SPOT Satellite Messenger

I've said in the past that like any good blogger who's spends their fair share of time outdoors I would throw up a post on pieces of gear I own that impress me so I figured I'd start with the SPOT Satellite Messenger.





I dropped the $170 for this device because 1) it was a lot cheaper than most other Personal Locating Beacons (PLB) 2) It offered check-in, tracking, and help features on top of standard 911/rescue features (unlike any other PLB on the market) and 3) I spend so much time out in the wilds by myself that I figured it was good insurance for myself and that of the minds of my friends and parents. It proved fairly accurate (which I had hoped for the price I paid) but the most impressive thing I found about it was when I tried the Check In/I'm Ok feature of the device it actually captured a satellite down here which I believe to be out of it's coverage area.:



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So for $170 (plus $99 for the annual subscription and $7 for worldwide rescue insurance) I thought it was well worth the money for a little piece of mind that will cover your ass most of the world over...