GearCrave Giveaway: The Spot Satellite Messenger (x4!)
Adventure travel, from kayaking to mountain climbing to deep woods hiking does not come without risks. Wherever you go in nature, force majeure can rear its ugly head without a moments notice. For every white-out snow storm, flash flood and animal attack, man’s chances of survival are threatened. In recent history, many of these events have led to sad news stories, where just a little bit of communication could have saved lives. Adventurous GearCravers should take note: there is one ultimate safety net for adventure travel: the SPOT Satellite Messenger. Continue reading to learn why SPOT is the ideal travel companion for any adventure, and how you can win one of four SPOT Satellite Messengers from GearCrave.com.
SPOT is the world’s first satellite messenger, a device designed to save lives and track the progress of our adventures. SPOT works by using the GPS satellite network to acquire its coordinates, and then sending its location – with a link to Google Maps – and a pre-programmed message via a commercial satellite network. Unlike your mobile phone, SPOT works anywhere in the world, without fail.
SPOT has four basic functions: 1) help, 2) check in, 3) track progress and 4) alert 911. The “help” function allows you to request help from friends or family at your exact location. The “check in” function lets contacts know where you are and that you’re okay. You can also “track progress” by sending and saving your location and allowing your contacts to track your progress using Google Maps. Last, you can dispatch emergency responders to your exact location with the “alert 911″ function.
Beyond the emergency response and communication tools of SPOT, there is a broad range of other applications for this technology. If you want to mark your secret fishing spot on your own adventure map, SPOT will do that. If you’re aboard a boat and want to plot your course home from an island trip, SPOT can mark this all out for you. If you’re just outside of your cell phone’s range of reception and need to shoot a quick message to your family, SPOT will do that too. While it is designed for emergency response and one-way contact on an adventure, a smart SPOT user can get a lot more out of the system.
How to Win a Free SPOT Satellite Messenger from SPOT and GearCrave
To qualify for the SPOT Satellite Messenger giveaway, you must sign up and comment. Here’s how:
- Sign up for the GearCrave email newsletter. (you can do so here, unless you’ve already signed up for a prior contest)
- Comment on this page– share with us an adventure trip you’ve been on where SPOT might have come in handy… We’ll then pick three winners at random next Monday. (US readers only)
It’s that simple. Best of luck GearCravers, and thanks to our friends at SPOT Inc. for joining GearCrave in this great giveaway. This contest will end on Sunday, June 15th 2008 at 11:59p.m. Winners will be announced the next day.
Be sure to visit the SPOT website to learn more about SPOT including videos by SPOT spokesperson Les Stroud, host of Survivorman on the Discovery Channel. If you’d like a SPOT messenger now, you can get one before Father’s Day by ordering online for $169.99.
Buy: $169.99
Monday, June 9, 2008 7:07PM
I do a lot of coastal kayaking trips and the weather can be quite a bitch. Would be nice to have one of these to keep in touch when I’m off the grid.
Monday, June 9, 2008 10:10PM
i’d like a shot at it.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 6:52AM
As a mountaineer that does alot of high altitude backpacking, this would be a great addition to my gear. Heck, I might even get one if I dont win!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 7:40AM
Wow, this gadget would come in super handy on backcountry snowboard trips, or when I’m hiking and mountain biking alone in the mountains, this would help keep my family from being worried.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 8:10AM
This would be great for long range hiking or whilst vacationing in countries where my cell phone is not available
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:33AM
this is perfect when i go hiking!!!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 1:35PM
What if Cloverfield really happens? This baby could save my life!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 1:40PM
my family does quite a bit of kayaking and some hiking, and this could be handy if something went wrong
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 2:42PM
My wife doesn’t always join me for my backpacking trips in the Sierras. The Spot Messenger would ease some of her concerns while I’m away.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 2:55PM
could have used one of these in the rockies a few weeks ago to track our progress … wouldn’t have needed the help feature but in the future, you never know
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 3:24PM
I was just on Mt. Rainier this past weekend and one of my partners started feeling pretty sick so we decided to turn back at 13,000 feet. We made it back safely but it took us much longer than anticipated and the SPOT messenger would have at least allowed us to let our friends and family back home know we were okay even though we were late.
