Testimonials
“As a former SAR Tech-EMT with 14 years of experience and more than 350 SAR missions, it is my opinion that every hunter, hiker, dirt biker, fisherman, horseback rider, backpacker, geocacher, 4 wheeler, ATVer, cross country skier, snow mobiler, mountain climber, desert racer, adventure racer, mountain biker, Forest Ranger, Game Warden, etc., etc., should carry a SPOT device. Period.”
Wade Nelson
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
Backpacker Rescued at 10,800’ el. in Sierra Nevada Mountains
On behalf of my family, friends and myself I wish to let you know my most sincere appreciation for your product and services. The people at your company should be very proud of the lives they have saved. I know this because I am one of them. Thank You.
George
Palo Alto, CA
SPOT Aids in the World’s Toughest Endurance Race
Primal Quest Montana 2008 was a very demanding, challenging and potentially dangerous 550 mile adventure race. As Director, I had over 500 athletes, staff and volunteers spread out over 540 miles of Montana’s rugged and remote terrain. The only way I felt it was safe enough to produce a race of this difficulty is because we had our athletes and key staff and volunteers carry SPOT units during the event. We were able to follow, locate and/or find any athlete or worker, anywhere on the course, 24 hours a day for 10 days.
In my view, SPOT changed the dynamics of adventure racing. Primal Quest is a safer and better adventure race due to the fact that we now have a partnership with SPOT LLC.
Don D. Mann
Director
Primal Quest
www.ecoprimalquest.com
Testimonial for SPOT
Frankly, until my last big hike – a 600-mile 20-day traverse of Iceland, in July 2008 – I was not a proponent of SPOT. But I found that my initial concerns were unjustified and that it has some huge benefits that make it a very worthwhile product to bring into the backcountry.
It may be marketed otherwise, but I think SPOT’s primary purpose is to alleviate the worries of family and friends while I am out hiking. In Iceland my first resupply point (and opportunity to call out) was 12 days into the trip, which would have put my mom and girlfriend into a worried frenzy were it not for the nightly “I’m okay” messages. A tangential benefit of these messages was the location data, which my girlfriend turned into a .kml file so that everyone could investigate my route using Google Earth. They thoroughly enjoyed this unprecedented opportunity to be involved in the hike .
I want to point out that, much to my delight, I did not feel that the “Okay” messages undermined one of the core reasons that I go backpacking – to get away from it all. The messages are simply too impersonal and limited; and there is no confirmation that my family and friends read them anyway.
I think SPOT’s secondary purpose is its get-my-butt-out-of-trouble capability. This is a feature that I hope to never use, and that cannot be considered a substitute for backcountry skills, good decision-making and risk-calculating, and proper gear/equipment. But sometimes life-threatening situations occur despite doing everything right, in which case SPOT would be a very worthwhile 7 ounces.
Andrew Skurka
National Geographic Adventurer’s 2007 “Adventurer of the Year”
First person to hike the 6,875 Great Western Loop and 7,778-mile Sea-to-Sea Route
www.AndrewSkurka.com
Thanks SPOT!
Having used the SPOT devices during our pre run, we were 100% assured of your product. Knowing our racers had SPOT gave us the confidence to design a course that would redefine the limits of human endurance. With out this product we could not design courses in the extreme wilderness of Montana. Thanks SPOT!
Chris Caul
Course Director, Primal Quest
www.ecoprimalquest.com
Kayak Kevin Finds Peace-of-Mind with SPOT
The most important aspect of SPOT is the safety and security that SPOT brings. With the HELP and 911 features, immediate emergency response is a push of a button away. That brought peace of mind to me and my loved ones.
The SPOT Satellite Messenger is the greatest technical invention for the modern adventurer.
Kayak Kevin
http://www.kayakkevin.com
A Pilot’s Companion
I just believe that every pilot should have a satellite messenger, it is a no brainer. However many pilots have the attitude that it will never happen to them and that is fatal for some. I bought a Spot at the local Big 5 recently and will take it everywhere in the outdoors since I never know where there will be cell coverage. I will be adamant with my friends, pilots and non pilots that they need to have one of these.
