For those who don't use inreach
Elk
For folks who venture into the backcountry and don't have a satellite com. device.
YOUR AN IDIOT
Yep! I was an idiot for years- but NO MORE! ;-)
That cart they have is pretty sweet! I like that big balloon tire.
I just talked to a guy this morning, who walked out over 30 miles of Wilderness, with a raging case of kidney stones.
Anything can happen out there.
There was talk on here recently about a device that only works intermittently. Which one was that, I'm thinking SPOT? Is inreach the most reliable?
Ouch that had to hurt has anyone tried the inreach mini looks pretty good Lewis
Agree completely with O.P.
You mean, “You’re an idiot” not.....”YOUR AN IDIOT”. :) :)
PECO from everything I have read the inreach is better and more reliable.
Lewis I haven't seen any negatives with the mini. When I need to replace my old delorme inreach I will be looking hard at the mini.
BOHNTR, your you're you are, dang you got me.
I have both the SPOT and Mini. Have not had any issues with either. I used to like the SPOT because it was one-way and I could send "all good" or "killed one here", "coming home tomorrow" messages and location out without having to listen to mother-daughter drama. But now that I'm older and only hunting solo, I like having 2-way communication if needed.
BOHUNTR.....there, their, they’re. No need to get testy ;-)
Lewis....one guy in our group that hunted Kodiak this fall, had a mini. It seemed to work just as well as my regular InReach.
Also "thare" from the more deeply challenged...
Nahh. If you ain’t living on the edge, then you ain’t living. ;)
Another good reason not to run!
Stupid runners. ;-)
Lewis, The mini works great.
Roy the grammar cop dropping the irony is the best part of this thread!
Lots of people escape to the wilderness to get away from all things electronic, and they accept the inherent risks. I can respect that. And come on, we all did that not long ago. No need for name calling.
Guess I’m an Idiot because I don’t have one. Sounds like it would be handy to have. But I also have not justified paying a $350 for a unit and then the monthly fee to use it. If it was a one time purchase deal I would do it.
What’s your definition of backcountry? I could drive 10 minutes from my house and hike a few miles and be into Colorado wilderness area.
Yea there is a chance I could get hurt but I believe in a god and I know where I am going when I die. And if the time is my time then it’s meant to be. Besides I’d rather die out in the woods anyways. But I have much higher odds of dying at work or in a car wreck driving in these crazy roads than I do hunting.
I got to literally watch my young father die from brain cancer and I am not a fan of cancer as a result.
I understand using available tools to keep us safe, better our life, etc. But their/they're/there is something to be said for disconnecting. Living in the DFW metroplex, I'd guess my chances of being maimed or killed in traffic here are greater than by an accident in the backcountry while hunting. I very well could be incorrect on that, but I cherish the ability to rely only on myself occasionally. Mark me in the "idiot" camp.
For the record, I don't run on icy patches in the mountains. Nor do I dance on deadfalls or bounce from boulder to boulder in rock slides.
You do not need to get too far off the beaten path not to have cell service or spotty service. If you can't move, you're either going to wait right there until they find you-dead or alive.
I learned the lesson the hard way. I can very much appreciate getting away from it all and enjoy it too. But, I still want a reliable way to call for help if I need it. I almost always hunt alone. Accidents happen and involve everyone close to you.
Afterwards I bought an Inreach. I think both the regular and mini connect to the same satellite system and should be equally reliable.
Thanks all did not want to hijack but I was curious Lewis
Young guys will soon figure out that the ‘S’ on your chest will slip.
Guaranteed
Scrappy knows I’m just messing with him.....couldn’t resist. Sorry. ??
I have an inreach mini....I don't have it for me or because I want it. Some of you other guys that have them likely know what I mean.
Justin....Crystal keeps hiding mine. Should I be concerned?
Brad, I'm 56 and and lost any delusion of wearing an "S" on my chest decades ago.
Our world is bubble-wrapped enough. I don't go out of my way to take chances, but it is invigorating to occasionally find a little tiny situation in life that demands we take 100% responsibility for our well being. My wife understands my reasons and likes me a lot better after I spend a couple weeks in the mountains every other year. In fact, I think she'd like for season to start soon, lol.
Guess what, I'm an idiot. Remember hunting when we didn't have cell phones and such? Was still a lot of fun. Fully aware of many things that can happen hunting solo, but the independence is part of the lure for me. Kind of like Ermine and Hackbow said. Great if you have one, I just haven't chosen to. Nothing against them. And I've never had an S on my chest. Maybe a boot in the ass a time or two when I was a kid. Should mention I dont have a wife at home as she passed away 20 years ago and my 4 kids have long since accepted my solo independent style whether in the mountains or the bush back home. If i had a wife at home i would maybe think differently about it at this point in my life.
Ermine and EMB, I used to echo your thoughts. I’ve since realized that having the ability to communicate is not for my piece of mind but off my wife and kids at home.
Them knowing I’m safe allows me to stay longer, hunt harder, and enjoy my time off grid more!
If not for an Inreach, my sister and nephew wouldn’t have a husband or dad at home anymore! Freak things happen in the woods, and you never know when a simple slip can lead to a life threatening emergency.
If able to financially do it, get one, not for yourself but for your loved ones!
Myself never venture out of cell range while hunting. But offshore fishing is an entirely different situation & as the captain of the boat I'm responsible for the safety & well beying of my crew. I have an inreach mini an eperb (emergency personnel response beacon) 3 vhf's & 1 has an internal GPS with SOS. For those of y'all that venture way out of cell range solo without a means to get help if needed by all means go for it if I makes ya happy. But if your responsible for others. I'd strongly suggest a means of contacting help in the event of an emergency
A long time ago, I had to call Flight for Life for someone that rolled his Jeep. I was the only one in the vicinity that had a cell phone - analog bag phone.
Chopper came. Never did find out anything after that.
If I can help someone by having an inreach, I’m cool with it. Because it’s not about me at that point.
I Did a call that originated via inreach, I flew a girl out with a broken femur. She was hiking in an area that has shit for service, one of her party went up trail to try to get service in another location and ran into a hiker who happened to have inreach. Inreach and the helicopter saved her life, because she was short on time.
I guess I’m an IDIOT too. Been called worse than that.
What did our ancestors do? How did they venture into the woods without a satellite connection?! Idiots!!
I’m with Ermine and a few others. Call me what you want but I don’t want one.
I get that some don’t want an inreach, but that OnX app on your phone sure is nice isn’t it? Haha!
Oops, sorry I never dreamed anyone on bowsite wouldn't see things the same way when it comes to the use of an inreach. I honestly figured everyone here would think the same on this one.
What's OnX. Something you ride like an e bike??
Kinda funny.....We get physicals, immunizations, take maintenance medication, hip replacement, knee replacement, E-scout, wear seat belts, helmets, safety harness in treestands, but a small simple device that alerts help when our tibia is sticking out thru our flesh because we slipped navigating deadfall, it's somehow too much technology.
Just buy one please. Not for you but for the people looking for you. They are most valuable for checking in with wife or buddies so they don’t have to worry about you. They also can save countless hours of search and rescue time if they know you are alive or if you need help they know exactly were to go. They are still looking for a guy that disappeared in the black hills on oct 2 ???
My buddies love it when I check in with my inReach because I will check in when I’m in a good hunting spot and they can track me as I hunt. I think some of them like watching more than hunting.
I have an inReach and a mini that way I can communicate with my cheap azz buddies that won’t by one. Once they use it they are very interested in buying one.
Nope. I'm an idiot too I reckon. I'm getting to the point that I realize there are things worse then dying at 95, crapping the bed, unable to walk,talk, or be anything but a burden. I also realized that there are worse ways of going then in the mountains if that card is dealt. I don't want to die for a long time but, I'm pretty sure when I die an inreach isn't going to be the difference. If I'm wrong about that, I guess I'll have a bit to ponder about how dumb it was to feel this way about it, while I lay helplessly dying.
It's a nice piece of gear for people who want them. I just don't feel the need for one.
Like others have mentioned, it isn’t about me. Apparently others give a sh!t about my well being. Who knew?
WV, you can always leave it turned off while you're laying there in the woods writhing around cramping and pooping blood with a case of pre-peritonitis diverticulitis infection.. ;-(
Don't ask me how I know about this happening in elk camp.
Well you got me there Brad! Too funny. Ok, if you take my OnX away I’ll definitely need that Inreach thingy. My ass is getting lost for sure.
