Description
GPS safety to ease Mom’s mind and help rescue find you in a stack of needles.
- SOS / 911 function notifies emergency services of your GPS location in the event of a critical or life-threatening emergency and works in the United States (9-1-1) or Europe (1-1-2)
- Notify personal contacts that you’re in need of help in non-life-threatening emergencies with the Help button After an adventure, send out an standard OK or custom message to up to 10 pre-determine contacts using the Check-in / OK button that shoots a message and GPS coordinates via an email or sms message
- Real-time tracking on Google Maps or Spot Assist to notify professional rescue service providers sold separately through SPOT online account in addition to Basic SPOT service plans
- Help button can also be programmed to include additional, separately purchased SPOT services
- Receive $50 with SPOT's mail-in rebate; good from May 1, 2011 through July 31, 2011: get rebate form here: http://www.findmespot.com/rebate50/
Terms And Conditions
This Usage Agreement (the "Agreement") governs your conduct while using various services on the web site Backcountry.com and its affiliate web sites (collectively, the "Site"). All references to "we," "us," and "our" shall mean Backcountry.com and all references to "you" and "your" shall mean the user of the Site and Site Services. This Agreement applies to various services and activities on the Site as well as to gear review and product ratings (collectively, "Site Services"). Please read this Agreement carefully.
BY ACCESSING, BROWSING, AND USING THE SITE, ANY SITE SERVICES AND OTHER SERVICES THEREIN, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THIS AGREEMENT AND ITS TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY SUBSEQUENT MODIFICATION THEREOF, DO NOT ACCESS, BROWSE OR OTHERWISE USE THE SITE OR SITE SERVICES, INCLUDING THE SUBMISSION OF ANY REVIEWS OR COMMENTS.
Your use of the Site is governed by this Agreement and any other agreements and/or terms of use adopted by Backcountry.com and/or its affiliates. This Agreement shall govern in the event of, and to the extent of, any inconsistency with the Site. For more information on our privacy practices, read the Privacy Policy to understand our practices regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information on the Site and with respect to Site Services.
Any comments, reviews (including gear reviews and product ratings), posts, feedback, questions, answers, notes, messages, images, video, audio, materials, documents, data, graphics, ideas, suggestions or other communications (collectively, "User Content") you submit on the Site are not private or proprietary. By submitting User Content on or through the Site, you grant, assign and transfer to Backcountry.com all of your rights, title and interest, including without limitation, all intellectual property rights and moral rights, in and to such User Content. To the extent the preceding assignment and transfer is ineffective, you hereby grant Backcountry.com an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual right and license to use, copy, modify, adapt, display, publish, archive, store, distribute, reproduce and create derivative works based upon such User Content, in any form, media, software or technology of any kind now existing or developed in the future.
By submitting such User Content on or through the Site, you are confirming that (a) you are the sole author of the User Content and the User Content originated with you and not copied in whole or in part from any other work; (b) you have obtained all necessary permissions associated with the User Content, including without limitation permissions relating to copyrights, trademarks, rights of publicity and/or rights of privacy; (c) the User Content does not contain hate speech or profanity and is not unlawful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortuous, defamatory, vulgar, libelous, obscene, racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable, an invasion of another's privacy, or otherwise in violation of this Agreement; (d) that you are not a minor and have the legal right and capacity to enter into and comply with this Agreement; (e) such User Content does not and will not, in any way, violate or breach any of the terms of this Agreement; and (f) Backcountry.com shall not in any circumstances be required to pay or incur any sums to any person or entity as a result of its use or exploitation of the User Content.
With respect to your conduct on the Site or while using the Site Services, you agree not to: (a) attempt to disguise the origin of any User Content transmitted to the Site Services whether through the Site or any third party site; (b) act in any manner that negatively affects other users' ability to use the Site and Site Services; (c) impersonate any person or entity, including without limitation, a manufacturer or owner of any product, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity; (d) interfere with the Site or Site Services, or servers or networks connected to the Site or Site Services, or disobey any requirements, procedures, policies, or regulations of networks connected to the Site or Site Services; (e) upload, post, or otherwise transmit any User Content that with respect to the Site Services: (i) is not relevant to the product, service, person or entity being reviewed; (ii) you do not have a right to transmit under any law or under contractual or fiduciary relationships (by way of example but not limitation, inside information, proprietary and confidential information learned or disclosed as part of employment relationships or under nondisclosure agreements); (iii) contains software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment; or (iv) is unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes," or any other form of solicitation.
