Personal epirbs

[SteveandViv]

I use this one, as its quite small.

http://www.gme.net.au/products/emergency-beacons/plbs/MT410G

Brian

We have the same one.

I think they are important when you could get your self in trouble. We also have a phone but you have to turn it on and hope to get signal and then be able to actually dial. If your in a world of pain then this is a quick flick the cap off and off it goes and keeps going until your found and the GPS one send your location. With a phone you need to also get your GPS location which maybe burning in the car or maybe you can't see due to a crash, who knows.

[gclan]

We've also got a Spot tracker, as well as a Sat phone. Our Sat phone also requires you to speak in single syllables very slowly, and I doubt I could do that in an emergency

We love the spot. Family and friends can follow your travels, and you have several options for calling for help, ranging from:

we're stuck, alert family or friend to arrange help, through to HELP! send in the helicopters, medics, military etc...

all at the press of a button


Karen

[Pling]

Another vote for Spot.
Im also into the bikes and these should be mandatory for enduros, hopefully It wont be long before they are!
All bikes that race in Australasian safari desert race must have them, the Spot saved Ben Grabham's ass last year when he hit a roo at 120km.
For the price great Insurance policy backed up with a Sat phone for touring IMO.

Cheers

[LC]

I too think the SPOT trackers are the best option (it causes me pain to have to agree with carl, but any way). If I didn't have a free PLB I would have SPOT.

[deepop]

Yep, another vote for the spottracker. 

 I've used mine dirtbike riding, Mountain bike riding and every 4WD trip I've done in the last few years. 

Great peace of mind and as Karen and others said, not just 'send in the cavalry' but with message options to lessen the urgency (or emergency) if required.

[GanG]

Other plus with Spot is that it will constantly send location and if you don't check in your searchers will know where to start looking........epirb and sat phone rely on you to do something to make it work, if you are incapacitated you may as well be carrying a rock.

[achjimmy]

That's a good point GandG.  I have been hoping to get a small personal epirb that also complies for boats aswell but seems its not so.  The other thing to remember with all emergency gear is keep it close, I lke the idea of a grab bag under my seat. If a fire starts you just get out, no time to go rummaging through the glove box, centre console or drawers.

[LC]

Just dont deliberately set off an EPIRP as a prank. Not suggesting anyone here would. But this guy in the US just scored a $500,000 fine and 3 months for doing so.