If you won't do it for yourself or your loved ones, do it for your fellow hunters so SAR isn't tromping all over the mountain looking for your rotting corpse, screwing up the hunting for everyone else. ;-)
I just got a garmin map 66i last last moose hunt, should have had one sooner
Yep, I have an inreach. I bought it two years ago on my last elk hunt when my wife was pregnant with our third and last kiddo. She likes knowing I’m safe and we both felt a lot better when I could check on her or she could contact me if I needed to rush home during that time.
If I ever run into someone out there in need of it I will be more than ready to help save their life.
My wife got me one for Christmas. Not sure why people are saying if they carry an inreach they can’t “disconnect”. You never have to turn it on or use unless you need help if that’s your desire.
My wife’s loves the fact that when I’m out of cell range in southeastern New Mexico backcountry Barbary hunting this coming week I can get help IF needed.
InReach is great. The ability to send and receive messages is great, I was able to have an argument with my wife over text when our sewage ejector pump went out while I was elk hunting in MT last Sept!
If you're wondering, two day in to a 10 day trip it went out, after much arguing she decided to not call the plumber that I INSISTED she call and just shut down the basement of the house and left it for me to deal with when I got home. But... I DID learn that when you buy a plan of 40 messages, sending or receiving each counts as a message. It cost me about $150 to have that argument that I lost.
The attached link may or may not change anyone’s mind about the InReach, but it’s a good read of the 2000th InReach rescue.
I remember the days when we weren’t all a bunch of sissies that needed to be able to check in with our wives every day...and I’m not that old!
I have an Inreach Mini.
I also take toilet paper. A jetboil, down sleeping bag, Crispi boots, MH, binoculars and other stuff that “... they never use to need to go hunting..”
We must be running out of things to look down on others for, in the hunting community.
Totally appreciate the many possibilities of needing help or encountering someone that does while out in the bush. Spent basically my whole life out there. Not everyday of course but many weeks every year. I'm just cut from some weird cloth that chooses to let some things take their course I guess. Can't really explain it to you that probably have more common sense and I certainly don't see a thing negative about having an inreach or whatever. And if I encounter someone needing help I will just rely on my field expediency to assist. Obviously they chose to go on their adventure without the advantage of inreach also. Really, explained to my daughters and son, what happens, happens on my little adventures. They seem to understand. Being an older guy is part of it I guess. Whatever.
I hunt deep in timberlands with the next human miles away. I always carry a day pack in winter and a fanny pack in summer. I let my wife know where I hunt and if I am not home by midnight, call the warden. My hounds have caused me to spend many nights in the woods over the years., along with London deer drags. Leave a beagle or deer overnight up here and the coyotes will take them. They pack hunt here. Cell phones are useless up here. I am 73 and use only a compass but don’t take chances. I am very adept at setting up camp if needed and am comfortable with the risks. Dying in the woods as an old man beats a nursing home. My grandfather died at 86 deer hunting alone.
Hmmm, UCSD, I remember back when we didn't bring our wives to elk camp and sleep with them in a double hammock. ;-)
No need for an Inreach when you can communicate by farting at each other in Morse code.
Yes sir, lots of uses with the Inreach devices. We had them with us on the Vet hunt where the video was shared here. There were 3 of us that were hunting together & 4 in the 2nd group with my Son & Tyler, we were a couple miles apart but as soon as Jerry shot the bull we contacted the other group with the mini Inreach to head our way & track the bull together so all 3 Vets could enjoy the experience & support their partner. Yep sure, lots of uses!
ElkNut/Paul
You guys got me interested in these inreach units. I've been researching them, my wife would like it if I had one. The problem I see, is that the reviews are concerning in a negative way. I'm early in my vetting process, I'm not sure it's acceptable to me to rely on a product with a less than 4 star rating to save my life. But at the same time, it's better than nothing.
I just looked into one that claimed to "make your GPS obsolete" WHAT A RELIEF! I feel a lot better about never having had one of those now obsolete bastards. Low tech here, very happy, very successful, but under no delusions about what can happen, found enough dead elk to realize its a dangerous world out there, Hatchet Jack .
Just imagine you had a nineteen year old daughter and she was just leaving for a two week solo camping trip through Mexico. “No thanks Dad, I don’t want your Inreach, I’ll be fine. And anyway I’d rather go missing doing something I love”
If you have nobody at home that would miss you, then you live a sad life. If you do have lived ones, then they deserve the piece of mind.
I turn my Inreach on at night and send an OK message. Sometimes at mid morning if I’m sitting and glassing. Not much different than sending a text home that you’re stuck in traffic and not dead in traffic, after work.
If you claim you don't care if you die in the bush, that’s fine. But at least let your family expedite your estate by having a corpse.
PLB. No subscription costs.
If you read the story he was running on a rocky, snowy, wet and ice covered trail.
That activity would obviously have a significantly higher risk than a guy out elk hunting. I’m pretty sure the last time I tried to run on ice, I slipped and fell!
I sleep out in the mountains 20-30 nights a year backpacking/hunting. I am with another person 99 percent of the time. When I’m in my home state of Oregon there seems to be cell phone service on the tops of most ridges. If a helicopter was going to come to get one of us, they would have to land on a ridge top somewhere where there was cell phone service to make the 911 call. At that point either me or my friend could show the rescuers the fastest and easiest route to the injured person.
In the areas I go I have never seen a place in the bottom of a drainage where a helicopter could land.
I think in my case, in an emergency I have a pretty good game plan with no satellite phone.
Am I an idiot?
My one and only SPOT "rescue": A very good friend had a heart attack and died during my elk hunt. His funeral was planned and the family wanted me to deliver the eulogy. My wife was able to find me in my remote camp, where she had never been before, from the coordinates and map link from my nightly check-in messages.
That, right there, made it worth it. I'd have been forever regretful without the SPOT intervention.
Life isn't all about "you" and your "youness". Imagine if you're on a remote hunt and your wife or child is critically injured in an accident. Happens every day. Wouldn't you want to know, come back home? For some of you tough guys, maybe not..
Not a tuff guy, Superman, or selfish asshole.
Just pointing out everyone’s circumstances are different. In my case, cell service is great on any ridge tops In the areas I hunt the most. Either my friend or I could be high enuff on the ridge to get service in short order. I also typically camp on the tops, and we typically have cell service off and on throughout the day.
If I was alone, and/or hunting an area with no cell service an additional $300-$400 device would probably be a great idea.
I think every hunter should have an Inreach, AND wear a helmet. You just never know what might happen out there.... ;-)
Matt
Were we all selfish and have a "Superman" complex just a few short years ago before this technology existed?
From what many of you are saying, it would have been irresponsible to go on extended backcountry trips prior to these electronic saviors. Did you guys only hunt out your back yard in those days?
We literally make thousands of decisions in any given week's time in our daily lives. Many of those decisions carry some level of risk. My guess is that some of the activities in which we collectively engage carry a higher level of risk than a well planned, backcountry hunt. What about eating fried foods? What about riding a motorcycle? What about working with chemicals? Etc.
In fact, I would be willing to wager that alcohol abuse, by members of this forum, has caused more heartache and health issues than any backcountry emergency. By a wide margin. Yet several of those calling out the non-electronics crowd routinely post about their beer, Scotch, bourbon, etc. (including me). Why then is any alcohol in our lives tolerated? We know that its detrimental effect can, and often does, involve others and not just ourselves.
As in most things in life, it seems like different individuals have different views on different subjects. Every person has their own risk/reward tolerance that varies by activity.
PECO- I've looked at the reviews and seems like all the NON-5 star reviews had to do with the subscription plans or the functionality of texting on the unit, NOT the actual operation of the unit itself. As has been said, the texting is much easier when using the Earthmate App paired with your phone. And a little thought and research BEFORE selecting a subscription plan can eliminate those problems as well.
I think we all get a little LESS reckless as we age. It comes with experience and responsibility. There was a time when I would bomb down a steep single trac on my mountain bike just to see how fast I could go. Went over the handlebars a few times. But that was 20+ years ago before I had kids. Once I got married and started a family..........................lets just say I got a little more cautious! ;-)
I’m gonna quit carrying a spare tire now too. Some pussy can have mine.
An old cowboy in the BC interior was attributed to say “ Give a man one horse, one saddle, one rifle, one frying pan, one shaker of salt, and that man will be gloriously happy and free!”
I think many here like to imagine they are that cowboy, but in reality, one in five thousand would qualify.
How did people ever hunt before these devices came out! Man what did we do just a few years ago when cell phones didn’t exist. How did anyone ever hunting? Just crazy to think about
I think the inreaches are great. If anyone wants to buy me one and pay for the monthly service would gladly put it to use. It’s great to have the technology and have it in case something happens. But just because someone doesn’t have one doesn’t mean they are an idiot or a horrible person.
I’m an idiot. But I’m thinking about changing that. Really just for my convenience. I’m getting tired of having to find that perfect knoll in the backcountry that gives you enough service to check in back home.
