Wow! I came to this thread thinking it would be a discussion about the most effective communication device and lo and behold another gun fight has broken out. Geesh!

I've been thinking more about this and it seems like the ideal solution really is to improve things so that when a PLB is activated it does means there is an emergency in a very high percentage of the cases.

Realistically many outdoors people will echo hikermor's sentiment; they aren't looking for a way to maintain constant communication with civilization. How many of us are more than happy when we see "No Signal" on our cell phones?

Coupled with this is the cost; while a couple hundred bucks every 5 years is a realistic investment as a back up, a hundred or more annually plus initial investment is pushing it for many who aren't interested in the communication aspect but are only interested in the emergency use.

Just thinking out loud, but maybe registering a PLB could require some form of on-line training & exam, ensuring the owner understands the difference between appropriate and inappropriate use. You pass the test & you get to register your device.

To effect real change though, you still might want to couple this with some form of penalty for improper usage though. Admittedly you'd have to be careful on this front, but the Yosemite SAR fine system described by Glock-A-Roo sounds like a promising model.

From my perspective, the various other options - SPOT's non-emergency functions, two-way satellite communicators and satellite phones - really shine in the domain of the non-emergency call; this too could be included in an education aspect of PLB ownership. These tools give the user the ability to reach out for assistance before a situation devolves into one that would legitimately require PLB usage, while still allowing the user to get real emergency assistance if needed.

While some of these other tools have the potential for providing an added benefit in an emergency situation; ideally a PLB should be enough to initiate a proper rescue.

Your proposed test might help, mostly because it would expose some folks to the concept that there is such a thing as inappropriate use of a PLB. That indeed might help when they are confronted with a problem in the woods.

I think the real issue is even more basic - What is your strategy for coping with a problem when you are in an isolated situation? do you plan on taking measures yourself (active), or is your primary plan to call for help and wait for assistance(passive)?

Situations can develop where even the most self reliant will need assistance, but I get the feeling that PLB technology encourages a passive approach to dealing with emergencies, at least with some folks.

They should be mindful that conditions can be such that outside help is not possible (storms or weather conditions) or will be irrelevant (sudden falls or immersions in water). Somewhere new outdoors folk should get some understanding of how emergencies develop and what the proper role of PLB's, etc should be in resolving the issues. They should understand that their own actions, apart from triggering the PLB, are very significant in determining a good outcome.

"Be Prepared, That's the Boy Scouts Marching Song" - Tom Lehrer said it best.

You make an extremely valid point with respect to cost, especially the recurring cost of registration. Where do I buy stock in this outfit? Perhaps my earnings will outstrip the annual fees......

Pack check Wednesday - on Friday we were setting out with 7 scouts for an Olympics traverse from Quinault to Dosewallips, hard hiking and lots of elevation gain, and eventually elevation loss. After triaging the scout's packs, the Scoutmaster and I turned to mine, and showed all Scouts where my PLB would be kept. We talked about being on the trail, always at least one day and often 2-3 days hikes from any assistance (or restaurants, convenience stores, bathrooms etc). We would be on our own, and unless we encountered someone else, we would have to rely on each other. If one of us got hurt, we'd treat the person and make an evacuation decision: could we self-evacuate, or would we activate the PLB for help? We set the rules: adults in the party could activate the PLB, or if all adults were incapacitated, any scout would activate the PLB immediately. We talked about how to choose a location and demonstrated how to actually activate the PLB for every Scout. We passed it around. We made clear, we don't activate for blisters, the trots, twists and sprains, cuts, gashes, or other trail ailments. We carry with us what's necessary to cover that ground. Most emergencies, even medical issues, you plan to treat and self-evacuate: if life is threatened, we will activate the PLB.

Like most back country trips we all had a great time, suffered some blisters and one sprain, but emerged from the trail hungry but just fine. We saw plenty of the less scary black bears, and we hung our food at night and carried bulky food canisters. The scouts all got a primer on the role of the PLB in the outdoors, just like everything else we took with us. We didn't need the PLB, but that's the point. We had entered into a pact of sorts, that we were leaving civilization, to the point of taking 2-3 days to actually return to the world of cell phones, iPods, computers and TVs from the midpoint of our hike. We would be on our own, at least 24 hours from the most immediate assistance, for which the wheels could start moving only by the PLB. I think the boys moved more cautiously when they were out of reach of immediate assistance (there are some steep traverses across the middle of this Olympic route), but they also enjoyed the feeling of being out there, really on their own for the first or second times in their lives.

Hopefully they all realize a PLB is a lifeline, not a ticket home to avoid adversity. Any Scout that's been on a 50 miler I'll trust to use a PLB the right way going forward. Its getting them out on those 50 milers that is a challenge these days.

NOLS gets kids out there, beyond the reach of immediate assistance, where the kids can have that transformative experience in the outdoors. They do an excellent job of it. I think they're doing the correct risks assessments, even for Alaskan back country trips, where the analysis is a little trickier, and I have no experience.

Way to go...Congratulations.

You hit on some good points here. Hopefully with a combination of education and honest personal reflection an outdoorsman will be able to figure out where they are comfortable.

Is the outdoorsman satisfied with being self reliant in all but the most sever situations; when self extraction simply isn't possible or a search would be initiated anyway? Then a PLB alone is likely the right tool.

Or, as you described, is the outdoorsman more comfortable with the passive approach should things go wrong. Honestly determining this is okay, but someone with this preference needs to understand that a PLB alone isn't the right tool. They will be better served by one of those other options, most likely one offering 2-way communication, potentially with a PLB as a backup if things do really degrade into a true emergency and the 2-way isn't working for them. But they need to understand the difference and also the need for a certain level of self reliance in the wilderness.

The battle of course is getting the public at large, or at least those heading into the wilderness, to take the time to learn about the options and assess their needs appropriately.

Thanks for posting the article -- an interesting read. While the satellite phone option might be expensive, as NOLS themselves mentioned, they are carried/available for use by some of their adult instructors.

To give the group of kids a PLB but willingly hold back from letting them carry a satellite phone on their backcountry trek seems like a horrible lapse in judgement to me. IMHO, they are willing to risk spending the taxpayers' dime for SAR activation, but not their own money to keep the lines of communication open in an emergency.

Of course NOLS is giving everyone (including themselves) a pat on the back; no one perished and everyone was successfully rescued. That alone just saved them a heap of greenbacks from lawsuits and medical bills.

Maybe they can use the savings to buy a few more satellite phones...

Great job Lono!

You're right that getting them out there is a challenge. Good for you doing it and being smart about it.