kilometres) away, where they were staying. His body was found on 9 June, on the rocky slope outside the wall of a private resort called Agia Marina. It appeared that he had taken the wrong path after leaving the town of Pedi" CCTV footage was later shown of him walking through towns/villages and showing signs of heat distress which suggests heat stroke/dehydration. Two miles and a wrong turn on a route he had walked before, a tragedy that could happen to anyone.
Omg, what a tragic storyEight years ago a woman hiking the Appalachian Trail alone left the trail to relieve herself and couldn't find the trail again. Rather than staying put she sought high ground to send text messages. She left a journal for a month before dying.
Hiker who went missing on Appalachian trail survived 26 days before dying
A journal found with the remains of 66-year-old Geraldine Largay show that she tried in vain to send SOS messages but finally accepted she would dieamp.theguardian.com
You could easily walk from Tiebas to Pamplona.When I get to Puente la Reina I will hope on a bus to Pamplona then take a train to Madrid.
Thank you for your comments. As a newbie I found them very helpful. I talk with my hands and arms waving all over the place. If I got an Apple watch I think it would be ringing emergency services all the time.Thanks @C clearly. A nicely presented and interesting piece.
It is something I have thought of quite seriously at times. My choice is generally for the "roads less travelled" and while I enjoy company I am usually walking by myself.
A couple of specific times I have acknowledged at least to myself that if I fell and broke a leg I would find it very hard to make contact with anyone, without a mobile signal. Of course as time goes by, mobile signals continue to spread but they are not everywhere by any means. And in a weak moment, when falling, I suppose I could lose my phone (especially as it is likely in the kind of place where I am reliant on GPX guidance and have it in my hand) and see it hurtle down a mountainside.
Specifically on some stages of the Baztan route in French-Spanish Basque country there are some 'lonely places.'
And very definitely a few days while walking the Via Egnatia along the road towards Jerusalem. There are hair-raising places in the mountains in Albania, specifically between Mirakë and Dardhë (I mean hair-raising for an average hiker - maybe not for an experienced mountaineer) and then in North Macedonia especially between Ohrid and Resen.
I think it is good to at least recognise and admit this to oneself. Strictly speaking I have no dependants. If something very serious were to befall me it would be wrong to say "I never thought it could happen" but it would not in any practical way be the end of anyone else's world. I have discussed this before on the forum. And I have revealed that I usually have secreted away in my pack, separate from routine barras energeticas, cheap chocolate and nuts, some superior chocolate - to make a comforting last meal.
I have a new Apple Watch (other brands are available) and it is a bit 'anxious'. If I wear it in the shower it tells me I am endangering my hearing with too loud noises. And once or twice if I make an animated gesture with my hands it tells me that it suspects I have had a fall.
However, more seriously it does have fall and crash detection and can make an SOS call to a satellite if I am out of range of wifi or phone signal.
I guess I should devote an afternoon to finding out how to use it.
Has anyone had any experience with it? Or other similar devices?
I should add that none of this has ever caused me to lose any sleep.
I see that someone already mentioned it, but let me tell you about my experience with GPS locators...Does anyone know if there is a reasonably priced GPS out there that has an SOS button that will send location in emergency?
I'm pretty certain I read about a satellite communicator that used a Bluetooth connection to a phone to actually handle it's input. This might save and size, weight and cost. Of course it has its drawbacks too.Does anyone know if there is a reasonably priced GPS out there that has an SOS button that will send location in emergency?
There was a Motorola-branded gadget - the Defy Satellite Link - released last year which allows two-way text messaging by satellite when paired with a smartphone. Unfortunately the company actually producing the thing has gone bust and the company which took over is no longer selling it. Other companies are selling similar gadgets but at a significantly higher price.I'm pretty certain I read about a satellite communicator that used a Bluetooth connection to a phone to actually handle it's input. This might save and size, weight and cost. Of course it has its drawbacks too.
Models names and brands are permitted as long as they do not appear to be advertising - i.e. you are writing about your experience with no commercial interest.. I prefer not to put the name of the specific model that I use unless a moderator tell me it is acceptable,
thank you! Then, it's s SPOT Gen3, like the one in a picture from LenB above.Models names and brands are permitted as long as they do not appear to be advertising - i.e. you are writing about your experience with no commercial interest.
I know. I have a "thing" about doing the whole camino. I may start a camino half way like I will on the CP coastal, but in my weird and warped mind it is ok because I have already walked the CP from Lisbon. Maybe I should get a camino shrink to help me work through my issues!!!!!You could easily walk from Tiebas to Pamplona.
I think that on the main Camino routes in Spain it would be an unnecessary expense. Mobile phone coverage in Spain is very good and spots without a signal of any sort are very rare in my experience. And while the less popular Caminos may see little pilgrim traffic especially in winter the chances are good that help will be on hand soon. I rented a personal locator beacon once for some off-road walking in the Australian outback when I knew that I would be out of mobile phone range but I would not do so on the Caminos in Spain.Please clarify somethings for me:
If you are using the Alert Cops app in Spain would you recommend a separate location device as described above?