Also, I went 15 days in Russia without contact with home. My family was fine. But it worked on me mentally. Worries about how my family was doing. Would have been a relief to me to be able to communicate with home.
I think I’ll have one before august for an Africa trip and then an elk trip
It would also be nice to check in with work. As much as I wanna be disconnected from that, I really need to check in occasionally
Well stated Hackbow. My thoughts exactly.
Although, I'll admit, I'll probably have an Inreach in my pack for my solo DIY elk hunt this year. Not so much for staying in contact with my family, instead for staying in contact with my buddies who have committed to helping me pack out the monster bull I plan on shooting.
;-)
Matt
After using a buddies in Alaska last year I got one. The weather updates are worth every cent. Scouting alone in Arizona will bring peace of mind this year too... Ed F
GG - I may not have an Inreach this season, but I will consider wearing a helmet. ;o)
With very, very few exceptions, mountain hunting has always been merely a sporting pursuit. There is no one posting here that absolutely must hunt elk, or other critters, in the backcountry for survival. Not now. Not 30 years ago.
I am seriously curious how anyone who claims that these devices are necessary to responsibly hunt in the backcountry today can say that it wasn't irresponsible before they were invented.
Also, who is gonna quit drinking because of this thread?
Yeah, I think the helmet is a good idea, Hackbow. That Inreach isn't gonna do you any good, if you fall and knock yourself unconscious. ;-)
This discussion makes me think of my younger years, when me and my buddies would spend all day riding our bikes around our neighborhood, unsupervised, with no helmet, and no way to contact home. Nowadays, that would be considered parental neglect by many. It's amazing any of us old farts survived those "irresponsible" times.
Matt
Well...how did we hunt without all these gadgets? Old farts like me used a topo map and compass. I'd scout those maps and have a pretty good idea of where I was going and wanted to be. I'd lay it all out in quadrants . I pretty much knew what I was getting into. From the maps, I'd know what was around me, the terrain etc. I'd let someone, my wife mostly, know what quadrant I intended to hunt. If I move dramatically, I'd let them know. My pack contained survival gear from fire starting material to twine to a large garbage bag to everything in between. It still does. Never had much of a problem. I kind of enjoy being able to get myself out of whatever I get into, including packing game out. I tried not to do anything grossly stupid. I still do all of these things. Gadgets haven't replaced them. My cell phone and Inreach are just additional tools that make some of the jobs easier. But, I don't totally rely on or trust them. I've had no cell service (total in all directions), my GPS took a dump, my range finder quit. You name the electronic gadget, it has failed me. My map, compass, land navigation, range finding and woodsmanship skills never have. Just a word about cell phone reception. If there is not a tower above you, you can climb the tallest mountain to no avail. That's how we used to and still do it. No cell phones or gadgets or camo. Worked then, and it works now. We just have better equipment and tools now. Remember the pack boards that put the weight of the meat high on your shoulders rather than on your hips??? Boy that was pleasant :)
How did people hunt before cap lock muzzleloaders, then before center fire. How did anybody bowhunt before compounds? How did we hunt before cars, trucks and atv's or bush planes and jet boats? If you have a cell phone or even a landline, you're not doing it the old way. Write a letter to your hunting buddy and put it on a horse drawn wagon or canoe instead of calling or hopping on the internet to make plans and research.
The days of sitting by kerosene lamp on a long cold winter evening, making your spring order from the Sears and Roebuck are gone. Nothing stays the same and we embrace new technology just like the hunters thirty, eighty or two hundred years ago did. We are the generations that are so comfortable that we can (in short spurts) shun advances to more of it. We have the luxury to pick and choose our comforts. I bet if you asked the man that was one week into his three week task of hand bucking firewood if he'd like a chainsaw...? Keeping in mind that he's not puttering around the cabin, but rather staying alive and all his days are fourteen hours of work, year round.
Nobody NEEDS ninety percent of what we have. But nobody is willing to give up ten percent of it either. I bet not many cancer survivors would have chosen treatment from fifty years ago. Basically life fifty years ago or even thirty doesn't limit our daily lives now. Are we less of a human or hunter if we use new technology than the hunter fifty years ago doing the same thing?
Ermine X 2. I don’t really understand the insults being thrown around on this thread over the use or non use of an Inreach.
I’m not Superman. I’ve never claimed to be. I’m not selfish either. Far from it. And, I’m certainly not a person afraid of leaving myself alone in the woods. I spent 21 years working in the woods. Alone. Not counting all the hunting and fishing in between. It’s just something I haven’t thought was vital to own. That may change one day. It might not
How far back should we go and then freeze there.
People have always found the need to communicate
Funny thread.
Kevin has it right.
If yer looking for the meatwagon crew , a PLB is way to go.
We use to have a EPIRB yrs ago in our 27ftr Good if stayed above water.
Its all fun until you got a bone sticking out.
Howd all those 30 day pac in horse outfitters get by from 1900-1990?
Sat communication is great. I do wonder how many guys who wouldn't hunt off the grid without it also carry their handgun every day whether on or off the grid.
I grew up without cell phones so being out of touch for a week or two was the norm when hunting. Obviously being able to communicate has a lot of convenience and safety benefits but truly unplugging for a week is nice once in awhile.
I rarely have chosen to since kids entered the picture.
I've backpacked wilderness areas all over the west, hunted solo way off grid for hundreds of days, with nothing more than a topo and compass and nobody knowing where I was. Never wore a bike helmet. Free-climbed solo.
Then a hunter I was guiding died in my arms on the mountain when it took five hours to get EMTs there from only 25 miles away. Another 50 year old friend had his colon rupture from an unknown diverticula pocket, and nearly died, was helicoptered to a hospital, and now seven surgeries later wears a bag, but he lived. I rammed a sharp staub through my calf in the backcountry, alone, barely missing an artery.
Sure, we can go into the backcountry with only a pocketknife and a Bic lighter. Everything else is just fluff. But one thing I learned - with an Inreach or SPOT, help can be called in if needed, and we never know when that might be. Without one, SAR is eventually sent out hoping to find you alive.
Life is about choices.
Where do you stop technology?
For those that don't want an inreach for whatever reason perhaps just don't want to be comunicated with while in remote areas and perhaps that's the exact reason your there to began with. there's a device called a p perb (personal emergenc response beacon) they cost around $220.00 if your in trouble you unlatch the antinna push & hold the red button for 3 seconds & it starts sending an SOS with your GPS locationvia satellite. Could quiet possibly the best $ you ever spent. & no one can bother ya with texts on an inreach
There's an excellent book for anyone who ventures into the backcountry, called "Deep Survival - why some live and others don't", by Laurence Gonzales. It's a series of case studies of people who've suddenly and unexpectedly found themselves in deep spit. Really great food for thought.
Just to be clear, what turns me off on any hunt is someone who is so busy dealing with their tech gear (think anything electronic) that it takes their attention away from the hunt.
I'm fine with an InReach, mobile phone, gps, sat phone, or plb being available. I suppose what irks me is the fact that e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e is busy texting someone or staring at a little screen all day in their 'normal' lives. We're slaves to the screen, but I reject that on a hunt. I might text my wife ONE message at lunch or in the evening. I might call her on the sat phone every 2 or 3 days when back at camp. That's it.
I actually like having the safety aspect available. It's the distractions of communications (back & forth) to friends and family that can get out of control and suddenly a guy is thinking as much about other things as about the hunt.
^^^. Just wait till porn is available!
That’s how I use my Inreach. Check in “OK” and that message doesn’t even count against your limit.
A couple years ago, I shot a caribou late afternoon of the last day. I was able to contact Kurt on his Inreach and he in turn went to camp and got our much younger pack horse and they reached me by dark.
We lent a friend a Spot last year and he needed a helicopter extraction from a snowed in mountain. For an afternoon, all night and till late the next afternoon all we could do was wonder and worry what had befallen him. Grizzly attack? Serious fall? Very ill? It wasn’t nice for us and had to be very hard on his family.
One way message was a life saver. Two way would have saved so much anxiety and likely sped up and tailored the rescue.
He returned the Spot and bought an Inreach.
Nice, I logged onto bowsite after 4 days away just to find out I'm an idiot again. Guess I need to take a longer break !
I think the problem with the thread is right off the bat anyone who doesn't use an InReach (or similar) is labeled an idiot.
If the OP would have stated "consider one, it might just save your life" [in this case "your" not "you're" LOL] the thread might have not become so divided.
I have no problem with those who choose not to carry some type of personal location device. I usually don't carry bear spray or a firearm. We all do what we consider best for us.
