Because I have a husband who loves skiing, hiking, and sailing in remote areas, often by himself, I was thrilled when he learned about and bought a SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker.
This great little device allows him to push a button and send one of three email messages: OK--just checking in, HELP--non life-threatening condition, or 911. The email message includes his exact latitude and longitude and a link to Google maps. This reduces my worry considerably.
He recently went on a three-week sailing trip in England with a friend and was able to access a computer for email only a few times. However, I received frequent SPOT emails, showing exactly where he was. The Google map would appear with an arrow showing his location, but even better was the information that would show up at the side of the screen. I'd see photos of the area and other related links. For example, when he was in the Cornwall area, I clicked on a video of two people having a conversation in Cornish. Fascinating.
I'm a SPOT fan and highly recommend it for families with loved ones who insist on putting themselves in situations where they just might need help. The device and a year service fee is less than $150.00.