I'm predominantly with @Bradypus in this regard, in that for any of the mainstream caminos I would find it completely unnecessary.Please clarify somethings for me:
If you are using the Alert Cops app in Spain would you recommend a separate location device as described above?
If I have family tracking me on “find my” on my apple phone, they would eventually know last whereabouts…?
Finally I also carry an Apple tag & realize you need other Apple tag users nearby that makes this irrelevant in the great outdoors.
Thanks for sharing your expertise, Aymarah
I decided that it was time to learn about AlertCops. This topic has come up many times in the past year or so. I have always had 112 as my go-to Emergency Services contact. I know I will be put in touch with a real person who is the closest to the location shown by my phone, and I am not generally enthralled with having to download another app. But I hear so many good things about the App that I decided it was time to emerge from behind the veil of ignorance.And absolutely, loading the alertcops app is a great idea - I certainly do.
In both those regions the role of the Guardia Civil has been taken over by autonomous local police forces: in Catalunya the Mossos d'Esquadra and in the Pais Vasco it is the Ertzaintza.My comment - I see it is not used in either Catalunya or País Vasco - my guess is that this has something to do with politics and trust of the police, but am not really sure.
Fortunately I have no firsthand experience so I don't know if it's a real person that immediately answers or not. I recall several posts from people that have, hopefully one of them will read the thread and answer. (Edited to add: @Mudcrone for instance).I decided that it was time to learn about AlertCops. This topic has come up many times in the past year or so. I have always had 112 as my go-to Emergency Services contact. I know I will be put in touch with a real person who is the closest to the location shown by my phone, and I am not generally enthralled with having to download another app. But I hear so many good things about the App that I decided it was time to emerge from behind the veil of ignorance.
I started doing some reading online and have a couple of questions and a comment.
My questions
— is this an AI chat or does it put you in contact with a person? (I saw this on the website —
Una vez que has enviado una alerta y se ha habilitado el chat, podrás seleccionar el idioma en el que quieres ser atendido en los botones situados en la parte superior derecha de la ventana del chat — translation - once you send the alert and Chat has been enabled, you can select the language you want to be used on the buttons located on the upper right of the chat window). That seems to me to be a disincentive for use in a real emergency, even if the chat will eventually put you in touch with a real person.
— What is the difference with 112? (My sense is that it would be better to use AlertCops when it is not a true emergency, but I wonder about a true emergency. I really don’t understand how the two overlap, interact, etc).
My comment - I see it is not used in either Catalunya or País Vasco - my guess is that this has something to do with politics and trust of the police, but am not really sure.
I suspect that there are settings for the default language and you can just start using the app and get that. If somewhat else has access to your phone if you are disabled they could use their language instead of yours. That is how I would design it anyway.I started doing some reading online and have a couple of questions [about AlertCops]
Excellent journalism. I will buy a whistle todayHere is an interesting article from the BBC website that is a good safety reminder for people who venture into unpopulated areas.
Let me emphasize right away that there is not much applicability to the Camino Frances or other popular routes. However, all of us who have walked routes where other people might not be seen for days, have probably experienced a few moments when we thought "Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't be here alone and without communication. I must walk very very carefully!"
The article highlights some sensible precautions that can be taken.
However there are many non-urgent situations that happen - from accidents, theft, all the way through to flashers.
AlertCops can be used to report many things to the police that aren't emergencies.
Check your pack's chest strap buckle. Sometimes one is hidden there.Excellent journalism. I will buy a whistle today
I use Garmin InReach Mini 2. Navigation function is limited: no maps, but you may upload your trail and it will show the way on a very small screen. But there is this SOS button - just press and wait for rescuers. Satellite, not cellular connection, of course.Does anyone know if there is a reasonably priced GPS out there that has an SOS button that will send location in emergency?
Thank you!Check your pack's chest strap buckle. Sometimes one is hidden there.
The Garmin device also needs to connect to the satellite, obviously. So it won’t work in forests, caves, buildings. (I’m not guessing; I used one for at least two years. I also noticed that when I used it to send a text message, it took more than fifteen minutes for my friend to receive it.But you need to connect your watch to the iPhone and manipulate the phone to acquire satellite signal. I prefer Garmin's "press the button and wait for rescuers".
However, GPS locator beacons can be set to send your position periodically (every 5 to 60 minutes) to a server accessible by a list of people you specify. That way, if you are unable to press the emergency button, or if the device is out of range of low earth orbit satellites, once alerted because you disappeared for some time, an S&R team will be able to see your last position and usually find you quickly.The Garmin device also needs to connect to the satellite, obviously. So it won’t work in forests, caves, buildings. (I’m not guessing; I used one for at least two years. I also noticed that when I used it to send a text message, it took more than fifteen minutes for my friend to receive it.
