PLB's and/or EPIRB's

[stepbystep]

I think its time that this thread is closed before it gets ugly.

Crikey, that sounds like a threat!

Surely others are allowed an opinion on PLB use in a PLB thread?

I happen to agree with Doogs and others and got myself a SPOT fairly recently to give my wife piece of mind when I'm out and about and frankly I was feeling a bit selfish should I get into strife and cause a massive S&R episode, it certainly doesn't diminish my enjoyment of the bush one bit, quite the opposite in fact. Perhaps if you want to operate like in the good 'ol days you'd better trade in your gore-tex and other gear

Your choice is your choice mate, just like others opinions are theirs, deal with it, and let the debate roll, censorship is pretty lame...

[ryantmalone]

I think its time that this thread is closed before it gets ugly.

Crikey, that sounds like a threat!

Surely others are allowed an opinion on PLB use in a PLB thread?

Not a threat, just an idea of where this thread may head if people continue to comment before reading the thread.

Perhaps if you want to operate like in the good 'ol days you'd better trade in your gore-tex and other gear

Ironic that you said that considering half the gear I use is based on old technology. I wear cotton when I hike. I walk using a stick that I found on the side of the track. I prefer to use leather boots, not trail runners. Before I bought my new pack, I even tried to find an old school Macpac Torre, just like the one I wore in the 90's, because its the best pack I've ever worn. I only recently upgraded from my old sweaty Japara.

As for a PLB, as I have already said more than a few times, I am selective on when I use one, and that choice is based on a number of factors including location, conditions, and experience. As I do not own a PLB (and have no intention of buying one yet), I hire if I need one, and the costs of hiring have yet to even meet 1/10th the cost of a PLB, let alone the yearly subscription for a SPOT.

[Gusto]

Ryan is not alone. In fact I dare say the majority of people venturing in to remote outdoors locations actually don't carry a PLB yet. There are plenty of 4WD and 2WD driving roads here in Australia that are well out of phone reception aswell as having little to no passing traffic, especially in night time hours. I regularly wonder what would happen to me if I had a serious accident in a car.

So this discussion shouldn't be focused against any one particular person.


There are two things that I wonder about though..

Firstly, do people have the same reluctance for professional aid in metro areas?

I.e. if you had a snake bite in your house, would you simply bandage your leg and wait for someone to knock on your door? or would you bandage your leg and call on your phone for assistance so someone could drive you to hospital?


And secondly, do people who don't wish for SAR services, clearly state to their Friends/Relatives that if they go missing than they too are NOT to call for SAR?


It was these two ideas that sprung to my mind about a year a go. I've been wondering about them for some time. I have now clearly made my mind up that it would be irresponsible for me to enter the bush without decent Coms as I would be hoping that If it didn't return by a certain date then I would like the authorities to be notified.

As it turns out even though I don't yet own a PLB, I've always had access to them from Employers, or hired them. However it wasn't until recently had I considered that my greater risk may actually just be when driving at night in remote places. I am about to purchase one in the next month or so and going to keep it in my car.


Note I haven't rushed out and purchased something straight away. I had to think about this for a while. My views are very clear on this now. To the point that I wouldn't at all be opposed to their being policies similar to that in the boating industry.

[Nuts]

Lol, nobody is going to close the thread (well. unless things get nasty i guess). I'd just add that the concept of 'not burdening emergency services' (kind of the tail wagging the dog no?), 'having a duty of care'.. these things Imposed on others are heading in an odd direction. I suspect Ryan's getting a bit frustrated at the reaction to (even) mentioning his personal choice, from what I see- not dissing others??

It will be a sad day when anything (maybe except underpants and a parks pass) becomes 'compulsory'.

[doogs]

How can I possibly respond to someone who clearly hasn't read a thing that I have written in this thread.

I think its time that this thread is closed before it gets ugly.

Um... I read the thread and you assume that I haven't because I disagree with you?

[stepbystep]

Lol, nobody is going to close the thread (well. unless things get nasty i guess). I'd just add that the concept of 'not burdening emergency services' (kind of the tail wagging the dog no?), 'having a duty of care'.. these things Imposed on others are heading in an odd direction. I suspect Ryan's getting a bit frustrated at the reaction to (even) mentioning his personal choice, from what I see- not dissing others??

It will be a sad day when anything (maybe except underpants and a parks pass) becomes 'compulsory'.

lol, not the tail wagging the dog nuts, just making the dog happy enough to wag.

No ones having a go at Ryan personally just disputing his opinions, plenty of my opinions are wrong to others, diss my opinions man, just not me

[Gusto]

It will be a sad day when anything (maybe except underpants and a parks pass) becomes 'compulsory'.

That's something to ponder. Where will it stop?