I hunted for decades without any real way to communicate back home. When we had a baby and I took her out in the woods and got caught in a severe rainstorm (not life-threatening, but enough to make me think) I decided something on which a child could push a rescue button when daddy fell and cracked his head open on a rock might be a good idea.
I started with the first simple SPOT and then transitioned to InReach. I am among the most unplugged people around, yet I check in regularly "location here, all OK" type thing. I've never had an emergency, but as others have alluded to, even though hunting is important to me, I'd hate to finish out a 10-day trip only to return to cell range and find out my kiddo was hit by a car and in the ER back on day 2. Or my dad had a heart attack. Or whatever. Knowing my wife/family can reach me if necessary is worthwhile to me.
I did use it once when my truck broke down without any way of repair perhaps 10 miles from nearest cell service. Contacted my buddy and he was there later that day with a trailer to haul me out. Not life-saving, but handy.
When devices like this didn't exist, going without them wasn't irresponsible. But they're available now, so consider one for yourself and your loved ones.
If you want to go without, fine by me.
APauls, just to clarify: you found out you’re an idiot again? (as in multiple times being one)
Or found out again that you’re still one ?
And shouldn’t you be out blocking a railroad and saving the planet for the deer?
I think there’s a misperception that just because the inreach has text ability, that’s all people do with it.
It’s been my experience that’s the furthest thing from the truth.
I pay my base monthly subscription and I can’t remember the last time I sent a text with it. Maybe last September when I let my buddies know I shot a bull.
Now maybe if the unit had Sitka or Kifaru printed on it, a few guys on here would consider it. Especially since then they could post Instagram pics of it. Haha!
Ya know I got my first cell phone in 2005 the company I was driving for got it for me because I refused to buy myself one. & years before that another company I worked for gave me a pager so I most definitely understand not wanting to be connected while escaping society on a remote hunt. But as I previously mentioned I'm responsible for the crew on my boat while 50+ miles offshore & I have 3 different means of GPS - satellite linked emergency locators. I went the first 45 years of my life without a cellular device & I guarantee ya I could do it again. But to potentially compromise your safety & the peace of mind for your loved ones for a mear few hundred dollars I just can't understand. & just my opinion would be a foolish thing to do
X2 Cnelk, days & even several weeks can go by without ever using it at all. It's nice to know it's there especially the older I get, I guess I'm no longer bullet proof as when I was younger!
p.s. I have vehicle insurance too but I hope I never have to use it!
ElkNut/Paul
Don’t know about you but we are required to have vehicle insurance so yea I have that too. Maybe one of these days I’ll get an inreach when it’s required by all of you to be a hunter
If nothing else it is a life insurance guarantee! Push the SOS button and they will find your remains!
"Now maybe if the unit had Sitka or Kifaru printed on it, a few guys on here would consider it.."
^^^ And if it cost several times as much to buy and operate, and came in proprietary digital camo.
We can choose whether to carry a safety beacon, wear our seatbelts, get a flu shot, put a protective hood on our broadheads, install smoke and CO alarms, test for CWD, smoke cigarettes, get obese, on and on and on. Isn't this a great country?!
I just found out that my dogs tracking collar system has a safety beacon. I was running my beagle today and fiddling with the gps unit and it popped up in the menu. I guess I am now covered while hare hunting. I could wear the collar while deer hunting and leave the gps unit home with my wife. Time to come home, hit the shock button.
As long as it's not attached to your bow... you're good. Ed F
So your laying in the backcountry and cant self rescue due to ------- you fill in the blank.
For the guys here that are saying no to a sat. com. device your actually saying you would rather lay there and die a slow painful death than carry a small device that could actually mean life or death? I'm not talking about texting your buds, I'm talking about a simple button to save your life.
My original post was meant as tongue and cheek but after reading through some of these post, oh boy.
I drove by an accident that involved 7 dead riders. Life is a crap shoot. None were wearing helmets. Seven fatal s up here on snowmobiles so far this winter too. We all do things that would label us as idiots. Some hunt the deep woods during seasons. Some of us live and work in very remote areas. I spent a few summers logging alone with a skidder. Dangerous but one reduces the risk by not taking chances, not working to a point of exhaustion, and wearing good safety equipment. My hunting has been the same. I dress well, always carry a survival pack, can navigate with the stars, and have the advantage of growing up in these big woods. The woods are my home. This is where I am the most comfortable, day or night. I would feel safer miles into some of our timberlands trying to intercept a hound at midnight than walking the streets where some live.
Ok, for the "I'll die where I lie" guys: Please do us a favor and wear a "DO NOT RESCUE" bracelet. That way if I come upon you having a heart attack, or after a snakebite, bear attack, or being impaled on a staub or an arterial cut when gutting an animal or any of the other thousand things that can go wrong, I can simply tip my hat, wish you good luck, and carry on with my outing with no remorse.
Jaquomo, I still would try to save you because as a first responder, and being a Christian, that is what we do. I don’t think that the concern about carrying a locator is out of brotherly love and concern for our fellow human beings, but mostly about if I do it you should do it too, or else I will insult you.
I read the title to this post and I had to google it. Had no idea what it was and I'll probably never have a use for something like that. Having said that, most of my hunting is 150 to 300 yards from my house.
I guess I’m lucky to have enough to live for to make it worth having one. For those of you who don’t, you can find solace in the fact that death don’t hurt very long. At least not for you it won’t....
I work as a Firefighter/medic. I see death and tragedy on a daily basis. I see how fragile and short life can be. And I don’t take any day that I have for granted.
Like I said earlier. I’m not against them. I just don’t have one. Does that make me a bad person? Or someone who can’t share a fire with? I guess so to some of you. I actually talked with my wife about the inreach awhile back. And she thought it wasn’t worth the montly cost. Lol.
My beautiful wife and daughter are my life. I would never want to die out there or hurt them in anyway. Im afraid and betting cancer will get me in the end if anything
Some of y'all are to funny. I take great pride in my durability & ability to figure out a solution in an unforseen situations. But I also have no desire to die a long slow miserable death. So let's just imagine your 2 days pack into the wilderness take a fall & brake your back how many days is that back out dragging your limp body with nothing but your arms. Well I guarantee that you'd be wishing for that little orange button. But hey this is America so cary on young man
use one or not your choice no issue.
I don't get the cavalier approach by some to "if its my time it's my time". do you not look before crossing the street? do you not put a seat belt on? do you do nothing in life to minimize the potential of harm or do you just live wrecklessly and hope.
The risk of injury was a constant for every hunter who preceded the days of push-to-talk or push-to-rescue devices. Nothing has changed in terms of injury risk out there. The only thing that's changed is 1) technology and 2) our standard for using it to mitigate risks. I can easily understand why some don't want it or need it, and I assume those people have it worked out with their families and loved ones.
I don't like the tether, but I accept it. I mentally reject the idea that I can't go somewhere and be truly 100% free and unaccountable. My responsibilities to others won't allow it. But I have this dream of someday throwing my smart phone down a well and walking away with a smile on my face.
Justin, reading your previous posts, I was wondering if your wife knew about the InReach and what she would want for herself and that precious little daughter of yours. I'm surprised she hasn't insisted on you owning one. I think that's how many of us end up with one.
I'm a licensed funeral director although, I haven't worked in a funeral home since the mid-late 90's other than doing some embalming for funeral directors I know while they are on vacation. I embalmed a lot of people that would probably still be alive today if they would've worn their seat belts. I wear my seat belt as does my wife and son. I know a lot of folks that don't wear their seat belts, I don't argue with them although I do wish I could plug the memories from my brain into their brains. We all have free will and make choices everyday. We all live with those choices daily and in some cases die with them.
I hope everyone makes safe choices everyday. Funeral directors aren't in any hurry to get you because in the end, they get you. Stick around and live this life as long as you can.
The thing that gets me & perhaps why this is my 4th post to this thread is as an older responsible person like for instance a few of the properties I hunt I have sole permission but am allowed to bring guests so ultimately I'm responsible for their actions and in a way their well being on that property as well. AND if someone was accompanying me on a wilderness hunt I'd still have a seance of responsibility and especially if children were involved and I always encourage children to hunt & fish with me so as I see it just like on my boat I will never be without a means of emergency response contact if needed when outside of cell signal. There's nothing anyone could say to change my mind on this subject
Having worked with SAR teams in the past its unbelievable the dangers we have faced looking for lost hunters in the dark of the night. A simple text could have saved a lot people from putting their lives in danger just because someone couldn't read a map.
