01-18-2016, 02:11 AM
My $.02...I cannot recommend a device like a Spot/In Reach, etc. enough.
These are wonderful tools that give your family peace of mind while you are away, and you the ability to communicate with them and to notify EMS, if needed. The device themselves are usually free as you can buy them on sale and then get a $50-99 mail in rebate. The basic service plan for my SPOT is $99/year and I always use a coupon to get the free "breadcrumbs" option. I consider this price peanuts to keep my wife sane while I am just a few, or thousands, of miles away touring on my own; and often off-road and in places where there is no cell service which makes all of those handy "Find my..." apps completely useless. (Much of western VA and most of WV has spotty cell coverage at best!)
I also recommend never using a RAM mount or Velcro to attach the device to your bike as you are almost guaranteed to become separated from your bike in a spill. Keep it on your jacket or in a jacket pocket as I've heard scary stories where riders have spent the night on the side of the road, or over the side of a forest road, with a broken femur/ankle and they can't reach the device to call for help as it's on their bike 25' away and they can't walk.
My wife LOVES not having to wait hours, or much more, if I am out riding in a no cell coverage area. I have it set up where she can log into my account on the computer at home and every 20 minutes a small flag appears on a map to show my location. You can also send messages with a smart phone, using satellites, from almost anywhere on the globe.
SPOT: http://findmespot.com/en/
In Reach: http://www.inreachdelorme.com/
These are wonderful tools that give your family peace of mind while you are away, and you the ability to communicate with them and to notify EMS, if needed. The device themselves are usually free as you can buy them on sale and then get a $50-99 mail in rebate. The basic service plan for my SPOT is $99/year and I always use a coupon to get the free "breadcrumbs" option. I consider this price peanuts to keep my wife sane while I am just a few, or thousands, of miles away touring on my own; and often off-road and in places where there is no cell service which makes all of those handy "Find my..." apps completely useless. (Much of western VA and most of WV has spotty cell coverage at best!)
I also recommend never using a RAM mount or Velcro to attach the device to your bike as you are almost guaranteed to become separated from your bike in a spill. Keep it on your jacket or in a jacket pocket as I've heard scary stories where riders have spent the night on the side of the road, or over the side of a forest road, with a broken femur/ankle and they can't reach the device to call for help as it's on their bike 25' away and they can't walk.
My wife LOVES not having to wait hours, or much more, if I am out riding in a no cell coverage area. I have it set up where she can log into my account on the computer at home and every 20 minutes a small flag appears on a map to show my location. You can also send messages with a smart phone, using satellites, from almost anywhere on the globe.
SPOT: http://findmespot.com/en/
In Reach: http://www.inreachdelorme.com/