it may not look like much--but..


first off,with no major local survival issues like storms or quakes my only real personal problems would be on a solo wilderness canoe trip--i leave for one on the 11th.
now about the photo--it's the end of a creek that leads into a PMA-Primitive Management Area in the Boundary Waters,the wilderness canoeing park in Northern Minnesota.the PMA's are true wilderness with no camps or portage trails into them.you have to bushwhack your way in.a special permit is added to your park permit to allow you into these backcountry lakes.it would be like hiking on one of the big national trail systems and making a hard right and walking off into the woods.you will be alone,your PMA permit allows only you in.last year when i got the PMA permit the ranger at the main station opened the book to write me in and the page was blank!.the one for the last month and the month i was going in, no canoe trippers had taken a PMA.
so i'll be on my own,no passing fisherman or Scout Troops.now i don't expect any problems. the bushwhack is only a mile or so and in some places you just have to drag the canoe up a swampy creek and over many beaver dams.but---this would not be the place to bust a hip or have some nasty medical problem kick in.yes i have thought about a SPOT or PLB but these places are remote parklands and not like you might find in Canada or the Rocky Mountains where help may never come so for now i'll just skip the PLB and take my time and watch out for myself like i have done in the past.the rest of the canoe trip involves paddeling some big lakes but i shoreline those so i'm never more that a short swim to land and i don't travel in bad weather. i'm one of those no EDC or BOB people and i live in a quiet part of the Midwest so this is my only "real" survival issue..

Color me jealous, friend.
Have a great time!

-Blast

The decision to take a PLB shouldn't be based solely upon the degree of remoteness. Assuming you'll file a trip plan with the appropriate folks, even under go circumstances you could easily be several days from anyone even realizing that you are in trouble. I sure they will most likely find you, but whether it's a search and rescue effort or a recovery effort for your body depends upon what type of accident that causes the emergency or survival situation. It's possible that you could be so incapacitated that you cannot take care of yourself even for the amount of time required to locate you.

If it were me heading of into the wilderness on a solo trip, I would spend the money for PLB. Consider it trip insurance.

P.S. if there are so few PMA permits issued it's also going to be something extraordinary for the rangers too. So they'll have less experience in noticing something may be amiss and may not have much experience in SAR efforts is such circumstance.

Great trip, but I'd sure buy a PLB.

Great trip, but I'd sure buy a PLB.

The more remote, the more reason for a PLB.

Just rent one.

I would agree that renting a PLB is a cost-effective and SAFE way to go.

http://www.plbrentals.com/

They could probably still get one to you.

Either rent a PLB or convince a friend to go; or both.

Our government has these things called helicopters...

... that coincidentally have these things called GPS receivers...

They might just be able to find you.

Something like that, PLB. One way or the other its not a huge issue to have one or rent one.