I have always prided myself on the fact that I was pretty independent and self sufficient when it comes to doing anything outdoor related. I have also been reluctant and sometimes out-right refused to embrace new technology over the years! That all changed on July 19, 2018! I often look back and think about what COULD have happened that day. If I had been a few miles further in, had I fallen on the excruciating walk out or had it taken just 90 min longer...……………………………………. I often think about how sad it would have been for my family and/or friends to find me lying dead next to the closed state forest road which could have easily aided in my rescue, if only I had an InReach at the time.
I now see things in a totally different light and often wonder why I didn't get one years ago. BUT, I will never look down my nose or criticize anyone for refusing to buy/use one! It is indeed a personal choice, and people have their own reasons for not wanting to use one. We may not understand it or agree with it, but this is the good old US of A and I Thank God we are not FORCED to use them! ;-)
I will continue to share my story and encourage my friends, family and acquaintances to get and use one, but I will NOT judge anyone for using them or not.
Rut Nut, I am reminded of your story every time I check to make sure my Inreach Mini is charged. For real. Your story, and the episode where the hunter I was guiding died, reinforce the concept that you don't ever have to turn it on, you can be as self-reliant as possible, but if you value life over a lonely death when things go sideways, it is a lifesaving tool in the toolbox.
Same with a basic survival kit. I hunted with two different guys in WY a couple years ago, who only carried a Bic lighter (one to light his smokes) and a pocket knife when hunting solo in the elk woods. To each his own, but that qualifies as candidacy for a Darwin Award.
I guess I shouldn’t tell this story or you guys will really think I’m a horrible person.
But it was the day my daughter was born. My wife was pregnant and we got a fresh snow. My wife said you better go out and look for lions. I said are you sure??
Well anyways I went out with a buddy and we cut a lion track. We chased it and it was a short chase. Meanwhile a few hours away my wife was having contractions.
The dogs were held up barking into a cave. Apparently the cat went into a cave. What is a guy to do? So I belly crawled into the cave. Could hear the cat growling, but was mostly worried about getting stuck in the cave because it was so narrow. I crawled way in there and killed lion in the cave. I belly crawled/ drug it back out. Got back to the trucks and loaded up and got a text from my wife asking if had any luck? I said yea killed one. And she said maybe you can come back home. (I had no idea she was having major contractions.)
Fast forward a few hours. I made it back home. My wife waddled out to the car. We rushed a hour down to town and our daughter was born about 30 minutes later. I still had lion blood on my hands! Crazy day forsure! Praise the lord the cat hunt was a really quick one (unusual for most cat hunts.).
Timex I'm bucking for a "fast miserable death", over the slow one. Slow ones are more apt to happen in hospitals and nursing homes.
I’m with Justin. My wife must dislike me as she thinks I don’t need one. I probably will get one some day, after my S slips. ;)
Pretty bold calling everyone who doesn't use one an idiot.
Well fuzzy if ya come fishing on my boat like we discussed. I have an inreach an eperb and an internal GPS vhf with SOS. So if we happen to hit something at 30 knots 50 miles offshore that rips a hole in the boat & the boat sinks the helicopter and coast guard cutter will be on the way. Now if ya happen to get eaten by a shark before they get there well I guess that'll be your quick but painful demise
Maybe we should simply be thankful for having access to this type of technology which eases communication and saves lives. We're fortunate to have the opportunity to debate things like this...which many people don't have access to.
I do use it, but in limited fashion. I don't blame someone who foregoes it, as long as his (or her) spouse and family are in complete agreement with the decision. That goes for friends or clients who might be impacted by the decision. My wife chews me out if I leave home without the cell phone....and I feel like the dog that slipped its collar and is free to go for a run.
surely I must be an idiot then....I don't even know what an inreach is.
95% of the places I hunt there is no cell service, but then again I don't have cell service at my home either.
I'm certain I'm way behind the times....I also still get around the mts without a gps.
can't imagine there would be anything wrong with a gadget that enables you to be found if you get hurt. still...? doubt I'd buy one.
Quoting the famous philosopher and outdoorsman, Joey Ramone:
"It's important if I wanna live Well, I wanna live I want to live my life I wanna live Well, I want to live my life"
Ermine I seen an article a few weeks back that showed we have over a 50% chance for cancer within 7 years of retirement from the fire service. We have a past chief battling cancer now and another current fireman that hopefully recently won his fight. I don’t see an in reach as a bad thing at all I’d like to have one and likely will shortly but on the other hand not coming home from the mountain one day may actually be easier on our families than watching us slowly waste away.
Sooo....when they want to microchip you so they know when you take a dump in the woods are you still an idiot if you don't want it?
I'd rather be an idiot than an all knowing smart ass who tells others what they "need".
fubar, take it from a guy that was given a 30% chance to live due to cancer, I can guarantee you that dying in the mountains would be a much better way to go then all the chemo and suffering that comes with it for certain cancer diagnosis.
I was blessed and doing as well as could be now. Praise the Lord. But, I've looked death in the face as much as anyone who's still alive after doing so. I know where I'm going when I die. I'm not expediting the process in anyway. I'm just not scared of doing it in the woods. So, I'm not speaking from selfishness, stupidity, ignorance, or tough guy computer babble. I simply see all the talk about being selfish, ignorant, etc.... as blowhard BS.
FWIW, if some of you bleeding hearts want to help me pay monthly on my 20% of the treatments, surgeries, doctors, and hospital fees, so I could afford more hunting trips, I'd go ahead and buy one just to make you fellas happy.
fubar do you recall where you seen that article?
It's a personal choice, use one if you wish, choose not to if you don't . Neither choice would necessarily mean your an "idiot"......but how you conduct yourself when faced with a varied opinion could.
I find great humor in y'all anti anti Tec anti satellite linked device that spend a lot of. time posting stuff an an internet forum. Way to funny. So how exactly does that work this stuf is a daily perhaps even hourly part of your existence but soon as ya hit the woods it's voodoo. (Seriously) kinda like saying toilet paper if fine at the house or office but in the woods a real man uses leaves
A real man minds his own damn business. Apparently there's no "app" for that yet.
Bou I think firehouse magazine but I’m not sure either.
Take your pick each are less than 300.00. I paid 220.00 for the perb & I think 280.00 for the inreach. And woods walker if ya couldn't see the humor in my last post I feel sorry for ya brother. But the fact is your using modern Tec to say that ya don't use modern Tec ????????? :¬)
$220.00 no subscription get in trouble push the orange button
Woods Walker brings up a good point. Where does the need to stay connected end? Will we be having this same debate about microchips in a few years?
Matt
From: Jaquomo 26-Feb-20
Rut Nut, I am reminded of your story every time I check to make sure my Inreach Mini is charged. For real. Your story, and the episode where the hunter I was guiding died, reinforce the concept that you don't ever have to turn it on, you can be as self-reliant as possible, but if you value life over a lonely death when things go sideways, it is a lifesaving tool in the toolbox.
Me too Jaq! ;-) Amazing how a life threatening experience can change your perspective!
Timex, you had me until till that pic on the Coleman cooler.
No Yeti = not a serious outdoors man.
Timex, sounds great! I'm in! :)
RFID research is making huge strides. Eventually, they will know your whereabouts 24/7. Using satellites they will be able to watch us and make sure that we are safe and not breaking the rules. Very cool. Won’t cost you a cent, just liberty.
^^^^ I 100% agree ^^^ the 45 minute ride in the ambulance from my house to the nearest hospital was a long one. And after aspirin nitro & more nitro my heart still quit in the er. I will admit that had my heart attack offshore or in the wilderness no device would have saved me.
I believe this thread has run its course. But here's a scenario iv run through my head countless times and I once cut the artery in my wrist but was minutes form a hospital so no big deal. But let's say your in a remote area & somehow you cut the artery in your leg with a broadhead. Quick ya take a piece of para cord tie a square knot get a stick twist it up & ya just saved your life next ya take your tee shirt cut it in strips & wrap the wound tightly now you can release the truncate perodicly but you only have hours before your gonna loose that leg & perhaps within a day or two it's gonna turn septic & kill ya a horable way to die. Ya know my favorite thing about hunting & fishing is that while doing so all the complexities of the world just melt away & your focused on what your doing in nature and I love it dearly. And some little modern Tec gadget in your pocket or pac doesn't change a thing about that or at least it doesn't for me. Fellas I almost died & it sucks. I want to see my children be successful in life & I want to see my grandkids grow up and if some simple little device can help ensure that I'm all for it
Yea I remember reading about this in articles/ books about Lewis and Clark. Saved there buts several time.... We Have it good today. Or are we getting soft?
