Are Sat phones etc really needed?
 

How nesscsary is it to carry a Sat phone, cell phone, personal locator beacon or a SPOT?

I have said in other threads that any of these are unmistakeably handy in a tight situation, but how often does that need arise?

I have been in plenty of out of the way spots without such kit, and I've had problems out there too, but I'm still not convinced if I should bother taking one on my future travels. I only ask for opinions because it seems that these devices are becoming very popular among adventure travellers (particularly Sat phones which have dramatically reduced in price recently), and every person I seem to meet has one of these things. Most people say that they are for emergency use only, others for peace of mind, and some like them because they can call or text their mates from the middle of the Sahara.

To me, it takes away a bit of the adventure factor by having such easy comms to the outside world. I understand their benefits, but I'm not convinced about their nessecity. Those of you that have them - how much do you use them and would you be without them?

over-the-horizon-radar
 

who needs it?
man, i leave my cellphone at home as often as possible, even in daily life. do you really want to be as contactable as all that?
there is absolutely no need at all to take this stuff (and all the cords).
take bugger all. go where cellphones don't have coverage.
later,
andy.

I took a satphone on a trip to cover Kazakhstan, bits of Russia and Mongolia when it was just me and a mate. Carried it for voice in an emergency only, and GPS data uploads for our sponsors when we had no GSM. When we weren't uploading it was always switched off.

If I needed one, I'd pay far more than the $400 rental for a few months to get myself out of an otherwise nasty situation. Being able to have the option of calling someone with medical experience, your family, an insurance company etc was valuable to us.

There is a certain bravado about going it alone, but I see no shame in carrying one and never powering it.

Also, I like the idea of personal trackers. I have one that I use whenever I'm riding, which my family can see online if they want. I'll never know if they check it, and they won't need to hassle me when I'm away. Ideal :)

I hate the thought of them, and think how only a few years back we just had callboxes or nothing. Mind you I'm no luddite, and can see the point of loads of things, but a satphone? I so don't want to be called up in the middle of nowhere, or alterantively have people hassling me saying "why didn't you call?". And a big question I always wonder "Who are you going to call when you're in the middle of nowhere, and who do you reckon will come to your rescue?"

So no satphone for me unless I had to for some sponsorship reason. I'll take my cellphone, because it's got so many other functions, a decent MP3 player text editor for blogs when I get to civilisation etc, but I'd put it in flight mode.

Hummm. Two for and one against so far. I think I'm still of the opinion not to bother. I may feel differently when I've busted my leg in the back of beyond, but then, as Alex says, who would I call?

Butchdiamond;

There are some threads in the archives, which points out the pro's and con's quite well.
The ones I could find quickly ('cause I contributed to them):
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...t-phones-24305
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...te-phone-32885

Don't get me wrong it's always good these kind of questions popup from time to time, to hear new opinions and rethink older choices.

cheers

Thanks Sophie/Bart, those links were quite useful. I think I'm going to stick to my guns and go without.

I would be dead now had I not carried a Sat Phone, (got myself in a bit of a muddle on the edge of the bleedin Simpson Desert) For remote travel in Australia, it is definately required, as a normal mobile will not work. If you are planning to cross the Simpson in summer, when only one or two vehicles per month cross, then a Sat phone is more than a fashion accessory, I took an epirb as well. Having said that I have cross the Sahara twice and have not even bothered with a GPS. Depends where your going really.

Really depends what's your "travel style" - how you travel and where.

I like to spend my time in remote places, away from dense civilization. In remote places I see sat-phone as an "insurance", to call for help.

World's GSM coverage:
http://stuff.gbsfm.info/gsm-world.png

As you can see, in the "third-world" (Africa, Asia, S-America & Australia), GSM coverage is only in the bigger cities thus the GSM is basically useless for real adventure travellers spending their time off the beaten track if there's really an emergency.

I always have a scenareo in my mind I crash in the middle of nowhere, get an illness etc million scenareos it'd save your life. At least one of us (I travel 2-up) can call for help.

With Iridium phone you don't even need to have a SIM card to call 911 - you can just buy (a cheaper second hand-) phone for the emergency calls only :)

Like with any "insurance", you won't notice a need for it until you really need it...

If you travel in western-world or in very civilized parts of the world - sat-phone is not needed.

I'm only half Australian, but even I take offence at the Third-WOrld classification.

But, to quote a memorable line from the 80's - Who you gonna call? Nice as it is to be able to give your mum your last words over the phone, can she give you much help when you're in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Australia, third world... love it. :rofl:
Most Kiwis would agree with you.

Sorry guys, absolutely no offence was ment - what I mean under "third world" is the lack of GSM-coverage in this post :)

In fact personally I like so called "third-world" more than the western-world.

I put "third-world" into those thingys then not to confuse people ;)

Quite short-sighted "memorable line" then, it's not 80s anymore with wired telephones and nearly non-existant travel insurances. With todays network, many insurance companies have (medical) evacuation insurance covered to the most remote parts of the world (that otherwise would cost a fortune for you to get evacuated if really neccessary). If you have it done before your trip - you'll know exacly where to call and who's your momma ;)

Anyways, like life, it's your own risk-and-reward balance. Some say sat-phones take away the real (risky) adventure, others say it has saved their life when sh*t really happends. Take your pick.

