New travel gadget, SPOT Messenger
This little gadget is pretty cool. Most people have stories about a cell phone saving their life, but sometimes, if you’re out in the wilderness, or you’re just out of cell phone range, you’re going to need a satellite phone to get help.
Back in 1999, I remember lugging a satellite phone into the backwoods of the Yukon that was the size of a large briefcase and really heavy. Those days are thankfully over with the advent of smaller GPS devices, intense communications research, and this handy doohickey.
You can check in with your friends and family, and automatically send them a canned email that lets them know you’re OK, or you can call for help and dial 911 if you run into trouble.
The one critique I have about it, is that there is no way to input variable text into the email while you’re out in the bush or sailing the seven seas. I’m assuming a feature like this, however, is not far away.
What do you think?
Has a cell phone ever saved your life while traveling?
Would you rather use one of these things instead?
Let me know in the TravelPod forums!
Louise Brown
TravelPod Community Manager
May 2, 2008 at 1:52 am
The way people keep going on about weight, I think you have made a mistake with this item. If the majority of people who frequent forums like these could choose between a small device that could save their lives and less weight, they would rather go without.
I think your efforts are in vain
May 2, 2008 at 10:01 am
I’m not sure what you mean. I was saying that satellite phones USED TO be heavy in the 90s!
With the advent of new technologies, (such as SPOT Messenger) it’s amazing to me, how light satellite phones can be.