GPS Emergency Devices

Those who fly fish in the middle of nowhere should have the means to contact emergency services if a bad accident occurs. Not only are they important for fly fishers, but also a necessary resource for hunters and hikers as well. It seems as though every other year or so, a hiker gets lost somewhere in New Mexico and loses their life because they had no means to contact emergency services.

For the past couple of years, I have been considering an upgrade to my GPS capabilities. I have been carrying a SPOT Messenger for over ten years while off-grid on my fly fishing adventures. However, it didn't provide me with texting capabilities, where I could send Sylvia a note when needed. So, when Apple came out with the new iPhone that used satellites for texting off-grid, I upgraded to the iPhone 16 model. And, it works great. I've been using it off-grid for a couple of months and have always been able to lock into a satellite and send texts.

Am I doing away with the SPOT Messenger? Nope. It has a ‘one-button push' design if I should fall and need to be rescued. That alone is worth keeping the device. I can think of all kinds of potential accidents where a simple push of a button would be appreciated. And, I've used their vehicle road emergency feature...it worked impressively well. As a result, they are a reliable and proven service to me!

If you're an outdoor enthusiast, you should have an emergency GPS device of some type! Your life could depend on it someday...