My thoughts on Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs)

Above is a picture of an ACR Electronics SARLink PLB-350B Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) that I recently added to my kit. It weighs about as much as a two-cell flashlight and is the same size as my old Garmin eTrex GPS so it's not too onerous to carry in the pack. If you flip up the antenna and press the big red button (hidden under the yellow cover so it can't be accidentally pressed) a 406MHz radio signal containing your current GPS location is transmitted to orbiting satellites and, hopefully, within an hour or two a Search and Rescue (SAR) team shows up. Using one of these devices in an emergency aids the SAR team by basically eliminating the "Search" aspect of the call-out as they'll know your exact location before they even get to the field. It is a serious device for serious events.

I'm very ambivilant on the utility of these PLB devices, as there are many valid reasons to NOT carry one. On the one hand there is the harrowing 2003 story of Aron Ralson, the hiker who had to amputate his own arm with a dull knife when he became pinned by a rock in the Utah canyonlands. A PLB would've almost certainly helped in that situation. But on the other hand, such incidents are exceedingly rare and for most people I suspect that a PLB ultimately proves to be an expensive and useless weight in their pack. There are also the oft discussed problems of accidental false alarms, people knowingly entering into dangerous situations because they have a PLB along (i.e. the "four-wheel-drive effect"), and people triggering the devices for stupid non-emergency reasons, thus wasting SAR resources. And finally, "real" outdoors people are supposed to understand the risks they are taking. If they roll snake-eyes late one afternoon in the backcountry, well... them's the breaks: they knew the score and willingly accepted that something bad could happen. (I suspect that this last reason is probably macho bullshit: When confronted with the prospect of dying at the bottom of some lonely ravine I bet even the manliest of manly men would swallow their pride and press the red "send help!" button.)

After careful consideration I decided to purchase and register the SARLink PLB. I didn't do it because I was especially concerned that a grumpy black bear would rough me up on the far side of the Peaks or that I'd break my ankle while traversing the north ridge of Escudilla Mountain - although I do recognize the possibility of those kinds of things occurring and take steps to reduce their likelihood. Rather, I bought the PLB because I realized that it wasn't fair to subject my friends and relatives to the stress and worry of having to report me missing if I didn't come back from one of my increasingly frequent and remote excursions into the wild. I also realized that if something really serious did happen in the field I was probably going to be alone and that I wouldn't want to have to wait for hours until someone happened along or my friend/relative called the sheriff's office to report me overdue. Better to take matters into my own hands - hence the PLB.

For me, carrying a PLB has several advantages. First, it gives my friends and relatives a little more peace of mind, and that's worth a lot to me and is the primary reason I decided to purchase the PLB. Secondly, it allows me to relax my timetables a bit - instead of having to force-march out of the wilderness because I spent too much time photographing scenery or had a "Giant Double Rainbow" event, I can go easier (and safer), knowing that a worried relative isn't going to trigger an overdue hiker SAR call-out if I'm an hour late getting back. And finally, if something stupid does happen, I can call for help myself and have a reasonable expectation of rescue.

As far as the downsides of carrying a PLB, well for me that centers entirely around one thing: the added weight in my pack. I'm already carrying the Ten Essentials, which while not particularly heavy, does slow one down over the course of many miles. The PLB just adds to that burden. Some people say another half liter of water would be a better use of the limited weight and space quota in one's pack, but I'm not so sure. I think that if another 10 ounces or so in your pack causes you to drink all your water than you probably weren't carrying enough to begin with or else you need to work on your stamina. I dunno. In any case, it seems like a weak argument to me.

Comments

[John D. McCann]

DEL,

I'm John McCann, the author of "Build the Perfect Survival Kit". I am writing a new book and need a favor. In the chapter on Signaling, I'm talking about PLB's and realize I don't have a photo of one. Doing an image search, I found the one you took of the ACR SARLink. I would like to use it in my new book if you have a high reasolution available. I, of course, will credit the photo in the book as taken by you. I would also need an email giving me permission to use it, as my publisher requires that. Let me know if you are willing to do this. When the book comes out, I will ensure you get a signed copy.

Thanks,

John

My email is survivalman45678@optimum.net