Best Regards,
Dennis Steinbock
SPOT Tracks From Banff to Mexico
I want to say thanks for supporting the Tour Divide race this year with the SPOT units. Mine worked great. I hardly noticed it was in the outside packet of my pack, just the two green blinking lights. My wife and friends could easily keep track of my location during the race. They could tell at what bike shop, camp site or restaurant I was. That is surprisingly accurate. I have several years of adventure race experience. Many of those races tried to use a GPS or similar unit to track the racers location. Nothing every worked. They were very heavy and cumbersome to use. The SPOT unit with its light weight and simple operation was awesome.
Thanks again for your Support.
Ardie Olson
Tour Divide Racer
Cumming, Georgia
I just wanted to send along a word of thanks for what I have found to be THE most important advance in outdoor / recreational equipment of the century. (OK, so the century is still young ... but I'm sticking with that accolade.)
Sean Evans
Husband and Father
Seattle WA
Your product rocks! Our team, CareerBuilder.com could not have been more impressed using your product during the 10 day Primal Quest endurance race in Montana. Thanks for allowing our family and friends to track our progress over one of the most spectacular race courses imaginable.
Again, your product rocks! I'm now an ambassador contacting my mountaineering and mountain rescue friends signing your praises.
Tom
TeamCareerbuilder.com
As someone carrying the SPOT tracker and carrying a WAAS enabled GPS for Geocaching, I can attest to the astonishing accuracy of the SPOT checks as plotted on the Google Maps.? Each SPOT appears exactly where I am when I fire off a SPOT check.? I am awe struck at how the SPOT can resolve position and bounce it to a satellite powered by a pair of AA batteries with that degree of speed and accuracy!
I've made a few True Believers out of friends who do what I do, and they all have the same reaction: It's given both they and their families peace of mind while they're "out there," lifting the burden of worry and clearing the path for pure enjoyment of our journey.
Thank you -- more than I can express, except by urging everyone I know to carry one!
Keith S. Gordon
Las Vegas, Nevada
My freinds and family knew where we were all the time due to the tracking feature and we used the ok function every morning and evening. Never had to use the emergency function but I am sold on this device.
Joe Kern
Long Distance Swimmer & Sailor
Long Beach, CA
Remote Alaska Wilderness Rescue and Peace-of-Mind At Home
“I purchased the SPOT Messenger for the “just in case” factor, probably like many others who purchase a device like this. But on March 27, 2008 when a group of us left to go snow-machine in the remote backcountry outside of Seward, Alaska, little did I know that I would end up using my SPOT before the day was over.
SPOT did a great job initiating the rescue. Back at home, the team at GEOS, the emergency response center used by SPOT, did a great job on keeping my wife informed over the phone of the unfolding events during the rescue. GEOS communicated with her every time there was an update in events, from the time that they got the 9-1-1 page to the time that the injured party was delivered to the hospital by the helicopter. What a great tool and a great group of people to have helping you in a time of need. Thank you to all of those involved.
If you spend any time in the outdoors whether hiking, fishing, camping, hunting, snow-machining or flying airplanes, there is one thing that I would recommend having with you and that would be the SPOT Satellite Messenger. It does not take up much room in your pack and it is the best thing you could ever have in the event of an emergency. It is also nice to check in with my family so they know I’m OK regardless of phone or radio receptions. I know personally I will never leave the house on my out door adventures without SPOT.”
Bill Hanson
Soldotna, AK
SPOT 9-1-1 User & Snowmobiler
SPOT Aids Wings for Humanity In South America
We fly medical/mission flights into remote interior locations here in Guyana where reliable communications are limited or simply non-existent, the daily mission of the airplane can change rapidly taking us to places where we were not expecting to be, we can be delayed due to weather or perhaps just waiting for a sick patient to be brought to an airstrip. Being able to communicate with the base by sending an OK message or live tracking brings incredible peace of mind and improves the efficiency of our operations on a daily basis. I appreciate the success stories of rescues attributed to the SPOT unit however I will be completely satisfied if we NEVER use it for that purpose. We will be adding a second airplane to our operations here soon and we will definitely be carrying a Spot unit on board and probably in our boat as well.
