Comments on: GearCrave Giveaway: The Spot Satellite Messenger (x4!)

By: Dan Reed

Dan Reed — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:17:27 +0000

I often hike alone in Acadia National Park, and cell service is spotty at best. Two winters ago I was climbing up to the only fire tower on Mount Desert Island, and just before reaching the peak, there was one last very steep section to climb up. I was wearing snow shoes as there was about 2 feet of snow everywhere in the woods. As I got almost to the top of the steep section the snow crust gave away, and I found myself up to my shoulders in snow. I struggled for about a half hour before I decided I was in real trouble, and got out my cell phoneto try and call for help, but had no phone service. I stopped trying to get free, had a drink, and thought over my situation. I eventually figured out I could take off one of my snow shoes and use it as a shovel, and was free and to the top of the steep section in a short amount of time. I really could have used a SPOT to get help if I couldn't have gotten free on my own. SPOT seems like it could be a real lifesaver.

By: Mark_S1

Mark_S1 — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:15:11 +0000

I am both a hiker and a great lakes surfer out of west Michigan. One sunday, I was hiking through the local state park to get to the beach for a surf session. It was a cold, one mile trudge, and it had begun snowing. Luckily I had a wetsuit; therefore, the snow and cold water of Lake Michigan did not stop me from surfing some freshwater waves. I called it quits earlier than I expected because the snow was really starting to come down and the winds were becoming more violent than ever. During the hike back though the forest to my vehicle, the powerful winds mixed with the snow created terrible white-out conditions. I could barely see a few feet ahead of me. What usually takes me 30 minutes (plus or minus) to get from beach to car, vise versa, took me about 2 hours. For the first 90 minutes, I had no choice but to find a low-point in the terrain and wait out the storm. It lessened up a little bit thereafter, and I was able to continue onward to my car. If the storm had not lessened up, I can guarantee that it would've been near impossible for me to find my way back, much less have someone else find me. Visibility was near zero and my cell-phone was out of range.

By: Jimmy C

Jimmy C — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:12:03 +0000

I need one of these things man. I am always dirt biking out in the middle of nowhere and if this could save me another unexpected 9-mile hike, I would be eternally grateful.

By: Steve Beckman

Steve Beckman — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:48:58 +0000

While stationed in Northern Japan, I did a lot of back packing. With such rough terrain, It took hours to find a spot level enough to set up camp. With all that bush whacking, I didnt always know exactly where I was. Sometime it was just a straight shot to the bottom of the canyon and follow the rivers. A locator would have been great!

By: D. Byerley

D. Byerley — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:04:04 +0000

Hey,
I fly in the Rocky Mountains all the time. Having crashed my airplane once, has brought the reality that if it had not been close to the airport, I would have been in real trouble. Having a locator like this would expedite help and bring great peace of mind to me and my family.

By: Cody

Cody — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:11:18 +0000

There have been a few instances of just regular folks around here who have died when their vehicle left the roadway. Others have been lost for days while people searched for them. A spot attached to the dash with some industrial Velcro could have shortened the rescue time for all who initially survived the accidents.
Cellphones were useless in most cases because they either flew out of reach during the crash, or there were signal issues.
I’m a diabetic who would love the peace-of-mind of having a SPOT along with me on even short hikes locally. I’m always going in and out of cell range. My cellphone is basically trying to acquire signal horizontally over varying terrain. The SPOT is going to be looking up and out for me.

By: GearCrave Giveaway Updates: SPOT, Futurama, Anthony Logistics | GearCrave | The Mens Buying and Lifestyle Guide

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:02:04 +0000

[...] Messenger giveaway, the Futurama giveaway and the Anthony Logistics giveaway.Â GearCrave readers Bryan Estes, Jeremy, Justin Hollender and TheAdventurist have all won a free SPOT Satellite Messenger.Â [...]

By: Richard Morgan

Richard Morgan — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 04:20:26 +0000

Cool gadget. My other GPS disappeared.

By: The Adventurist Wins Free SPOT Satelite Messenger in GearCrave’s Big Giveaway! - The Adventurist - Mt. Everest to The Poles: Exploring Adventure One Trip At a Time

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:34:52 +0000

[...] Messenger giveaway, the Futurama giveaway and the Anthony Logistics giveaway. GearCrave readers Bryan Estes, Jeremy, Justin Hollender and TheAdventurist have all won a free SPOT Satellite [...]

By: Barbara Baker

Barbara Baker — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:38:27 +0000

That would be something my husband and I could use!!!!

By: Bryan Estes

Bryan Estes — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:23:05 +0000

so who won?

By: High and Dry: The Flood of 2008 and GearCrave | GearCrave | The Mens Buying Guide

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:01:01 +0000

[...] service to that area. In a similar event, you need communication and you need it fast. With the SPOT Satellite Messenger, you’re always in communication with family, friends and emergency service thanks to a fully [...]