For everyone that questioned it with his book, I guess he WAS plugging SPOT in his book! I just got an email stating he will be promoting it at an REI in Seattle on Saturday. Hey, its a chance to meet this guy, right? Anyway, just thought I'd share this

Yep, Costco was selling SPOT units on a big display with his picture on it.

He signed a contract. They sponsor him, he promotes their stuff. *shrugs* Despite Doug's difficulties with it, it seems like a product that works well if marketed as what it really is.

Must be nice to be a star and all that.

I'd rather folks carry a PLB.

If they won't carry a PLB ... then I'd rather they carry a SPOT.

I suspect Les feels that they are more likely to carry a SPOT than a PLB. Maybe.

Ken

I think a SPOT attracts more people because of the "I can use it not in a "OH CRAP" situation"... people are more likely to buy it because they get some usage... not something that would just sit in their pack.

Yep, I'm working my way through his "Survive!" book and so far have come across quite a few mentions of the SPOT messenger.

So now that Les is endorsing a couple of things, what's old Bear going to do?

He is already doing TV spots for some trail mix cereal.

Dont get me wrong; I have IMMENSE respect for mr. Stroud. HEll, I'd love to meet him someday. I merely mentioned it because the topic regarding him & SPOT came up previously. ME, I have neither a PL or a SPOT; going with what I have read here though, I'd like go with a PLB. BUT, most people wont read this, and go with some celebrity recommendation; at least SPOT isnt total crap; it does work, just not the same way the PLB does. Oh well, to each his own.
I caught the Bear Grylls commercial last night...ah, weak as water! I guess his show isnt doing well enough to pay his crew huh?

Todd, you hit it on the head. If I was to buy one, at this point, I'd probably go with the spot just because it is more versatile.

Good point. He did mention he had difficulties with a PLB is some locations, didn't he?

I don’t remember him ever mentioning having a PLB. I do remember him having difficulties with satellite telephones, however. I remember him specifically saying that his satellite telephone did not have a signal a great percentage of the time he checked it.

Will have to find the specific reference in the book...

I think EMS has a similiar deal for those who are in their area.

Rebates and low pricing typically precedes introduction of a newer model - maybe SPOT 2.0 is coming out? Or maybe its just economic downturn - its really hard to sell non-essential (or at least non-intuitively essential) devices and services in an economic recession. In which case I would ask, is the SPOT system established such that the locator service that folks depend on can be sustained with a reduced level of subscribers?

Anyway I've been busy and not checking these forums much, but Doug Ritter has posted in his blog a preview of new ACR PLB models coming later this year. I already own a PLB, and will think of getting one of these newer PLBs, and farming out my older model, maybe to another adult leader in Scouts. If I had my druthers I'd rather see some innovation in the PLB space rather than in SPOT - but basically its all good.

My issue with SPOT is the further north you get the less reliably they work...

Oilfield--how much north??..i was going to get one for canoe trips into northern Ontario

I was just looking at a SPOT at Amazon and then read a few of the reviews. Some were quite positive. Some where quite scary. There are reviewers that say SPOT's response center was inept, others that say the device's performance is never consistent and it doesn't work through tree cover.

There are other reviews that say the people with problems haven't read the manual. One review states that say the unit must always be vertical. Another states that the unit must always be horizontal. Customer service at SPOT doesn't seem to fare well at all.

Worth reading if you are considering one.

Let me say, once again, that I would not bet my life on SPOT. Having said that, if you simply won't spend the upfront money for a PLB, SPOT is much better than nothing, unless having it encourages you to do stupid things you wouldn't have normally done without it.

Well Doug, in that case, one would hope Darwinism would kick in...hopefully before said person doing stupid things has children.
I personally have not had any firsthand experience with either device, and have never even given thought to carrying one. That being said, the woods I dwell in are comparatively small; 5 miles in any direction would get you to civilization. The only place that I go hiking on any consistent basis that would be considered large tract of wilderness would be the White Mountains in NH; but, again, those are well travelled trails, and I stay on them. I am also familiar with the maps of the areas I hike, if not intimately familiar with the area itself. PLBs & SPOT devices are great for those pushing the limits, bushwhacking, or travelling over hazardous terrain; should I be doing that, I would likely rent a PLB over a SPOT. But, until then, I cannot justify spending the money on something like that, as, for me at least, it simply isnt a practical investment.

It really coincides with the satelite coverage for the phone service. SPOT Inc is a subsidiary of Globalstar, uses the same network of satellites.

Ask around, if your area does not have very good coverage with Globalstar service the SPOT isn't going to work very well.

On the other hand, the SPOT transmits so much less data compared to voice that in areas with iffy satphone coverage the SPOT will work pretty decent.

The other thing to be aware of is how hit and miss the SPOT is in tree cover. Sometimes it will work, sometimes it won't.


So, the short answer; I don't have a definite answer for you on what latitude it doesn't work reliably past, or if there even is one now. My experience with the SPOT is from when it first hit the market.

I've been looking into, reading reviews of the Spot for a while now and not sure what to think of it at all like Yuccahead post states. I've been thinking of buying one and trying a month service and see how the unit works and if not happy returing it.

I'm planning a 17 day back country canoe trip in Nov of this year in the Everglades.
There is no cell service available there.
What I like really like with the Spot is the I'm OK messages it can send. This way family members know that all is well when there is no way to communicate with them.

I also thought about seeing if it was possible to rent a PLB, but then family members would have no idea that I'm ok and would be out of touch for that time and make them nervous.... unless I get a Spot and it is possible to rent a PLB.

Are there places that rent PLB? Just answered this myself, Yes.
Is a messaging system to family members something that PLB manufacture companies are looking into at all?

Re Stroud's remarks on PLB, I'll save you the trouble of looking it up in the book, having just read it. He tried a PLB in Belize and got no response. For this reason (and for certain financial considerations, no doubt), in his book, he promotes SPOT as more effective than a PLB.

Since SPOT's operators call 911, I wouldn't expect it to be too effective in Belize, either. You can't get help from people who aren't organized to provide it.

Yup, that was the section... Didn't seem to make sense to use SPOT either... Then again, I don't plan on being in Belize any time soon.