Calling for help on the Appalachian Trail (Hiking tips Pt. 38)
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- If we face an emergency on the AT or in any wilderness setting, will our electronic devices work when we need to call for help? And if they do, can the responders find us?
Flatbroke's video 'Gettling lost is dangerous as hell' -
• Getting lost is danger...
The Guthook apps -
www.guthookhike...
The Halfmile apps -
www.pctmap.net...
www.pctmap.net...
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"Practice self-reliance"--great suggestion ... Really great issues for thought in this video.
Your channel's looking good! Keep up the good work and thanks again for watching!
FlatBroke - you always provide sage advice, and as always, that 'radio voice' is always nice to listen to! Keep talking.
Your support is much appreciated, sir! Thanks again for being a viewer!
Excellent guidance throughout. Never rely on an electronic/electric device without an analog backup -- batteries will inevitably fail when you need the device the most. I always taught that in my interviewing and report writing courses -- don't rely on a tape or digital recorder, take written notes too. That was just to protect the person's job/career, let alone the person's life should they get lost or hurt in the wilderness.
I love the warnings you gave on using digital recorders during interviews - I did the same thing. In the days of mini cassettes they were particularly unreliable. I also have had fancy (and heavily used) SLR digital cameras fail on me at the worst times - I would have been quite screwed if I didn't carry a point and shoot as a spare. And thanks again for watching!
flatbrokeoutside Wish I could still afford to shoot film with my all-manual SLRs. Ahh, the good ol' days.
Your advice is very good and presented in a way that makes me think I already knew it, though I didn't. A point to consider is that although everything we need is in our pack, if you get separated from your pack, you could be in serious trouble. It's a good idea to have your water, some food and a signalling device attached to your body and not just to your pack.
You make an excellent point! As I have said in another video or two, I always wear a fanny pack while backpacking. It contains my phone, cigarette lighter, map and compass, whatever snacks I plan to eat, headlamp, pocket knife, some toilet paper, bandaid or two, ibuprofen, immodium and a few other odds and ends. It also has a pocket for a small water bottle. If I leave my pack or tent to get water or go the privy or whatever, I always have the fanny pack with me. And thanks again for watching!
Adventure usually implies risk, and when many people take risks, some lose. Adventurers should be ready to help themselves, not whine for help in adversity. Orienteering is easy to learn, and a map and compass are the basic tools. A GPS helps. but the sun, stars, and moon give us the same directions. First aid, gear repair, and problem solving in general are part of outdoors fun, and with RUclips, they are readily available.
Thanks for another informative, interesting video.
You make excellent points, as always! And thanks again for watching!
Great job as usual! Was wondering where you were. Grandfather told me 60 yrs ago Only a fool goes into the woods unprepared.
Grandpa was right! I've been dealing with medical issues from a car crash I was in - Time consuming stuff. It has reduced the time I can spend on videos. And thanks again for watching!
I've owned & used the Spot (ver 1 & 2) for many years. I've had to use the SOS button in 2011 (in NZ). It worked. In 2013, I took it on my AT thru-hike. Worked fine until the batteries got low. I sent out my nightly 'OK' msg that didn't go out. When I found out that it wasn't working, I changed the batteries & it worked again. Now, I use the DeLorme Inreach. I like the 2-way communication function. I also know that the signal went out. All things being equal, I'd give the nod to the DeLorme Inreach.
Thanks for sharing your experience and thanks for watching!
true story about the Spot device that happened on this past Memorial Day. A fellow thru-hiking the AT (Bigfoot of "Follow Bigfoot") reached into his pack and somehow managed to press the help button on the spot device. He was unaware of it until he was almost to (or possibly on) the bridge over the James river. He said he passed the EMT guys heading south while he was walking north. After a bit, they caught up with him and asked if he was "such and such" and he said yeah. They told him they'd been looking for him because of his distress signal. He was pretty embarrassed by the incident and chagrined that they had come out on the holiday for a false alarm. I've also heard of others who've had problems with the Spot devices. One guy who reviewed it here on RUclips said that while he was hiking, the device had sent his location updates, but was so delayed in doing so, that he was standing in his living room when the Spot sent a message saying he was still a few miles away from the trail head. I've got a PLB, but haven't registered it yet as I haven't gotten or gone anywhere that is remote enough to need one.
