Spot Personal Tracker
Your cell phone doesn't always work, and satellite phones are costly for the average outdoorsman. And let's face it, distress beacons are typically reserved for airplanes and large ships. But if you're in the wild, you're not as alone as you once were. The Spot Personal Tracker is a personal GPS and satellite device that can call out for help with the push of a button. The original Spot had four basic functions that sent four basic alerts: SOS/911 (life-threatening situation), Help (non–life threatening), Check-In/OK (message sent to predefined contacts) and Track Progress (progress is saved on Google Maps). Service plans are required, as they are with cell phones, but wouldn't you rather pay out a couple hundred dollars now and not be stuck on the side of a mountain later?