Thank you again,
Jud Wickwire
Chief Pilot
Wings for Humanity
www.flywfh.org
Mabaruma, Region 1
Guyana, South America
Search and Rescue Runs Field Test with SPOT
Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to evaluate your product. At this time I do not know what position the Sheriff’s office is going to take regarding obtaining these units, but I personally think it would be a valuable tool for our team to have. And, besides Search and Rescue, I can envision many potential users for it in both the public and private sectors. Lastly (and most important) I belive that, in the near future, we will be seeing 9-1-1 SPOT activations which will result in much prompter rescues….as well as lives saved. Well Done SPOT.
Steve Engquist
Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue
SPOT Sponsors Team Across the Atlas 2008
"The SPOT Unit is a great product that can find the right use in many different situations and adventures. We tested it during a ski trip, but I think that a long hiking trip would be perfect too. We loved the fact that when our cell phones would get out of range, the Spot Unit kept functioning. I know for sure that our friends and family appreciated seeing our position on the web, as the adventure progressed. It also created a buzz in the media world: newspapers, TVs and radios loved the idea to track our exact spot on a daily basis. The downside is that you can’t hide anymore…. either you make it, or you don’t. Everyone can see it. Just joking of course, we loved it ! and we’ll definitely use it again on all of our future trips."
Pietro Simonetti
Team Across the Atlas 2008
New Record for Skiing All 28 California Resorts in 4 days, 10 hours and 7 minutes.
www.acrosstheatlas.com
Anchorage Man Rescued in Alaska Wilderness
“SPOT saved my life. If my brother hadn’t bought me SPOT to check-in with him before I left (for Alaska), I might not be here right now.”
Mike Brady
Anchorage, Alaska
First SPOT Rescue Survivor
SPOT Provides Peace-of-Mind in Snowmobile Avalanche Rescue
“My husband is an avid snowmobiler, and I worried about his safety in on his trips. So for Christmas, I bought him a SPOT satellite messenger because I wanted peace-of-mind for both of us. I thought he might use it to check in. Little did I know that only a week later he would use SPOT to alert 9-1-1 after an avalanche consumed part of his group in the remote backcountry of Wyoming.
I received an OK message telling me he was safe. In fact, I was viewing his location through Google Maps ™ online at www.findmespot.com when I was called by the Emergency Response Service Center used by SPOT. They contacted me instantly and notified the local area emergency responders within minutes. SPOT’s quick response was critical in the rescue communication. I can rest easily knowing that Brian will have SPOT with him every time he snowmobiles because of the safety capabilities and peace of mind it gives me.”
Natalie Bertsch
Miller, South Dakota
SPOT Takes the Search Out of Search and Rescue
“Whether you are hunting, camping, fishing, boating, or mountain climbing. SPOT is a must for any outdoor activity. I can now send updates on my whereabouts while traveling for work, let my family know I’m OK while deep-sea fishing, and have a back-up plan in case my truck breaks down on the way to another TV shoot. Without question, SPOT is one of the most amazing new products for the avid outdoorsman.”
Henry Waszczuk, Host of the Nationally Televised Angling Shows Fins & Skins and Fishing the Flats
SPOTsave #1: SPOT Saves the day, and the stolen motorcycle at the Baja 1000 race
“No one figured the best use of the SPOT was for retrieving a STOLEN motorcycle in the middle of the Baja 1000!! Seems that after one of our riders was evacuated from a crash in a remote area by helicopter, some opportunistic vultures decided to steal the bike. While they had the presence of mind to knock off the rallytracker, they obviously did not know there was a SPOT Satellite Messenger located on the bike. Thanks to the SPOTcasting tracking feature, the bike was retrieved! SPOT saved what was left of the day. SPOT served us well for tracking our race progress as well as alerting us to obvious malicious, criminal activity after our rider went down, in effect—-the new Baja LoJack!”
Baja.net Forum
Chuck Wallace, M.D.
501x Team Rider
2007 Baja 1000