Good for Bigfoot for telling us what happened - we all can learn from cautionary tales. And thanks again for watching!
Being able to inadvertently triggering a distress signal indicates a design flaw. I follow Bigfoot and remember him sharing this story.
If you have a SPOT you would have to wonder how one could push the SOS distress call by mistake, the button is covered and you have to remove the cover to press it.
Great info and points to ponder. Thank you.
And thank you for watching!
I use the Delorme Inreach Explorer. The Delorme Inreach Explorer uses the worldwide Iridium satellite network. Like the Spot Gen3 it is an Eperb. The big difference is that you can two way text any of your contacts in the unit or if bluetooth peered to your cell phone, any of your contacts on your phone. You can two way text with SAR (Search and Rescue) like Flatbrokeoutside said. With the Spot you push the button and wait. I read a story where a person using the Spot was injured. He pushed the help button and the signal never went through. The Delorme also can receive weather forecasts, way points.... The device and service isn't cheap but when the SHTF it's worth it.
Roaming Gnome - Thanks for sharing your experience. Keep hikin' and thanks again for watching!
A good tip I learned from people who spend time on lakes and the ocean is to take a position fix every 15 minutes or so. Carry a paper map and trail guide to do this.
+Appalachian Swede Good advice! Later I'll share some stuff I learned in an orienteering course. And thanks again for watching!
Good stuff. I once got lost deer hunting on 300 acres. It's not a good feeling, ever.
It sure isn't. And thanks again for watching!
GOOD VID . i only add , green tree leaves tend to block cell signals . as road service technician , have seen where i have full signal and move few feet NO signal and trees the difference . also traveling on road one can see difference often . thanx , bud
Interesting point about leaves. I had never noticed. Thanks for sharing and thanks again for watching!
Electronics are nice but they call the 10 Essentials the 10 Essentials for a good reason. They are not useful if a person does not have a working knowledge of each of them , especially #1. . The New updated list.
1. Navigation (map and compass)
2.Sun protection (sunglasses and sunscreen)
3.Insulation (extra clothing)
4.Illumination (headlamp/flashlight)
5.First-aid supplies
6.Fire (waterproof matches/lighter/candles)
7.Repair kit and tools
8.Nutrition (extra food)
9.Hydration (extra water)
10.Emergency shelter
Thanks for sharing and thanks again for being a viewer!
it is sad that so many people head out without a clue.
I've learned a few things the hard way myself. And thanks again for watching!
Really great videos and information.
One thing you have to look at also is the number of reviews in addition to the stars.
Amazon reviews are pretty good, but they are not like Consumer Reports reviews where they are coherent logical factual based.
Each Amazon review is the reviewer's own little channel to communicate with the world in his own way and his own language.
A lot of reviews are not even for the product, but often turn out to be about the seller.
Then there are the reviews by the clueless.
There are also reviews by people who get something and give it a review without really using it, testing it or seeing how it lasts over time.
People can get so excited to get a product that they want that they give it 5 stars and then when it breaks or doesn't do something they need they forget to come back and correct the review.
Of course in addition there are people who often shill for a certain company, or have it in for a certain company.
I find that I have to look a the reviews. I always hope to find a product with a lot of reviews and then look at the distribution profile. The best products have an overwhelming number of 5 - 4 reviews. Then I pick through through the 1 reviews. You can often find a responsible person who has found a real problem and can describe it and prove it in a way you can understand easily. Most often those voices will be echoed by others, or subseqent comments will back them up.
All in all I love the Amazon review, but you do have to take them for what they are.
Thanks for all the great videos.
You make good points. And thanks again for watching!
Thanks for making such informative interesting videos.