Still a great adventure! Check out the pics: http://flickr.com/photos/bryanestes/sets/72157605526702258/
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 3:28PM
I’m not a man, but I do a heck of a lot of rock climbing, much of it in remote areas of Colorado or Wyoming where I don’t get a cell signal. I think this device would be useful not just for peace of mind but also to track approaches or hikes, and put maps up on my blog. Thanks!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 4:30PM
Definitely could have used this one a couple times when I was snowmobiling… My dad and I came across two guys that had fallen through some ice in to a stream. It was roughly 0 degrees out and they were both wet, and still trying to get the snowmobile out of the water. Another time we came across some teenagers on a lake that had crashed. One of them broke his leg or ribs or something. We ended up towing him back to shore on a sled… not the safest way.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 4:53PM
I can’t say that I’ve had a tale where I’ve *needed* one of these … YET! But that comes with good reason, since I haven’t been doing the adventures my heart really desires because of the thought of being in a situation where I would need one and no way to signal for help. When I first read about this device I thought, FINALLY! While I can’t say where I would have used it, I can say where I will be using it. Knowing that my family can track me and I can call for help if needed, I would finally go on the week trek to Newfoundland, Canada for a hike and bike. I would also finally head out to California and climb up Half Dome. And just maybe I can start ticking off all the miles on the App. Trail!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 5:18PM
I need a GPS to know where I am in Central park when I’m walking there. Wait, this tells other people where I am. Ok that could be useful in my NYC travels. I’ll get an iPhone for GPS then.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 5:18PM
I got to college in Lake Tahoe and I never know when there will be a spur of the moment rock climbing, backcountry snowboarding, or camping trip… the thought of needing one of these makes me realize I should maybe I should plan a little more on making sure people even know I’m gone let alone back safe.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 9:00PM
I do a lot of coastal sailing on the pacific coast. A spot would come in handy for updating my family!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 9:05PM
On a fishing trip a few years ago a pal of mines pontoon overturned. We were pretty far away from the take out and he had a history of heart problems. I was pretty concerned that he might have a major issue with us miles from help. A SPOT messenger would have been great for us.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 10:39PM
Last summer, my wife and I went hiking in the hills/mountains of Tennessee. As luck would have it, we wondered off the path and found ourselves lost. If we had that little baby, we could have called for help. Instead we wandered out in the wilds for a good 15 miles before we finally found our way back to the tent–
It was an interesting journey in 90 degree heat. We got lucky. A lot of others don’t. This would definitely help in those situations.
(Sorry, attached a misspelled email addy to the post above, the new one is on this post. See, you can tell I need some guidance..lol)
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 6:37AM
I do a lot of 4 season backpacking in New Hampshires White Mountains. There has been one occasion where my friend and I were doing a February traverse through the Presidential Range. Visibility was really bad once we got to Mount Washington, we couldn’t see anything and the wind was aweful. Luckily, we were prepared and everything went fine. A SPOT would have definitely eased our minds. My family usually does not come with me on my long trips and they spend most of the time worrying about me. They would definitely like knowing where I am and that I am o.k..
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 7:30AM
I’ve been cutting trees down on our property for the past few weeks. Using a chainsaw, alone, in a remote area, without cell phone coverage, isn’t necessarily a good idea…things can go wrong awfully quick. Having a SPOT handy would be comforting for my wife.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 7:43AM
My Wife and I have been on a couple of backpacking trips deep in the wilds. She fears me hurting myself as there is no way she can move me. I also tend to be the navigator so she may not find her way out to get help. A device like this would really ease both of our minds!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 8:20AM
Great giveaway definitely handy out in the wild.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 8:29AM
Thanks for the awesome contest!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 8:58AM
I do a lot of coastal kayaking and this piece of equipment would be wonderful in giving my family some peace of mind. Nice piece of equipment. Good on ya!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 9:59AM
[...] quote above is coming from the GearCrave Blog, one of the sites holding contests to give these $169.99 devices away for FREE. They have also [...]
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 10:05AM
I can’t help wanting one of these for travels in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and elsewhere.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 10:12AM
When DON’T I need one of these? I’ve got a few expeditions, personal and professional lined up, and it’d be nice to keep friends, lovers, and enemies in the loop. Hotness….
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 11:59AM
Okay, I don’t have many wilderness adventures but this would be handy when making roadtrips and hitting the occasional deadspots out in the middle of nowhere. Especially having children, any parent needs to be able to have some sort of ability to contact help. On a less serious note, would definitely come in handly when trekking to the malls the day after Thanksgiving to hit all of the sales! ;-)
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 12:07PM
PS to my previous comment, I do have a brother-in-law that could be the poster child of adventure. This would be a great gift for him for Father’s Day or Christmas! Many thanks to Jason at The Adventurist for the tip on this giveaway.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 3:52PM
I do lots of solo backpacking and climbing trips. I have finally convinced my mother that I am not completely likely to die every time I rock climb, but she’s still sure that a cougar will eat me every time I go into the mountains. I told her to buy me a SPOT, but if I win one, then she can just pay for the subscription!!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:05PM
This thing would be great for both my wife and myself. She is always going off for days at a time backpacking. I never know what she is going to do or where exactly she’ll be at any given time, just a rough estimate. I am a hunter and, at times, wander off far into the woods and stay until dusk. I wonder how my wife finds her way and she wonders how I find my way. This would put both our minds at ease.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 5:10PM
sounds like a lifesaver. unless a bear eats you first.
