185
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #181,958 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★☆☆☆
I Cannot Count on It. It's that simple.
I have been a SPOT user since Gen 1. Hiked about 1000 miles in Colorado and elsewhere. Climbed a bunch of mountains. Been the back country a lot. The Gen 1 served me pretty well. It had some quirks, but in general I knew its limitations and was able to get it to work. The Gen 3, not so much. Since the Summer in 5 trips, on the summits 7 of Colorado's 14,000 foot peaks (with an unobstructed view of the sky), I was succeeded with 2 position messages to my family. At Kroenke Lake in September ... no trees. I could not get a position. At Harvard Lakes, no position. On top of Grays Peak, nope. Torreys Peak, nope ... and so on.
At points in my hike I would notice the unit had turned itself off. I was pretty sure the batteries were good, but there is no real way of knowing since there is no warning light that tells the user batteries are low.
In the end, after years with SPOT, I cancelled my service. The concept is great, but if I become incapacitated in the backcountry (where I end up a lot) I don't want to wonder if my SPOT is going to speak to someone out there.
Be careful, is all I am saying. Make sure it works for you.