By submitting any such User Content on or through the Site, you grant Backcountry.com permission to use your name, alias and any other information (as provided by you) to attribute such User Content to you. Without limiting the generality of the previous sentence, and subject to our Privacy Policy, you authorize Backcountry.com, its affiliates, and sublicensees to share the User Content across all affiliated Web sites, and to use your name and any other information in connection with its use of such User Content, as they may choose. You also grant Backcountry.com and its affiliates the right to use any material, information, ideas, concepts, know-how or techniques contained in such User Content. We are not responsible for the similarity of any of our Content or programming in any media to User Content submitted by you. Any and all rights granted in this section are granted without the need for any compensation to you in any form.
User Content does not reflect the views of Backcountry.com, and Backcountry.com does not represent or guarantee the truthfulness, accuracy, completeness, timeliness, integrity, quality or reliability of any User Content, nor does Backcountry.com endorse or support any opinions expressed in any User Content. In no event shall Backcountry.com have or be construed to have any responsibility or liability for or in connection with any User Content, Any gear reviews and/or product ratings submitted on the Site, if displayed, are displayed for entertainment and informational purposes only. Under no circumstances will Backcountry.com be liable in any way for any User Content, including but not limited to, any errors or omissions in any User Content, or for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of any User Content posted, emailed or otherwise transmitted via the Site or Site Services.
If Backcountry.com determines, in our sole and absolute discretion, that you or any User Content you submit violates this Agreement, we reserve the right, at any time, without notice and without limiting any and all other rights Backcountry.com may have under this Agreement, to: (a) refuse to allow you to submit further User Content; (b) remove and delete your User Content; (c) revoke your registration and right to use the User Content Submission Features; and (d) use any technological, legal, operational or other means available to enforce the terms of this Agreement, including, without limitation, blocking specific IP addresses or deactivating your registration, access to the Site and Site Services using your e-mail address, and your user name and password. Without limiting the foregoing, once User Content is submitted to the Site, Backcountry.com may take any or no action with respect to such User Content, including without limitation, deleting, editing, modifying, rejecting, or refusing to post such User Content, but is under no obligation to offer you the opportunity to edit, delete or otherwise modify User Content once it has been submitted. Backcountry.com shall have no duty to attribute authorship of User Content to you and shall not be obligated to enforce any form of attribution by third parties.
If, despite the foregoing assignment and transfer of rights in the User Content, it is determined that you retain moral rights (including the rights of attribution or integrity) in the User Content, you hereby declare that: (a) you do not require that any personally identifying information be used in connection with the User Content or any derivative works of or upgrades or updates thereto; (b) you have no objection to the publication, use, modification, deletion and exploitation of the User Content by Backcountry.com or its licensees, successors or assigns; (c) you forever waive and agree not to claim or assert any entitlement to any and all moral rights of an author in any of the User Content; and (d) you forever release Backcountry.com, and its licensees, successors and assigns from any claims that you could otherwise assert against Backcountry.com by virtue of any such moral rights.
You are prohibited from violating the security of any system or network compromising the Site or the Site Services, including but not limited to the following: (a) unauthorized access to or use of data, systems, or networks, including any attempt to probe, scan or test the vulnerability of the Site or Site Services or to breach security or authentication measures; (b) unauthorized monitoring of data or traffic on the Site or of the Site Services; (c) interference with the Site or Site Services including without limitation, any type of flooding technique or deliberate attempt to overload the system such as denial or service attacks; (d) forging of a message header or any part of a message header; or (e) using manual or electronic means to avoid any use or access limitation placed on this Site or the Site Services. Such violations may result in criminal or civil liability.
Backcountry.com reserves the right to report any activity or persons that Backcountry.com suspects has violated any law or regulation to appropriate law enforcement officials, regulators, or other appropriate third parties (including the disclosure of appropriate subscriber information). Backcountry.com may also cooperate with appropriate law enforcement agencies to assist in the investigation and prosecution of any illegal conduct. Indirect or attempted violations of this Agreement and actual or attempted violations thereof by a third party on behalf of any user shall be considered violations of this Agreement by such user.
BACKCOUNTRY.COM DOES NOT ENDORSE THE USER CONTENT, IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE USER CONTENT AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY TO ANY PERSON OR ENTITY (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, PERSONS WHO MAY USE OR RELY ON SUCH USER CONTENT) FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE (WHETHER ACTUAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHERWISE), INJURY, CLAIM, LIABILITY OR OTHER CAUSE OF ANY KIND OR CHARACTER BASED UPON OR RESULTING FROM ANY USER CONTENT PROVIDED THROUGH THIS WEB SITE.
