sattelite phones

[jim2]

i,m considering renting a satt phone for my october trip. i'll be solo for part of trip. has anyone had any experience with good or bad renting a satt phone?

[04LJ]

A Waste, too many issues when you REALLY need it.    where are you going that, you might want one.

[MilesOfTexas]

I thought about renting one for emergencies, but then decided to make a one time investment for a FastFind PLB.  That way, with its GPS, if I am hurt I don't have to try to explain exactly where I am.  Plus, it is a lot smaller and lightweight.  But, a SAT phone can obviously let you contact friends and family while you are out there.  Some of the plans that I saw when I was looking offered free incoming calls, but I just don't know how free they really are.

[presidio]

A Waste, too many issues when you REALLY need it.

While the cost of calls may be pricey, what are the 'issues' to which you refer? I've used sat phones and they work flawlessly...wish I had one.

[dkerr24]

I was wondering the same thing too, Presidio.  I've read numerous stories of hikers using sat phones successfully even while in narrow slot canyons.  I've read the connections can fade out periodically in those areas as the satellites pass overhead, but they still work long enough to get in a brief call between interruptions.

What I'm waiting for are the PLB's that also send/receive SMS text messages.

[elhombre]

I rented one last year to go hiking in the mountains of Colorado last year.  It was about $9/day.  In the valleys, I had to wait sometimes 5 minutes to get a green light (signal) but the signal would last about 10 minutes.  Mine had text messaging for $.70, and my wife could call me FREE with her cell phone.  So, I would text her to call me and we would talk all we wanted.  If I went hiking alone again, I would get a phone without even thinking about it.

A phone is better than a PLB for most problems.  If your car breaks down, you can get the right kind of help.  If you twist your knee and can't walk, you can give the SAR all the right info so the right amount of resourses can be used to drag your broken butt out of the wilderness.  Finally, nothing sounds better than the voice of your little girl when you are feeling a little homesick or guilty for leaving them at home.

[bdann]

I rented one last year to go hiking in the mountains of Colorado last year.  It was about $9/day.  In the valleys, I had to wait sometimes 5 minutes to get a green light (signal) but the signal would last about 10 minutes.  Mine had text messaging for $.70, and my wife could call me FREE with her cell phone.  So, I would text her to call me and we would talk all we wanted.  If I went hiking alone again, I would get a phone without even thinking about it.

A phone is better than a PLB for most problems.  If your car breaks down, you can get the right kind of help.  If you twist your knee and can't walk, you can give the SAR all the right info so the right amount of resourses can be used to drag your broken butt out of the wilderness.  Finally, nothing sounds better than the voice of your little girl when you are feeling a little homesick or guilty for leaving them at home.

where did you rent from?

[Cookie]

Finally, nothing sounds better than the voice of your little girl when you are feeling a little homesick or guilty for leaving them at home.

AAAWWWWW....that is so sweet!

When Elhombre got the phone for his trip to Colorado last year, I had more problems getting an answer out of AT&T about charges. The number for the satellite phone was a big long number, with a country code at the front of it. It took several days and lots of time on hold to get an answer from AT&T. They said there wouldn't be a charge (they thought) for making the calls, but I wouldn't know for sure till I got my next bill. The only way they finally figured out if there would be a charge was that I had called the phone the day before when we got it from Fedex to make sure it would work. They were able to pull up the record of the call and there was no extra charge for it.  I would highly recommend one!
~Cookie

[Cookie]

where did you rent from?

I believe it was roadpost.com

~Cookie

[Undertaker]

Have used both boating, flying, hunting, being able to talk home is great, being able to tell SAR extent of injuries will save you a small fortune, responding trucks, equipment, choppers and planes for a simple sprain big bucks, being able to say your location and you need minimal help even better, understand new PLB's give you best of both worlds. Never had a problem with Sat, never had to deploy PLB but I have one as well as Epirb on boat. Nice being able to reach out and touch someone.

[jim2]

i'm reading l parent's death in big bend.   i've made a few solo trips to the park. many more with the family. the plan today is to hike banta from roys peak vista. spending two nights there. one night at camp de leon. then two nights at twisted shoe or robbers roost. from there i 'll go out the dodson until it's time to turn back. thanks for your input.