I just go out hunting in the wilderness all fall naked and unafraid a few weeks after I stop cutting my naiis. Who needs inreach? Until today I never even heard of it...... )
And if while your enjoying yourself in the wilderness something horrific happens to one of your loved ones. What the heck who cares right. Well that little gadget ya never heard of can let ya know such immaterial little things
NP, got it covered, last time she needed me, I was there in 20 min. (locked her keys in the car while I was going out hunting). I was just going into my 'spot', 10 min in, back out and 7 mile drive to her. On the way to got get her, I saw a huge 10 pt on a guy's lawn. Phone is always on. If I were in a mt. situation far off, either she'd be with me or I'd be in touch. Other than the dog, I have no other 'loved ones' besides her living anywhere closer than 5 hours drive or flight. I will be looking into 'inreach' for when we go up into mts. now that I know about it. Thanks for your concern. TK
If that guy beneath the streets of Boston had one we may not have that cute song!
I got one on the way, but I'm not supposed to say how :)
Quick story, where it wouldn't have mattered probably. Back in 2017 a buddy and I were packing a bull off a high ridge. We'd been watching an approaching cloud bank, but it appeared it would miss us. Well it didn't. Caught us high on the ridge in an open area. Lightning, etc. We found the lowest spot we could, and hunkered down. And cringed as the lightning appeared to strike the ridge above us, and appeared to strike the bottom below us. Multiple times.
Thankfully it went through quick. Probably 10-15 minutes of cringing, then we completed our descent. Got that first load to the truck and my buddy says "Not gonna lie. I was doing some praying up there." (he has 3 girls, at the time aged 4-9) I admitted that I also was doing some praying up there. And he commented "I just kept praying, let me live long enough to get my girls to 18 years old."
I often think about that, as the father of a 7 year old daughter. But I just think, "Let me live long enough to get her married off" :) Let some other man take care of her high-maintenance little butt
I don't care what other people do. I really don't. It's overdue for me, I should have gotten one before. I've seen my family go through loss, and I really don't want to be the cause of more suffering if I can help it. I refuse to NOT go, so if a little device could alleviate some potential suffering, and allow me to stay in contact with home, then I'm all for it.
Another quick story. . . . I was on a mountain hunt in Russia in 2018, and got into a couple scary little terrain spots. One shifting rock slope surrounded by avalanche chutes was particularly scary. I just kept thinking that it would be really hard on my family if something happened to me over there.
Do what you want. I don't think it's idiotic or irresponsible.
Ya.know what influences me the most about this thread is the 40 years iv spent offshore fishing. Y'all think your good in the mountains. Try beying 50 miles out in the ocean with a compas a map & a depth finder. No ridges valleys landmarks nothing but the big blue sea as far as you can see and it's fine if ya run a compas heading out & the reverse right back in but how about if ya troll around for 8 hours @ 7 mph. Plus the ocean currents and the wind. And in the afternoon after a great day of fishing now it's time to go home. Now after all that fun where the heck are ya. You've trolled for over 50 miles so now positional awareness comes into consideration . And based on that you estimate where you are and a compas heading home is dertimed. That's how I fished offshore before modern electronics....well now ya know with modern electronics.... So ultimately I embrace the modern technology. But can navigate responsibility without it. But when I read these guys words trying to explain to me that the modern Tec available some how some way devalues their hunt well I just can't wrap my mind around that... If there's something that can inform you of a serious problem at home. Or get emergency assistance to you if needed. And your aware of this technology and still reject it than that's your decision & you'll have to live with it...
It makes my wife happy that I have one. Happy wife=more hunting trip. No brainer on my part.
Times, some of this is economics. I checked out the cost and like life insurance, you are betting you are going to get hurt or dead. Many on this site are well off. Read the threads about guided trips, high tech clothing, expensive bows, etc. almost $400 plus the monthly cost is steep for some. I hunt very cheaply. I have used the same longbow since 1985, make my own wood arrows, including most of my shafting, and groundhunt only, no tree stands to fall out of. I figure that staying on the ground increases my odds by quite a bit. I always carry a daypack with first aid supplies, and enough to spend a couple nights in the woods. I am very good with my compass and topo map, but most of all I am safety conscious. Anything can happen, there are no guarantees and I accept that. I am a part-time logger, probably one of the most dangerous jobs there is as I run a chainsaw and a cable skidder and sometimes draft horses. Slow and steady rules in the woods, until a tree goes the wrong way, then you run like hell. I hunt the same way. My wife is set financially if I die and my kids are successful. At almost 74, I have already beat the odds and being a Christian, I am all set for eternity.
Might be forced to do my first solo back country elk hunt this year. When I mentioned this to my wife she asked if I was gonna get a communication device just in case. Guess she wants me to come
Ermine & Others:
No one seems to mind the thought of dying doing what they love until they’re about to die doing what they love. Or someone else is about to.
InReach subscription $$ is the cost of a dinner or two out. Just a ridiculous excuse if you have family back home. Imagine your spouse, son or daughter is in a tragic accident and on life support early in your 10 day hunt. They all suffer through the fear and make hard choices. The injured pass away and have to sit on ice until you get home. You hunted through a time when everyone else needed you.
The epitome of selfishness.
You use plenty of other technology which makes you better. Using a communication device is more for others than for you. Being cavalier about technology won’t make you feel any better if/when that day comes. No one thinks you’re tougher because you don’t carry one. Take one along and tell them not to use it unless the crap hits the fan.
JMHO
Amen. Powerful. Think about the other guy bit the “tough guy”
The funny thing about life is it has always taught me "Why?" when I spent to much time questioning a decent, responsible man for doling what he was doing versus, doing it the way I thought he should do it. So, I have learned to give my fellow man his own. Because there is a good chance I'm not smarter, better, or more prepared.
Agree. And we should also agree that we can learn from a reasonable man.
Yep. But, what you fail to realize is you aren't teaching anyone anything they haven't considered.
WV, we’re not arguing with you. We’re simply pointing out where you’re wrong. lol
Ok, I’ll man up and be the pussy that admits I have one because my wife said so.
WV is right. I haven’t seen anything on this thread I haven’t thought about. I do know if I had to buy everything the bowsite gurus think I have to have to hunt mountain states, I’d never be able to hunt the mountains. Thank goodness I’m a big boy and can determine what’s best for me and my family without the help of those that think I am idiotic.
Ambush, I know. :^) Wimp.
I wonder how many on this site ride their bikes and motorcycles without helmets, don’t buckle up, speed, smoke, drink, don’t get a physical every year, a flu shot, ignore a lump, etc. Epitome of selfishness? How about judgemental hypocrisy? Do as you want, leave the rest of us alone, we have heard your message and scenarios loud and clear, and you can pray something bad happens so you can say I told you so. Now if you will excuse me, me and a beagle are headed for the boonies looking for hare. My wife knows where my pickup will be, but she is going to bingo with a bunch of church ladies. We do live in the “live free or die” state, and as locals, we tend to be pretty self reliant.
Hey, that’s the beauty of choice. Make one and live with the consequences. But I stand on my original comment....especially if you have “considered” it and still don’t think about your family....epitome of selfishness.
Well it's evident that some aren't as remote as others I personally don't hunt beyond cell service. But all summer I offshore fish. And although my boat is a recreational vessel. Which is not required by law to have an eperb. Commercial & for hire charter are required to have one. As the captain of my boat I feel I'm responsible for the well being of those on board. And if I were going on a true wilderness excursion outside of cell signal I definitely would feel the same responsibility as on my boat
Can the InReach send messages to another InReach?
I like InReaches, but I don't trust them with my life. For that I use an EPIRB (ACR ResQLink). You can accidentally leave an InReach on, run down the battery texting, and need to communicate when something really goes wrong. With an EPIRB, you pull the plug and the calvary comes over the hill to get you. Better be darn sure you need to though with the fine...
Timex, you reckon the jogger's situation that started this whole thread was "remote"? I doubt that guy crawled ten miles in 8 hours The truth is the most remote hunter I know of on this thread doesn't even use an inreach. I'm venturing to guess that 95% of the hunters posting on this thread don't truly hunt "remote". They hunt alone or, use the inreach to stay in touch with family in areas they don't have cell service. If remote was the only requirement, everyone would have a spot or Emergency beacon instead.
We live in the mountains here in Colorado at 9,000 ft. Just driving down the local road there are spots where there is no cell service. So it might be a little too extreme just to live here for you some of you guys huh? Ha
And we don’t get flu shots. I Haven’t had the flu in many many years. My grandpa got a flu shot once and a few days later got guillian barre syndrome. And went from perfectly healthy man to completely paralyzed and then death from the flu shot. But some will think I’m an idiot for that too huh?
Think what you want but my wife and my daughter don’t think I’m a little selfish idiotic Moron. And thats all that matters to me in the end.
