PLB on shore for an older lady? Forest? Experiences?

[Chotu]

And I didn’t want to press the point, but the spot is just pressing a single button when you need help. I think. I compared these for some time I spent in the mountains.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Hi,

my mum is almost 80 and still walking her dog on a daily base for several miles.

Usually she walks through forest in the countryside. While we do live in Germany, there are (amazingly in this day and age) parts of her walk which have no mobile signal.
Even if she would change her paths, there is only very patchy signal.

The other day she brought up the theme of how she could call for rescue in case of a fall in such a location without cell coverage.

A PLB came instantly to my mind.

I am wondering if someone has experience with them with regards to which specific model might work best in hilly terrain with tree coverage.
Obviously the lighter the better & the simpler to use the better.
Not a to high price would be good too.

RescueMe or FastFind? Others?

Thanks so much.

PLBs, which work through the COSPARS system like EPIRBS, are made for this use case - any need for rescue outside of mobile phone coverage. Go for it. I use ACR ResQLink but there's little to choose among the ones on the market.

There is, however, one thing to think about - response time. The COSPARS system takes a few hours to get a response going. You might actually be better off with a Yellowbrick or Garmin InReach or other satellite messenger with which she could send an SMS to you instantly. You will have to pay something every month but it might be worth it.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by requiem

That raises a good point. One of the other reasons I like the satellite messengers is the tracking feature. For a solo hiker this provides a last known position if they aren't able to trigger the device for whatever reason, but it does assume someone else would be keeping an eye out.

Indeed! If one knows mum is going for a walk, then one can check from time to time and see any movement, or more importantly, a lack of movement. This is as important as being able to summon help. If one is incapacitated and unable to press the help button, then seeing a lack of movement for a longer than normal time will let one know to have someone check up on her.

[paul2884]

Originally Posted by acunningham

Have carried an Ocean Signal rescueME PLB1 quite a few times while hiking in remote areas. Thankfully, never needed to use it. It's quite small and light, and the one I bought came with a little pouch with a belt loop, so it's easy to carry.

same here we bought it for the boat, but if off walking out of phone range its small to put in your pocket and simple to use.