Meet Slightly Loony, Nickname “Sly”...

Not me (also known as “Slightly Loony”, or “Utterly Loony” to my lovely bride); this time we're talking about our new offroading chariot: our brand-spanking-new 2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser.  I took this picture today, before the first of many modifications we're planning to make.  Miki (our youngest field spaniel) believes he owns this new vehicle, which he has approved of after his first ride in it.  He and Race (our border collie) will be going with us on our first big adventure in this thing, in July – we'll be heading out to see the wildflowers in the San Juan Mountains of southeastern Colorado.

I'll post here from time to time describing the modifications I'm making to Sly.

The first modification will be a very simple one: I'm going to find a place to mount our PLB (personal locator beacon), shown at left.  If you're not familiar with these devices, you can read all about them at the preceding link.  Basically they allow you to broadcast a distress signal from anywhere on the planet.  This signal is relayed to the appropriate search and rescue organizations, and they will (we sincerely hope!) respond.  We offroad in places where cell phones don't work.  That leaves us with just a few alternatives: ham radio, satellite phone, and PLB.  The PLBs have several advantages, including:

• (relatively) low cost, one time (no subscription like satellite phones)
• reliability and testability (you can be sure the device works)
• truly global coverage, 24 x 7 (ham radio is shaky on this front)
• small, portable devices (this one is 6" x 2.5" x 1.5", and weighs a few ounces)
• direct relay of distress calls to responders (with ham radio and satellite phones, you have to call someone and have them relay your issue to the search and rescue folks - which they have to locate
• direct relay of your location to the search and rescue responders (the device has a GPS to locate you, and it broadcasts your position to the satellite)

We found these advantages compelling, and decided to go the PLB route.  After some research on the web, I chose the PLB-350C  “SARLink”, made by ACR Electronics.  We received it a couple of days ago.  It took an hour or so to register the device with the NOAA (the government agency that routes distress calls), and ran an end-to-end test on it, which passed with flying colors.  The device has a “self-test” button that runs a diagnostic and then sends a test message to the satellite.  This test message is recorded on a web site (so I can verify the results), and optionally it can be configured to send an SMS or email message to let me know the test passed.

Something to know if you're considering a PLB: these devices are for use in extremis – not for running out of gas, or even for a run-of-the-mill mechanical breakdown.  You use a PLB only when you believe you are in mortal danger.  This could happen because of (say) a transmission problem that leaves you stranded at high altitude, and you don't have survival gear to make it through an Arctic-like night.  It could also happen because you're injured, and can't walk out of the back-country.  But if you use the PLB to summon a cup of coffee, some fuel, or because you're lonely – be aware that the search and rescue organizations would be most seriously displeased with you, and are quite likely to send you a bill with 5 or 6 significant digits in the dollar value!

On past trips, including to the San Juan Mountains, I've been extremely careful to not do anything at all risky when on a road or trail not often traveled.  The older we've gotten, the more I apply this policy – as we're less able, with age, to extricate ourselves from some hairy situation.  The PLB addresses one aspect of this: if we ever get into serious trouble, this device could save our bacon.  Other modifications we're planning will address other aspects: making Sly more rugged and resistant to the hazards of the back-country, and improving our ability to get ourselves unstuck (always a hazard on the rough sorts of “roads” we like to go on).  All of these things put together will increase our confidence that we can safely venture to the wild, remote places that we love to go to...