Obviously you guys don’t know me and that’s why it bothers me when people are accusing me of being a selfish bad father and husband. I have killed a lot of animals in my life But have been fortunate in that it has all been in state hunts. Cheap and close to home relatively . I don’t travel much for out of state hunts because of the cost associated. Sure we could afford some hunts, but I’d rather that money go to a vacation for my family or something that benefits my family. And I don’t hunt near as much as I could or much as I used to prior to having a family. I don’t want to miss anything in my daughters life as they grow up really fast and she is more important to me than any hunting. But I’m such a selfish guy like you guys said.
Here’s a pic I had on my phone of my daughter at 2 years old practicing shooting bows at an elk target in a tu tu. Haha love it
Why post 8 times to strangers if all you care about is your wife and daughters opinion.
Why even have a cell phone? We survived for tens of thousands of years without them. Landlines work just as well.
Love the pic Ermine.
For the your, yor, yore, yer, ur, you're an IDIOT crowd, please recall that the original post just flat out stated that those of us who hunt remotely and don't have a "come save me" button are idiots. Do you really believe that those who have made the choice to not carry one are going to accept that premise?
The argument could be made (BTW, I am NOT making it) that guys who take their family's resources and use them on multiple backcountry hunts per year are "selfish" and could put their loved one's financial health at risk - certainly more than a more fiscally conservative approach would. Do you consider them idiots? Why or why not? Where is the line?
Lawdy brings up several good points and I'm still curious if all the inReach crowd has given up drinking alcohol since we know via statistics the carnage it has visited upon people vs the number of lost or injured backcountry hunters.
I'd also wager that each one of us on this thread have friends, even hunting partners, that don't wear seat belts. Will you call then idiots or not share a camp with them due to that?
Regardless of your choice in electronics, drinking or seat belt usage, I hope you are all safe and enjoy your hunts this year!
Edit: Getting ready for this September is already so much fun. Lou, I'll be giving you a call soon. You can berate me over my cell as I haven't had a landline in over 10 years. ;o)
'Bou, I'm going to assume he probably doesn't like it when people repeatedly claim he is selfish, a loser, or an idiot on the internet. Insinuating he is failing as a responsible family man and father with those remarks. Without even knowing him or his situation. I don't know. That's just my guess.
Hackbow, look forward to catching up! I'll shoot you my Inreach text number so we can chat. ;-)
Seatbelt (just a lap belt) saved my life once. I never fail to use mine. I don't get flu shots (because, knock on wood, I haven't had the flu since I was a kid) and I don't wear a helmet when riding my bicycle unless its a long trip with lots of hills or a MT. Bike trail ride. My wife gets flu shots (because when she gets sick it lasts a long time) and gets mad that I don't. My wife doesn't wear a bike helmet. She doesnt care that I don't. She hates seatbelts and gets mad that I dont like her not wearing it. Everyone makes their choices. The best choices are those that have the best chance of keeing you alive, healthy or unhurt. But you cant force choices on others, and if they are smart enough to make the best choices, they are the survivors. The ones that arent are subject to Darwinianism. If an inreach will protect me or a loved one from harm then I'll chose to use it. Otherwise, I saving my money for a couple nice dinners for my wife and me. Becuase I know for certain good dinners are key to good health and keeping us alive. :)
I just purchased a defibrillator to go In my pack along with my inreach. Now my family believes I’m not selfish. I hope when my life threatening event happens I’m either coherent or someone shows up to use my bag of tricks for rescue.
Hackbow I'm the idiot, I just never for one second thought anyone on bowsite would not see this subject the same as I. Like I stated my original post was supposed to be tongue and cheek, sorry some don't see it that way.
Now to answer your questions. First all my hunting expenses come from overtime money. So no family sacrifices.
Two about the alcohol, I gave that up years ago to spend more money on hunting.
Three about seatbelts, yes I would call family or friends idiots for not wearing one. I would go even further and would not drive until all are buckled up.
Bottom line is everyone has an opinion, there just words. If someone calls me an idiot I'll either agree with them or I won't. Doesn't change a thing.
Now you're set Link. What can go wrong?
Link, maybe you’re missing the whole point - it’s not your “life threatening” episode, but rather your availability if your family needs you. It’s simple. If you’re not truly remote, it’s no issue. Truly remote, it is.
Here is a pic from the year before last. I finally drew a Colorado bighorn sheep tag. Had some time away from the family scouting and hunting. But my wife and daughter understood it as this was once in a lifetime and I needed to try hard. I arrowed a ram and came home. Dream come true.
I also had an elk tag. But since I spent some time away hunting sheep and because I’m such a selfish guy who thinks he’s so tough. I made it a point to take Ruby along. We didn’t hunt too hard and didn’t make it too far from the truck obviously, but she had a great time “getting to hunt with dad.” She got to carry the bugle and do the calling for me. :) she actually can make a bugle sound without a reed just using her voice that sounds better than a lot of guys who think they can call elk. That for me was amazing moments that I cherish very much. Looking back and looking at that smile in that picture it was as good of an experience if not better than the bighorn sheep hunt.
Bou- yea your right. Ill stop posting to this thread.
Well Ermine that beautiful little girl is the exact reason why if I were you I would want to be reachable if necessary.
Something tells me he's got that covered... :)
Steve I think I get the point. A lot of these guys, saying it’s ridiculous to not have one, hunt from a truck camp and hit cell signal every 3 or 4 days to check in at home, just like I do. They are not making the argument you are and you likely wouldn’t be making it if the larger point wasn’t full of holes.
Hunt as you like but don’t try to tell me I am an irresponsible idiot that doesn’t care about my family for hunting the way I do.
"Bottom line is everyone has an opinion, there just words."
*they're
;-)
^^^ There, there now, they’re doing their best.
If technology sucks how did you find this thread or even Bowsite in the first place. Smoke signals from Leatherwall?
I love to disconnect when I’m hunting. There’s a power button for that.
I wonder if my woman would buy me an Inreach if I showed her this thread which is pretty convincing about the fact that it’s for her and not me?
Will she be able to see the texts from Inreach to Inreach that say “Hey Tom have you seen any bulls”? Asking for a friend.....
Or, "How about those two sisters we met at the Million Dollar Bar last night?" ;-)
Nope, only to whomever the text sent to. And the power button can stay off until that compound fracture bone is poking out of your leg, and you think maybe, just maybe, I need a bigger bandaid up here in NoName Draw.
For all you tough guys without an Inreach .....,
..... what happens if you still have a week to hunt and you’re out of Dots Pretzels!?!
It appears there is literacy, alive and well in the Great White North! :)
Yeah, some log-ins should be kept private. Sharing doesn't mean EVERYTHING. Like your Ashley Madison password, for instance....
Any of you guys with inreach ever wonder about that path from your neighbors back door to yours....??
Yep...to say InReach technology isn’t helpful or doesn’t make you or your family safer, or at least a good idea to carry along, or to attempt to make oneself look “tougher” or cooler because you wouldn’t use one is just plain hypocritical. Are Bowsite forums available via smoke signal yet anyway?
Anyone who goes off the beaten path is an IDIOT. I mean there are dangers out there...
I must be an idiot every time then.
I don’t see anyone claiming to be tough or cooler and I’m certainly not anti technology. I just don’t think I have to have everything the wizards of smart tell me I need to hunt elk. Pretty much the most dangerous thing we do as hunters is hop in a vehicle and most of us do it daily. I don’t feel the need to spend thousands on every gadget that promises peace of mind. I don’t worry about what happens to me as the lord knows my day and hour. Most likely that day will be of cancer, heart attack or someone texting while driving and drifting left of center. The rest of you guys can sleep in peace knowing the chance of you dying in the woods has went down, yet you still might die in the woods. I hope your faith in technology helps you sleep at night but I’m not losing any sleep over anything but bugles ringing in my ear.
Agree that the most dangerous thing we do is drive among texting/drunk/inattentive drivers. The difference is, if you get in a wreck, medical help will be on the way in minutes and your loved ones will be immediately notified so they can be by your side. And vice versa.
The vice versa might be the most important part, for someone who has a family they care about.
When I was notified of my close friend's death so I could return from elk camp and deliver the eulogy at his funeral, it was worth every penny of that $11.95. Without a check-in device, I'd have never known.
To each his own. Perhaps stuff like this matters more to some than others. Link, an honest question- If your wife or child was in a serious accident while you were off adventuring somewhere, lying in a hospital in critical condition, would you want to know? Or would you be fine waiting until you got home to learn of it?
If you don’t have one. Not only are you putting your self at risk but also the lives of the first responders that will spend hours if not days looking for your carcass.
With the right equipment a timely rescue can be made rather than a recovery.
