SPOT 2 protocols with family & friends

[stuey69]

I know some people have pointed to higher subscription costs being a disincentive with Iridium.
But for people like me where cost is a consideration, but not the end of the earth, then I'm happy to embrace an Iridium-based inReach.
Personally I believe Spot 1 and 2 are inferior to inReach.

[colinm]

FWIW, Spot waived the $300. That was sensible.

[Onestepmore]

I love this thread. The whole 'techno-babble' topics' start off with stuff I understand, then it just disintegrates into..........well, techno-babble

Thanks for the suggestions for different SPOT protocols.
Hubby is out walking solo this weekend, now in horrendous rain, to Beloon Pass, in the Nattai Wildeness. At least it's summer. I made him take a tarp as well as a solo tent (and, shock, horror - he has WALKING POLES!) and a long sleeved merino in his pack, but he refused to take a fleece etc, relying on the merino T-shirt he's wearing and goretex jacket, overpants etc (which will be wet through I know).
Only an overnighter, but I will be worried (I am worried already)
He wouldn't take the SPOT, no mobile reception of course.

One point though - for multi-day walks, if you've told those at home not to raise the alarm until 24 hours without a message, or delay in returning, how does this hold up with snakebite? Dunno about people, but plenty of dogs are dead in 20 minutes if they've been bitten by an eastern brown

At least i don't have to worry about snakes this weekend - i think they've all drowned.

[photohiker]

One point though - for multi-day walks, if you've told those at home not to raise the alarm until 24 hours without a message, or delay in returning, how does this hold up with snakebite? Dunno about people, but plenty of dogs are dead in 20 minutes if they've been bitten by an eastern brown

Well, if he has lost his Spot and gets a bite from an eastern brown then he should apply normal first aid and wait for help. Not much else he can do. Even 24 hrs is too long a time unless the bite is pretty minor.

If he still has the Spot, press the SOS button, apply normal first aid and wait for help. Not much else he can do.

[Mark F]

As this thread started out - what happens if you lose your SPOT (unit fails, batteries are stuffed)? the 24 hour time limit rule raises a likely false alarm. That's why my rule is 24 hours after expected return.
@1step
Hubby really should take the SPOT if you are concerned. He could use the plb protocol - that he doesn't use it unless he is calling for assistance - no message all OK. Remember the SPOT has 3 message types that can be used for different types of messages - See my earlier post. This is why I prefer SPOT for my usage - in 50 years of bushwalking (touch wood) I have only been overdue on 2 occasions and never had the need of rescue services but have had a couple occasions to use the SPOT (over 3-4 years) to be picked up from a location other than my original destination.
Snake bite - use the SOS button - no value in any other response unless you quite close by and have the ability to treat it. (As a vet you may well have anti-venene).

[Rob A]

Buy a beacon for hte serious stuff?
Lot of the dog bites are by the small snakes, which cant control envenomation so there are no dry bites? Ask a vet?
Not sure how many people get bitten by tiddlers, grown men dont tend to put their muzzle onto the wriggler. Well I dont.
So a big bugger to get through your gaiters and which you are more likely to see and unless you are a nutter you wont try to round up and get bitten on the face while investigating.
Like the idea of a spot. Due to the weather I once took a bail out (longer) route, was on the rivet to get to the finish on time. Finished with plenty of spare food but out of phone coverage, resentful that I was being dictated to by a timetable which could have been safely extended. Cost of return trip to do the bit I missed? Ten times the price of buying a spot and throwing out at the end. Luck of the draw. Ninety nine times out of a hundred a spot is just a waste of space.

The baby brown I saw on wednesday swam out off the beach ten feet, upcurrent thirty feet, and back out of the channel and over the rocks into the long grass at teh base of the melaleucas in less than a minute. Dont think they will be drowning any time soon.

[Onestepmore]

OK, hubby got home OK, but had to change routes due to some serious flooding (as in marker at a ford approx 3 m underwater). His feet are a mess! His GPS batteries gave out partway, but he swapped in his new headlamp ones. Phone died too, so when he came into range he couldn't calll out. Lots of lessons learned - I'll write a track report with him (coz if I leave it up to him a) it'll never get done b) it'll sound like a dry council document). Beloon Pass wasn't ever actually reached, and there are some serious map deficiencies in this route - first part of Ensign Berralier Trail (Mittagong to Yerranderie)

[wayno]

sounds very interesting... with hindsight, does he think he still took enough clothing?

[Onestepmore]

Yep - he didn't use the long sleeved thermal top at night (he just told me he left it in the car!), nor did the 12+ summer down sleeping bag come out of it's dry bag. Good ol' Rainbirds pants (Marmot precip zips in transit) and a goretex jacket. He slept on the thermarest Neoair Xlite, with a silk sleeping liner only. He did use a thermarest fitted sheet pad cover http://www.kellysbasecamp.com.au/p/4488 ... QodQl0ACg- sounds like an excess, but 2 weekends ago we camped in humid conditions and found it was very sticky lying on top of our mats. We usually only use the pad covers on the Prolites when we car camp (plus they mean we can snap the two pads together so they don't 'migrate'), but was really useful in this situation. He was in a one man single skinned tent (which he says he'll never use again) so I was secretly glad I insisted he take a tarp as well. Next time it'll be the cuben tarp actually set up correctly with the guy ropes and pegs (still in the laundry in a bag....) Hmm, next time it'l be the MLD Cricket Tent I bought that just arrived a day or so ago and hasn't made it out of it's packet coz it's been pissing down with rain! Oh and he forgot dry socks (they would have been wet 2 mins after puting them on though!)
And yes, next solo trip he WILL take the SPOT!