SOS is 3 short, 3 long, 3 short (text shows this correctly) -- PS, I am a ham operator and morse code enthusiast, license KT1R in Maine -- thanks for the great video as always!
dit dit dit daaah daaah daaah dit dit dit
I built a receiver when I was a kid and used to listen to some high-speed shortwave Morse. Do people still transmit with it, and as fast as they used to? And thanks for watching!
Morse code is more popular today than it was 30 years ago. It's no longer included into license exams for any category.
I always bring a relatively small HF transceiver with me when we hike or simply go camping. A small wire antenna is small enough to fit into my pants pocket. It weighs very little and covers 3 major bands (10,20,40 meters).
I can easily communicate from anywhere without using any repeaters, cellphone or any other modern infrastructure. I can routinely talk to other hams in Europe, South America or even further, while sitting in my tent in the middle of nowhere.
Pretty cool. And thanks for watching!
Ray_Biker Me too! Ham rigs get pretty small now too. The ATspint kit fits in an altoids tin and can run a couple watts out with a 9 volt battery. De n5vwn Yahoo's ATsprint group founder. www.lnrprecision.com sells these and more. Great fun that could save your life. Just like that 'cracker jack compass. Gotta get that ham license though.
Nice video. I have the second spot messenger. It seems to work well, thought I have only sent "OK" pings they all got through.
Thanks for sharing your experience and thanks for watching!
FYI: Key factors are always; "The Prepared Mind is the Master of one's destiny".
Thank you Sir for posting this video. Insurance is like make up on a Fat chick, Just a waste of make up.
Hope you are laughing, that's my only point. Make it a great day.
Thanks for watching!
I'm curious, in of course states that it's legal what is your take on hikers carrying a concealed weapon and is it allowed by the park service's?
If we carry concealed on the AT, I would keep it concealed 100% of the time. As a matter of courtesy to other hikers if for no other reason. I believe the Smokey Mt National Park website says they follow the same laws as the rest of the state. I once saw a day hiker open carrying in Shenandoah National Park. Grayson Highland in Virginia and Baxter in Maine are state parks - check their websites. Also, last time I checked New Jersey is big trouble if we are from another state and conceal carry there.
A PLB is like a junior EPRIB. Both are strictly rescue beacons, panic buttons that directly alert government SAR systems. A PLB has a five yesr battery life and can broadcsat for more thsn 24 hours once triggered. An EPIRB goes 48 hours. These are very specific devices and the use of one NOT in an emergency csn result in significant penalties. Inconvenience is not emergency.
SPOT and InReach use private satellites, private monitors, private subscription plans, and offer many more services, but at higher costs. Would you buy a 3d plasma tv and a cable contract if you only needed a transistor radio? Horses for courses, my friend. Homework needs to be done, by anyone planning to buy a box of magic. Unlike Mickey Mouse enchanting mops.(g)
Typos, my bad. Sorry.
I think the Morse Coding for S and O is
S = . . .
O = - - -
short-short-short long-long-long short-short-short
Yes! Thanks. I'll annotate it. (Good thing you were watching!)
Unfortunately, not even the Coast Guard uses Morse Code any more. Other than Boy Scouts and radio Hams, don't expect anyone to understand Morse code. For that matter, signal flares usually get a happy wave, more often than help being sent,
I agree that unless a search party is looking for us, we are unlikely to get any reaction that we would want.
Who comprises a search party? How many would recognize an SOS in morse code? I can read and send at over 25 words per minute, but I am an outdated old man. Clever, modern, young people can't read Morse code at all.
The context to which I referred is when some type of government-employed or government-sanctioned agency says a search is underway, eg., those searches identified as such by the National Park Service. For sure, the layman is unlikely to recognize Morse Code. But for members of those types of searches identified by the NPS, any visual or auditory clue could make a difference - in particular, when we consider news stories of those who die despite the launching of said government-sanctioned searches.
Shaking my head. Any hike (ANY) you should have basic survival equipment. Shelter, water (filter), food, heat source, a compass and topo map. Just sayin.
I hear ya - Better over-prepared than under. And thanks for watching!