Jaq of course I would want to know and as it is my brother would come find me a tell me what happened. I inform my family where my camp is. It might take 10-12 more hours and some trouble than the inreach but I don’t see the need to pay the fees for the next 45 years for that small chance in a 10 day stretch once a year. If I was at a drop camp in Alaska I would likely purchase one. I just don’t see the need for one when I’m 6 hours from home. Again I don’t doubt you or others feel you need it and I’m glad it gives you peace of mind. It’s just not something me or my family feel that I need. When I’m older than dirt like you I’ll get one. Ha
I hunt so close to home that our blankets and damp wood work just fine... ;)
Link, fair enough. You hunt and adventure a lot differently than I do. If everyone in your circle knows where you are at all times, probably no need to have any sort of communication.
My family knows where my camp is. If I move camp I find a signal and send coordinates to my new camp. I go back to camp every night. Out of the 3 otc units I’ve been to I haven’t had to go more than 6-7 miles to find a spot to get a text out. Pretty simple. I don’t usually have more than 1 camping spot in ten days but I have had 2. My whereabouts from camp aren’t usually known. Once again I don’t care who thinks they need one. I just don’t appreciate being called an idiot for thinking I don’t need one. I guess theres a lot of folks on here that lived as idiots for years and still survived. I would imagine that used to be everyone that’s now saying, 5 years later, you have to have one or you’re a crazy, irresponsible lunatic.
I think some of the negativity of some towards this thread is the op's word (idiot) iv stated my reasons for not only an inreach but also a eperb & vhf radio with SOS and that's my responsibility for my crew when venturing offshore. And it has been said that the inreach works both ways to inform you of a problem at home and to check in at home or get emergency help if needed. One other aspect that may have been overlooked is if your truly remote & especially on an extended hunt is weather inreach can inform you of an unexpected weather event. Perhaps your 10 days into a 14 day hunt & a freak storm is fixing to dump 2' of snow. Or just to simply know the weather iv never hunted elk or mule deer but I'm better than average at killing whitetails and the weather determines where I hunt that day & I'm sure knowing the weather would be an asset in remote areas as well. Just my 2 cents worth. For less than $300.00 initial cost (the mini) and $11.00 a month service fee. for me it's worth every penny.
The whole point of being solo in the backcountry is to be OUT OF REACH! I get a lot of guys need a tether, but not me. If my days end in the elk woods so be it. I've seen about 1000 worse endings.
elkocd - once again it seems you are missing the point. Very few of us would care if we died doing what we love. The problem is not caring about your family who may need you in an emergency when you are remote. I could see many bad endings in this scenario with a potential lifetime of regret. All for the cost of a couple dinners out or a months worth of chew.
$311.00...some mighty fine dinners. :) I get the reasons. I might get the unit someday, when I go remote, if I have loved ones to be responsible for. Only then though. Its the only reason I can see a need for one.
Trap- yep, that’s the point. Family is the main reason.
I agree with Ermine and LINK. I can definitely see the benefits and reasons for having an Inreach but whoever has one and labels everyone else as an idiot for NOT having one is an idiot themselves.. just saying
It seems as if a lot of guys are under the impression that everyone's family dynamic and need for communication is, or should be, the same. Pretty sure they are not. As much as I like *most* of you guys ;o), I wouldn't pretend to have a voice in how you and your family conducts your business.
TK, if you amortize the initial investment over a couple years and only pay $11.95 for the months you need it, it works out to be pretty cheap, considering the functionality.
SteveB - I understand your point, but I guess I just have stuff squared away enough that I know my family will deal just fine without me. That's the whole point to me, to disconnect. If my family was that reliant on me I would feel I failed somehow. But, I also live around a lot of family and know everyone does not.
I agree with the points above. Everyone's family situation is different. I'm not an idiot because I have no need for one, but someone else who feels the need is also not an idiot. It's the mass generalizations that put people off ;)
If your opinion has been changed on this topic as a result of the insights of others please raise your hands
Scratching my head and have looked them up. The little guilt trips thrown out there are interesting, like none of us have ever thought about those things numerous times....
Bou' - my decision to not carry one this year hasn't changed, but I've learned a lot about the products and did some additional research on them as a result of this thread. I know I don't know everything. I come here to learn about elk hunting from those smarter and more experienced than me. This site, and most of these guys, collectively, are the best available resource I've found.
I may very well decide to carry one in the future. If so, it will be due to changes in my priorities, not others' opinions of how I should live my life. I highly respect the passion for how most view this topic, regardless of which "side" they're on. Big life issues should be approached with passion and a great deal of thought. Most here have shown that they believe that as well.
Darren, yours is a very fair and balanced perspective. I would venture that almost everyone uses this stuff for different reasons, in different ways.
For me, hunting solo and mobile and being 66 (soon), and in places with no cell service, I want someone to know where I am, mostly in case someone needs to find me (like when my close friend died).
The 911 rescue feature is secondary, but honestly I don't want to die a slow painful death alone if the unthinkable happens, like diverticulitis (ask BB about that..) or the thousand other ways a solo backcountry hunter can be hurt.
For others, its for family. For still others, it's to communicate with hunting partners.
I solo a LOT before these were available, had close calls, always managed to take care of myself. But my close calls were always about 5-6 on the scale except bad hypothermia once, and being impaled on a deadfall staub. Those were closer to 8, but I got out ok.
Honestly, I think the turning point was after I read "Deep Survival" and the case studies.
Bou' this didn't change my mind. I already had one. I can understand and appreciate both sides here. I did not think about some type of PLB until I suffered a life threatening accident. I usually didn't take my phone with me. I did that day. I was able to get to and use my cell phone to get help. I could not move (get up), would have had great difficulty dragging myself any meaningful distance, and, among other injuries, was bleeding pretty badly internally. Without my phone and by the time that anyone would have thought to look for me (they knew exactly where I was), I would have be DRT. The accident was obviously survivable but got me thinking about the many times that I did not have cell service. In some of the places I hunt, it can be the difference of 50 yds. So, I got an Inreach. Gives me peace of mind for many reasons. Stuff happens over which we have no control. An Inreach is just another tool that I choose to use. We're all adults who make and live by our choices. I won't belittle anyone who makes a different choice. Try to stay happy and hunt more often.
I'm a pretty tough cold hearted old fart put down my own dogs. sewn myself up several times recently pulled a rotten tooth with pliers deal with pain better than most I know & have always had a knack for figuring a solution in a jam and I spent the first 45 years of my life hunting & fishing without any cellular device because they didn't exist & I did just fine. But now that they do exist if something horrific happens to one of my children , grandchildren or wife the devil himself isn't going to stop me from getting there if I'm aware it happened. And for someone to say that one of their children of grandchildren could be in critical condition. And say o well that's life they'll deal with it just fine without me screw it I'm hunting. Well good luck with that
Yep, you are just a better, more thoughtful, respectful, tougher family man Timex. Hopefully one day I get there.
No my friend perhaps just a little more sinsable. Don't forget that your using modern Tec to put words on the internet saying that ya don't use or need modern Tec. [:¬)
Timex, you seem confused on who has said what.
Timex, agree. It’s selfishness not to care more than idiocy.
I don't usually hunt alone and If I do its for half a day type hunts. Never an extended time and family knows where camp is so I always figured if something bad happened at home the sheriff would come to our camp. So far I have fought being connected but mostly because some people in camp like my BIL can't let things go and his drama queen wife is always fabricating a situation to make him being gone a problem. If we had one in our group it would be a real problem I guarantee it. He has had to cut it short and drive home 1200 miles like a banshee for a non emergency. He is already walking the mountains with his phone on to try and get signal to see if his wife needs him. We hunted the same area for years and never had signal until that jackwagon found the couple of spots if you stand on your head touching this rock you can get and send texts. Still pretty disgusted about that.
My point is be careful who has the other end of that thing or they may just ruin your hunting for nothing.
Seems like a simple enough solution to being found when needed. My wife is pretty self sufficient and would leave me alone unless it was a real emergency so the disconnected part wouldn't change for me. So for me this thread has changed my mind about using one. Not being called and idiot and being told to but because it did make me think a bit. Still a little butt hurt about being called an idiot though Scrappy. JK but I did think it was a pretty bold statement lol
Being called an idiot is a non-issue unless you actually respect the person calling you an idiot
320 bull, a SPOT sounds like a better option for you. One way communication, sends a map link with GPS coordinates and allows you to tell someone you're ok, or you killed a bull here and need help, etc. A SPOT worked well for me back when we were having mother-daughter drama that I wanted to avoid
Thanks Jaquomo I will have a closer look. Bou you make a good point.
Bou'bound, I subscribe to that statement - well said! I could care less what people I don't care about say about me. :^) Fire away baby!
Ermine we can still hunt together??
