An article about Personal Locator Beacons (PLB's)

[Hikin_Jim]

An article about Personal Locator Beacons (PLB's):
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stor ... d2c92.html

The first three lines are a little sensationalistic, but overall, it's not bad for a journalist.

[Cy Kaicener]

Thanks for posting this Jim. I never knew you could rent them at the Aerial Tramway. Here is another website that has some information about them
http://pistehors.com

[Cy Kaicener]

Here is another good link by Udi (scroll down)
http://www.outdoorsclub.org/forum/displ ... readPage=1

[Hikin_Jim]

I don't think you can rent them at the tram. There is a proposal to make them available, but so far nothing has come from that proposal that I'm aware of.

Anyone have knowledge to the contrary?

[phydeux]

Interesting article. I like the fact they pointed out the 'false sense of security' issue - can't tell you how many times I've run across persons and parties who loose a GPS signal in a canyon or tree-covered area and have no idea where they are. Also, that list of ten essentials at the end - still lists a 'map & compass;' that's my preferred navigation system.

Hope GPS's or cell phones don't become required to enter the backcounty - I'm proud to say I still don't even own a cell phone!

[guest]

Hi Jim,

That's a great story in the PE. This guy was very familiar with the area on Baldy, but mother nature can do strange (or unpredictable) things.
He was a smart guy, & by using good sense, was saved.

I very similar thing happened to me on Skyline (one I'm not real proud of).

I hiked the trail during weather (on purpose), wanting to gain valuable experience for my job.
Well, the one thing I didn't count on was fog & dense clouds! I couldn't see one chute from the other, hell, I could barely see 40-50 ft. in front of me.
I was concerned I'd land up in the nasty chute behind Coffman's Craig, so I went up another chute (probably the one several hikers attempted this season already).
It was a real bitch, deep snow, turning Class 3 & 4 w/ 50 mph winds at the top.
Had I got stuck, an ELB would have helped, if they can work in those conditions.

So, of course, no ones invincible, and these devises can be benifical in the right hands.

ss

[Cy Kaicener]

Here are some interesting comments on the use of PLBs
http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=35294

[Hikin_Jim]

...mother nature can do strange (or unpredictable) things ... on Skyline ... I hiked the trail during weather (on purpose), wanting to gain valuable experience for my job. Well, the one thing I didn't count on was fog & dense clouds! I couldn't see one chute from the other, hell, I could barely see 40-50 ft. in front of me. I was concerned I'd land up in the nasty chute behind Coffman's Craig, so I went up another chute (probably the one several hikers attempted this season already).
It was a real bitch, deep snow, turning Class 3 & 4 w/ 50 mph winds at the top.

It happens more often than we realize. I was in an area I knew well, the Dewey Point Trail in Yosemite NP, leading a Sierra Club group. One woman slipped and fx'd her rt. radius and ulna. We splinted her and aborted the trip. On the way back, fog came in. The Dewey Point "trail" is a series of yellow triangles posted every so often on trees. With fog, familiarity and yellow triangle trail markers don't count for much. I had to get this injured party to a hospital and get my group out safely. Thankfully, I had a topo map and compass. Between bearings and a big boost from God (we saw one crucial triangle), we all got back OK. (to add to the fun one of the women on the trip absolutely freaked out and was literally trying to organize a mutiny -- she felt I should have called a helicopter. In fog? Hello?)

Had I got stuck, an ELB would have helped, if they can work in those conditions.

Supposedly, they can.

So, of course, no one's invincible, and these devices can be benefical...

A PLB sure helped with Nate Freund on Baldy.

I bet a PLB would have made a lot of difference to the Christy family; they still don't know Dean Christy's fate. You generally can't move on financially without a death certificate. It might have even saved Dean Christy's life if they had gotten to him immediately.

I think even Ellen might have been helped. They shut down the search at 4:30 PM due to bad wx. If they had had GPS coordinates that matched an obvious shelter (the hut), they might have pushed the limit and sent a couple of guys with food and equipment to stay overnight in the hut with Ellen, sparing her a really frightening and potentially life threatening second night alone.

... in the right hands.

Key point. The potential problem with PLB's is the "Boy Who Cried Wolf" syndrome. If people like Ellen have them, no problem. But if every idiot, bumpkin, and "oooh-rah, I'm invincible" fool has one, there will be so many activations that the real emergencies will be lost in the clutter, and SAR units will disregard them.

I hate to say it, but maybe the high price is a good thing. At the current prices, only serious hikers, hunters, off roaders, etc will get one. Maybe also there should be a fee for every activation, sort of like a doctor's visit co-pay. I work for Kaiser Permanente. You'd be surprised how many doctor's visits are cut down with a co-pay of as little as $10.00. If you're really in trouble, you won't hesitate to activate, but if it's really not that bad, you might think twice before activating if you knew you had to pay, say $50.00.

[AlanK]

I hate to say it, but maybe the high price is a good thing. At the current prices, only serious hikers, hunters, off roaders, etc will get one. Maybe also there should be a fee for every activation, sort of like a doctor's visit co-pay. I work for Kaiser Permanente. You'd be surprised how many doctor's visits are cut down with a co-pay of as little as $10.00. If you're really in trouble, you won't hesitate to activate, but if it's really not that bad, you might think twice before activating if you knew you had to pay, say $50.00.

Of course there is a problem with relying on cost alone to limit use. There are plenty of experienced hikers and climbers who would only use a PLB in a real emergency but who have to conclude that a PLB is unaffordable and must therefore be done without. There are plenty (fewer, but plenty) of folks who can simply spring for another toy and push the button at the first sign of trouble. (Of course there are plenty of people who fit neither category.)

What I think we really want is a system that encourages emergency use but deters trivial use. The cheaper the things are the better, but we still need the deterrent part. What should that be? Unfortunately, at the moment, I do not hold the magic bullet.

[Hikin_Jim]

... but who have to conclude that a PLB is unaffordable and must therefore be done without.

That's been my position thus far. A PLB would be the most expensive piece of equipment I would have, more than a nice down bag or a new tent. I'm starting to re-think that position in light of what's happened so far this year.

What I think we really want is a system that encourages emergency use but deters trivial use. The cheaper the things are the better, but we still need the deterrent part. What should that be? Unfortunately, at the moment, I do not hold the magic bullet.

The first four letters of "foolproof" are why it's so hard to come up with an appropriate deterrent. I hope that saying that isn't too mean, but suffice it to say that common sense isn't all that common.