Makes no difference to me... I ain't Australian... thank god!:D

I know where you're comming from folks. Some valid scenarios have been raised here, and I realise that these devices have their place. As has been mentioned before, it all depends on where I'm going, what my objectives are and who's going with me (am I responsable for them?). But in general, if it's just me, I think I'll go without. Maybe that's foolhardy, but then as far as a lot of people are concerned, most of the things I do are foolhardy.

YouTube - Ray Parker Jr - Ghostbusters


BTW: No sat phone for me.

Well if you're insured that's different, what I was getting at was that a Satphone is only as good as the number you call.

On my last trip to a HU meeting my mom and dad had a fit and beged me to get a cell phone worked about half of the time and dint work when I got to the meeting. That was in the USA.

good thing its small and light.

i'd swear i remember a story in the news last year of someone in a boat off sinagpore (or somewhere else the other side of the world) texting his gf back in the UK that they were sinking, she called the coastguard & got the message relayed to where he was & he was rescued.

so even a normal phone could save your life i guess. mind you so could not going out in a boat without flares etc.

Yup I remember the exact same story, so it does go to show, that it's all possible, if you know someone, who can ring someone.

I don't, but I will. When I head out to Iceland for example, I will have an Iridium sat-phone for emergency communication and a Personal Locator Beacon.

How often will they get used? Not at all, I hope. I am very paricular about the preparation/maintenace of my motorcycle, so that is one instance that is almost completely covered. In the case of a life & death emergency, I will use the PLB first and the sat-phone after the PLB is activated.

If I had a choice of ONE item, it would be a PLB.

Cell phone? I have one with me all the time...it never rings...because only two people have the number and they know I didn't buy it for mindless chit chat.

So, don't hand out the number! When I get mine, only two people with have that sat-phone nuymber; home and a neighbour and they know I won't call to chit chat and neither will they.


I guess you'll never know.


I carry the OEM tool kit on my bikes (plus more when going where there are 180 miles between gas stations and people), yet I have never needed them in 33 years on the road. Preparation is the key!

I couldn't agree more. The old acronym "PPPPPP" springs to mind.

There have been some very interesting opinions on here but I guess, as always, it's down to personal choice. There will always be folk who take these gizmos and swear by them, and there will always be people who don't. I think I'm in the latter catagory.

Well there are gizmos (I call them toys) and then there is life saving equipment such as a PLB or a sat-phone. One can't afford to buy toys when your life is on the line.

To draw a parallel to some of us who ride in very remote areas, it is interesting that there are people who would cross the ocean on a 36' sailboat and not bring a life jacket (forget that there is a legal requirement to do so). Thats not too smart.

I just wanted to say, I'm not anti Satphones, if I were travelling to somewhere remote I'd probably get one too, but rather that they seem to me to be of limited use UNLESS you've got someone to ring - like your insurance/medevac service. I'm pretty sure no-one here would be llike those "hikers" who ring up mountain resuce services on their cellphones to complain that the path isn't suitable for their stilettos and there's no café at the top of the Old Man of Coniston, but you never know.

Like everyone knows preparation is key, so prepare who to ring in advance.

life line
 

For me its simple. On our trans Africa we crossed the Tenere and Bilma desert (1500 km of virgin sand) which I would not had dared to do without the satphone. I bought it in Niamey for Euro 270,- especially for that purpose, just had to put the GSM sim card in and it worked! Only used it once in the Bilma desert to receive a call from my dad on my birthday :)
You can switch it off at will, you know!!

Cheers

Noel
exploreafrica.web-log.nl

Just plan properly and let people know your route, then check in... There is no AA RAC in the desert so do not rely on some fancy phone to get you out of trouble. We have traveled far and wide without any communication and once you leave behind our world you will not miss it.

life line 2
 

until your car or bike breaks down 500 km from any living soul. Then I can assure you that any suggestion is welcome how you fix it. With the sat phone you call your back-up (garage) when you'r done fiddling around yourself and can't fix the problem. Nobody is suggesting you call in the cavalry to evacuate you from the desert!

I was in group once crossing the Murzuq in Libia when a brand new LC105 just stopped. We are no novice mechanics and as matter of fact there was many years experience of car mechanics between us but eventually we used the sat phone and called the garage. They gave us some useful tips which ultimately led to the fix. It was some freak electrical problem. This was a group of 10 cars.

When you'r alone or with another car (always advisable in the desert) and totally on your own devises then the (mental) pressure gets a lot higher. To me its a matter of common sense; if you go really remote, then you take a sat phone.

Why would you take engine spare parts, spare tyres, tools etc. The satphone is just another spare part for emergencies. You hope you never need it but its there if thing go pear shaped

Cheers,
Noel
exploreafrica.web-log.nl

I resisted having a mobile phone for ages. I do however carry one. It is always switched off unless I want to make a call. Only my wife knows the number ( not even me) and it is useless her having it, as it is always switched off. this way the battery lasts for many weeks. It is there should I ever need it. I can see it can have its uses in a breakdown or other scenario. and for those out of mobile network range, I think having a satphone is better than not having it. bit like a spare wheel, always in teh way until you need it..