Thursday, June 12, 2008 9:33AM
I go hiking/rapelling with friends and 99% of the time, our cell phones are out of range.
Thursday, June 12, 2008 1:06PM
I’d like one
Thursday, June 12, 2008 2:14PM
We were in upper Michigan in a forest looking for mushrooms, I got off the path and away from my family, I was terrified. Could have used this. Please enter me
Thursday, June 12, 2008 6:03PM
What is this?
Thursday, June 12, 2008 9:19PM
I WANT IT TO KEEP TRACK OF MY HUSBAND!
Friday, June 13, 2008 9:00AM
Yea! Spot!
Friday, June 13, 2008 10:12AM
so cool i’d love you, please!
Friday, June 13, 2008 4:58PM
I actually owe my life to a similar device while rowing acros the Atlantic Ocean in 2005. Had I not had an EPIRB, I would’nt be here today. Now that I’m back on land (and after a successful, record breaking trip in ‘07), I could definitely use a SPOT on my hiking,biking, and climbing adventures in the desert southwest.
Friday, June 13, 2008 7:33PM
As a training pilot, SPOT would be an excellent tool to have. Not only can my wife keep track of my flight progress and have peace of mind during solo training, but if there is ever an emergency, I’m only the push of a button away from help.
Friday, June 13, 2008 10:56PM
I will never get lost again
Saturday, June 14, 2008 3:08PM
This kind of spot is good.
Saturday, June 14, 2008 6:39PM
The SPOT could have really helped us when we were fishing on a 10 KM wide remote lake, and got stranded in the middle. While we had paddles, using them to propel a 1500 lb. boat/motor is not an easy job. Had our significant others known our exact location, they could have pointed rescuers right to us, instead of hours of searching.
Saturday, June 14, 2008 9:29PM
I was hiking in the woods and my dog got spooked and ran off the trail. After following to find him I was disoriented and it was difficult to get my bearings because of the tree. SPOT would have made my trail home shorter.
Saturday, June 14, 2008 10:49PM
My cousin and I went on ‘an adventure’ on my grandparents ranch one time when it was really, really cold (Christmas get-together, you see). We thought we wouldn’t get lost, but hey, Texas is big…and we did get a bit lost. We finally saw the hay barn and knew that was close to the house. I’m surprised neither of us got frostbite.
Saturday, June 14, 2008 10:59PM
I could have used one of these when I was a youngster backpacking in the Sierras. Told my Mom it would be a three day hike. Turned out to be seven days. She would have felt better knowing I was OK all that time. Of course that was before GPS…
Sunday, June 15, 2008 5:06AM
nice
Sunday, June 15, 2008 9:28AM
I would love to win this
Sunday, June 15, 2008 1:57PM
Thanks, this would be a great addition on my camping trip
Sunday, June 15, 2008 7:54PM
I don’t want to get lost so count me in to win and make sure I find my way home
Sunday, June 15, 2008 8:49PM
I really haven’t been on any adventure trips where SPOT Satellite Messenger would have come in handy, but I think it would really come in handy if I was to get lost if I was visiting a state or country I was unfamiliar with. In fact, the next time I go to a state or country I haven’t been to before I hope I can bring a SPOT Satellite Messenger with me. This is a great giveaway and I really hope I win. Thanks.
Monday, June 16, 2008 12:44AM
Could have used this when I was dropped off in the middle of San Francisco (I hadn’t been there alone before) and had to find my way out of the city using public transportation (without a car). Maybe not a real outdoor adventure, but a SPOT would have given me a bit more peace-of-mind knowing my husband could check on me!
Monday, June 16, 2008 12:52AM
GearCrave,
I just submitted my comment, but see that your time zone is one hour earlier than mine (PST). Don’t you think my comment should count in this giveaway since no time zone was stated in your contest rules? Thanks for your consideration! The SPOT is very cool!
Monday, June 16, 2008 8:01AM
[...] 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 [...]
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 11:23AM
so who won?
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 2:38PM
That would be something my husband and I could use!!!!
Thursday, June 19, 2008 4:34PM
[...] 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 [...]
Saturday, June 21, 2008 10:20PM
Cool gadget. My other GPS disappeared.
Thursday, June 26, 2008 12:02AM
[...] 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 Messenger. [...]
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 12:11PM
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.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 4:04PM
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.
Thursday, October 2, 2008 6:48AM
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!