Great story! Thanks for sharing that with us.

A few related thoughts:

-It shows how fast things can go sour, and how easily we can become essentially helpless. I find myself thinking about Doug's emphasis on one-handed tools and/or tools that are simple to operate (such as the one-handed Sparklite operation or a PLB that uses one button to operate rather than two)

-This once again emphasizes the utility of a personal locator beacon with an internal GPS. They are completely waterproof and very durable. If he'd had a PLB w/ GPS he would have most likely been rescued within 24 hours.

-This shows the importance of making yourself "findable", and having good signalling devices. Though I bought a PLB earlier this year, I still make sure I have good signaling capability AND have the gear to facilitate survival until help arrives.

-Someone in a backpacking forum recently asked for input on the choice of bladder vs. Nalgene bottle for water containers. I was surprized to see that the majority much prefered the standard Nalgene bottles, indicating that they are far more durable and easier to clean. A few years back, while at a Cub Scout event in fairly cool weather, one of the parents was sitting in a camp chair and her "camelbak" (not sure if it was genuine or faux) burst open (not just a leak, but more like a balloon popping), soaking her back, coat, butt, and the seat of the chair. Since then I've stuck to Nalgene bottles. Recently someone drew my attention to how tough and durable the Gatoraid bottles are. Hmmm.

-It is important to "train" those who we leave trip plans with to react fairly quickly when we don't show up on time. If she knew he had a satellite phone and she still hadn't heard from him, I would think she should have contacted the authorities long before she did. Thank goodness he did leave his trip plan in the first place.