How does that work? If you or someone in your contact group raise an alert, what will then stop a search being initiated? Certainly there might be a time limit on searching for you based on an assessment of whether they are undertaking search and rescue or the incident has moved into recovery. If that point has been reached, it is possible all search activity will stop, and any remains will wait to be discovered in whatever state time and other natural processes have left them.Even if they cannot reach you in time, you can save your family and friends the stress of not knowing what happened to you, and save the S&R team the HIGH risks associated with searching [for] you.
As @JustOneGuy says, it narrows the search parameters significantly. It's not that they will not search it's just that they have an extremely good idea as to where to start looking. More often than not the units are still working and so they will have multiple pings from one location - i.e, you.How does that work? If you or someone in your contact group raise an alert, what will then stop a search being initiated? Certainly there might be a time limit on searching for you based on an assessment of whether they are undertaking search and rescue or the incident has moved into recovery. If that point has been reached, it is possible all search activity will stop, and any remains will wait to be discovered in whatever state time and other natural processes have left them.
It seems to me that, if the area of search is identified, any risks associated searching other areas that they might have been looking at if they didn't have the precise location would be eliminated.@Peterexpatkiwi and @JustOneGuy, thank you for your explanations. I accept that reducing the time to find a person's location is a benefit, but I don't see how that will alter the technical difficulty of conducting a rescue that comes from the the circumstances of any specific situation. Things like the nature of any injuries, difficulties accessing the incident site, the need for specialist equipment and techniques, etc do not seem to change. It seems to me that a rescue with high risks will still have the same high risks for the rescue teams involved even if the incident site is identified quicker because a PLB or locater has been triggered.
I was coming at this from a slightly different perspective. To follow your mathematical approach, I would suggest that the two phases of a search and rescue operation are, as the name suggests, first the search and then the rescue. In my post, I accepted that there was a benefit in the search phase in having a more precise indication of where the incident site is. Then one might suggest that if we label the risks during search as Xn, and X1 is the risk if the location is not known, and X2 the risks where location is known, then X2<X1.It seems to me that, if the area of search is identified, any risks associated searching other areas that they might have been looking at if they didn't have the precise location would be eliminated.
Let X be the risks associated with search and recovery where the person with the PLB or locater is.
Let Y be the risks associated with search in other areas that would be searched in the absence of a PLB or locater.
The risks of a search and recovery operation without a PLB or locater = X+Y = Z
Z > X (where Y > 0)
The math seems pretty straightforward that, while a search and rescue operation may still have substantial risks, they are likely to have less risks than one based on less information. The key would be, of course the "where Y > O". If all of the risk is in the rescue and there is zero risk in search, you would be correct.
Sorry Doug, I missed this.@Peterexpatkiwi and @JustOneGuy, thank you for your explanations. I accept that reducing the time to find a person's location is a benefit, but I don't see how that will alter the technical difficulty of conducting a rescue that comes from the the circumstances of any specific situation. Things like the nature of any injuries, difficulties accessing the incident site, the need for specialist equipment and techniques, etc do not seem to change. It seems to me that a rescue with high risks will still have the same high risks for the rescue teams involved even if the incident site is identified quicker because a PLB or locater has been triggered.
That is a good question. What I was thinking was that searches are often conducted with willing volunteers who are able to more quickly cover a search area, but who might not have the necessary technical skills to access a difficult to reach incident site, treat a badly injured person, and then prepare and execute the movement of the individual or individuals that are being rescued to a safe location. Certainly there may be searches where the teams used each have all the specialist training, tools and equipment they need to complete all phases of a search and rescue. I have no idea whether this is a common occurrence.I was not separating the two, and frankly I don't understand why you have.
Thank you. Reading their blurb, it appears that they can provide support to Apple and Android users as well, although it wasn't clear what the communications pathways were they used for this.As far as I remember (things may have changed in the recent years and I only partially checked the following information), the SPOTs GPS Locators make use of the Globalstar Satellites Network, of which the company is a subsidiary.
The alert is collected and relayed to a network of ground antennas. It's then forwarded through the internet to the country branch of "Focus Point International", that inform the local authorities about the position to initiate the SAR.
I do not know about Garmin and Apple.
It's a much better service than SPOT. The main problem with SPOT is that you can't tell them if, for example, your emergency needs immediate attention, or if you can wait but you can't evacuate by yourself.Garmin uses the global Iridium satellite network.
Basically, pressing the SOS button sends a message to Garmin, and they attempt to message you to find out the nature of your emergency. If you do not respond they immediately notify emergency services and give them your GPS coordinates. They also call your emergency contact to advise them of the situation and to see if they have any additional information. (They keep them updated throughout.)
If you are able to respond, they will message you in order to ascertain the appropriate level of response ( eg are you able to self evacuate, do they send in a team, a helicopter, boat, etc.)
You can actually get medical advice from their on call Team to enable you to self help. Apparently a considerable number of the calls they receive are actually on behalf of a third party.
Hopefully I will never have to put their service to the test....
The Garmin/deLorme device does that.However, GPS locator beacons can be set to send your position periodically (every 5 to 60 minutes) to a server accessible by a list of people you specify
That was @JustOneGuy’s pointThe Garmin/deLorme device does that.
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