Maybe some UL gear lists could become illegal? Maybe a safer option would be to ban anyone walking on a path without a handrail to reduce slips/trips and falls.


Although these topics are related, they are still quite distant from PLBs

[maddog]

I tend to side with the personal choice argument on this one. Those who would like to eliminate risk taking, should feel free to do so in their own lives. But they have no right to demand their preference by shared by others. Some, particularly in the media, seem to have adopted an overbearing kill-joy position on a range of issues, including this one.

In regards to the cost of search and rescue, this is largely of a fixed nature (ie does not vary much with use), and is paid for with the tax we pay. Why should we not feel free to use them on the odd occasion?

While I recognise that on the odd occasion a rescue may place the rescuer at risk, people either chose such employment or volunteer for such roles. So to a certain extent it is legitimate to view this as a risk-accepted. Search before rescue operations also keep rescuers in practice for those occasions when the use of these skills is otherwise unavoidable.

But, despite these all this, I agree more than anything else with the statement below:

Your choice is your choice mate, just like others opinions are theirs, deal with it, and let the debate roll, censorship is pretty lame...

If you don't like it, don't read it.

Cheers

[ryantmalone]

I suspect Ryan's getting a bit frustrated at the reaction to (even) mentioning his personal choice, from what I see- not dissing others??

I understand that personal opinion is going to be a flurry here, however being made to feel that those who choose not to use a PLB on every single trip regardless of how remote or un-remote it is are a burden to the services that help rescue hikers in danger is not fair at all on those who choose not to carry.

Um... I read the thread and you assume that I haven't because I disagree with you?

You spoke of this as being a duty of care when we enter remote places, not to just rely on experience. I had stated earlier that I do carry a PLB in instances where the remoteness of the area that I am hiking warrants that, and of course, based on my experience in such places.

In instances where I am very close to help if need be or in areas with mobile coverage (EG, Wilsons Prom, Bogong High Plains, Lerderderg, etc etc), I do not bother, because I deem that it is not needed for me to hike with one.

If you had have read my statement earlier, you would have understood that I am doing what I can to ensure my own safety, and not simply winging it.

[wayno]

fair enough if you've thought it through and you have to rent one. i rented one, it was an old brick... not something i'd want to carry around if i didnt really have to... now that i own a small one it goes in my overnight pack by default. its light and i don't want to debate with myself whether i should take it, one day i may make the wrong decision, and for the sake of saving a couple of hundred grams live to regret leaving it behind , you can't predict all the scenarios when i will need one, i cant predict cell phone coverage, i've seen rain wipe out good cell pone coverage completely. my cell phone gets thrashed more, i'm not certain it will keep working, if i got bitten by a snake how long will i be coherent for to communicate my situation to emergency services? the plb is emphatic, send help immediately, here i am. maybe you get a stroke, you can move but you cant talk down your cell phone...
its a judgment call, no one has to take a plb if they don't want to , there are grey areas where it can be argued you dont really need one..
but as i've said if you can affford one, they are small and light and they can make a big difference in emergency situations...

[ryantmalone]

its a judgment call, no one has to take a plb if they don't want to , there are grey areas where it can be argued you dont really need one..
but as i've said if you can affford one, they are small and light and they can make a big difference in emergency situations...

Regardless of my stance, I think they are a great thing to carry, and sadly, many people new to the bush don't know about them or don't know where to get them.

Would be good to have a resource on the forum for those who want to hire them, as in, where to hire them, due to the costs to purchase being as high as they are.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Pretty sure most folk who walk in Tassie know they can be hired from Service Tas.

[wayno]

hard to know what the future is for locator beacons are regarding pricing, theres speculation the spot and inreach technology devices will eventually replace plbs as the default emergency device , they use different satellites. if that becomes the case. given spots and inreaches are cheaper to buy. hopefully the price of the subscriptions get cheaper or there is a pure no subscription option like there is for dedicated locator beacons...
its known that bushwalking shops do you less favours on pricing of locator beacons compared to marine shops. its a shame considering its such an important device for safety

[ryantmalone]

hard to know what the future is for locator beacons are regarding pricing, theres speculation the spot and inreach technology devices will eventually replace plbs as the default emergency device , they use different satellites. if that becomes the case. given spots and inreaches are cheaper to buy. hopefully the price of the subscriptions get cheaper or there is a pure no subscription option like there is for dedicated locator beacons...

It'd be good business to get all PLB users on subscription plans (this means recurring income, in most cases for the life of a hiker), so I wouldn't be surprised if given a few years, the market would be saturated with similar devices to the SPOT.

[wayno]

no the market wont go totally to subscription, theres a market for non subscribed devices, , it may be that the devices shift the focus technology