What IS that????

 

I am a solo hiker most of the time. One of the places I go is into a mile square of uninhabited land with two valleys, a few caves and two streams. One of the hikes to my favorite rock shelter and ice cave is a 3 mile round trip from my back door. 

The valleys typically do not have cell service. This is my neighbor's land held in a family trust. The only time there are humans on it now is during deer hunting season and perhaps turkey season.

The one brother who farmed the land died in an accident involving an old John Deere 5 wheel UTV. The guy that was with him survived and tried to call 911. He couldn't get reception. Of course that was 2005, however my phone dings often and tells me a message "No Voice Service Available" when I am in the valleys.
I've been riding solo or exploring this land by foot since 1997. 

With my last check up and some tests done, I was dx'd with severe osteoporosis [I don't feel it!] and there was a question about an anxiety attack I'd had. Was it anxiety or A-Fib or something else. I was required to wear a heart monitor for two weeks. 

The monitor showed that I had a normal heart with no issues. 

So my doctor asked me if I was still hiking solo in isolated areas. I told her yes. She asked that I not go anywhere without cell phone coverage and always lay out a path and let someone know by calling them when I leave and when I get back.

I rolled my eyes at her and sighed. 

I read the book last year called When You Find My Body: The Disappearance of Geraldine LarGay on the Appalachian Trail. She had a locator device that she never activated because needed to be synced with her cell phone and her husband said it was complicated, so she left it with him. In short, had Geraldine had her PLB activated, she wouldn't have died.

So I had been considering a PLB for a while and had been doing comparisons and reading reviews. I didn't want a fancy gadget so I settled on PLB1 rescueME. Just flip up the antennae and push the button.

I admit it. I won't likely change my hiking habits in the near future. I am a wanderer and explorer. I'm comfortable out there. I'm at ease. 

This is just a safety device that would help me in case I got into a scenario where I needed to be rescued. It won't protect me and it won't save me from an injury. 

I do generally write down my intentions on a pad of paper and leave it in the vehicle when I am at the Reserve or other places. I practice safety when I hike. But things can happen. And I don't always stick with my plans. 

When I opened the box and held it up for hubby to see he asked me:

What IS that?

I replied in the simplest terms I could.

"Honey, it is my Help Me I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up! device!"

This may sound a bit like overkill to some folks but think about it. I don't have someone to go with me 95% of the time. I admit it, I am older and perhaps no wiser. But if I really get into a situation, I don't have to depend on cell service. And that is worth it to me.