Share your thoughts
What do you think of the
SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger
? Share a...
SPOT on
David Lee
Member since
I have used this device for a week as a geocacher. It works great! Every 10 minutes it sends an email to my family and pinpoints my location on Google Maps. Now they feel that I am safe as I hike on the trails on my own. Best gift I have ever been given. I love it!
better options out there
Brandon Smith
Member since
My biggest issues with the SPOT where the questionable reliability, even in wide open spaces with clear skies. On the times that it did transmit an OK signal, the location was miles off, or searched for the nearest road to use as the location. I will be upgrading to a Delorme InReach.
Additional info
Alexander
Member since
Pretty Good
Eric Carter
Member since
I have been fairly happy with my Spot 2. I have been using it for almost three years in case of emergencies. It lives in my ski pack with my multitool and sunscreen and occasionally comes along for bigger trail runs. The I'm OK message is good for letting loved ones know I am back at the car or good for the night. Most of the messages seem to go through, when the view is unobstructed then always. IF there was an emergency though I would be hitting the button over and over until the cavalry arrived. Brought it to Nepal and OK messages worked fine in the Himalayas. I've never felt the need to have the tracking component as it costs extra and would just run out the batteries. Oh yeah, batteries seem to last forever when just saying OK once and a while. I change them more often than necessary just to be sure.
hi there,
i live in australia,,
will...
jmc3443296
Member since
hi there,
i live in australia,,
will this system work here?? (apart from the 911 call)
also i plan to go to new zealand as well,,will it work there
thanks jamie
Sarah
Member since
Yes, it will work. The GPS system of satellites covers the entire globe, so it'll work anywhere. Don't be frustrated if some messages don't get through- that can happen anywhere on the globe- it just depends on satellites being visible and aligned to receive your message.
Questionable reliability
RD
Member since
I borrowed a SPOT from a friend who has owned it for a year, but he seemed to have "spotty" results with it. Figured I would give it a try on a 3-day safe trip in Glacier National Park. Plenty of open sky. I set up the email addresses and did a test message while still in town, and it appeared to be working. My wife and friends back home never got a successful message or tracking update while I was on the trail. Not one... Turned the unit off and on several times to "reboot". Still nothing. I left it on "tracking" for most of the trip with absolutely nothing between me and the sky. I also sent multiple "OK" messages. A safety device that has only one function should have a much higher rate of reliability and a way of verifying that it has successfully performed its function. The various combinations of blinking lights seemed confusing. (Admittedly, I should have carried a copy of the instructions with me into the backcountry.) I'm going to have to have a much better proof of reliability before I take this unit with me again.
Laura
Member since
The blinking lights are the key indicator that your message was sent successfully. There is a little bit of confusion with SPOT at first for sure, but the key to using it successfully is understanding the lights. My guess is you probably turned it off before the message actually sent; sometimes it can take 10 minutes or so. I have never tried using the "tracking" function though, so I can't speak to what could have happened there.
This could save your bacon.
riverbum1
Member since
I used this while floating 600 miles on the Yukon River in Canada/Alaska. With a touch of a button I could let my family know via email where I was and if I was OK. I never used the emergency button, but it was a huge comfort to myself and my family that I could have help if I needed it. Bottom line: If you spend time in the back country, this is something that can save your life.
Andrew Z
Member since
Did you ever try to send messages with it? If so, were you successful?
Laura
Member since
I used SPOT daily at work to send OK messages to my supervisors, and worked with other people who used SPOT to send SOS messages. We never had a problem with messages not getting delivered.
Poor connectivity and poor customer support
Charlotte Hoss
Member since
I bought the SPOT for my backwoods adventures based on the glowing reviews the unit has received.
In practice however, that is hardly the case.
First of all, the unit does not provide any confirmation that the signal gets out, and just leaves me guessing if the device works or not.
Secondly, I preloaded 5 email addresses so my friends would get check ins. The last time I tried to send a checkin message, I had a good line of sight to the sky, let it sit face up on a rock for 10 min, and later aksed if anyone got the message. No-one did.
I have heard about the SPOT connect. Maybe it is more reliable? But just 1 way as I understand it, so I guess there is no guarantee of ever knowing if it works.
Its been hit and miss for me, and I just cant recommend this device. What if I had the same lack of reliability in a SOS situation?
Laura
Member since
The key for these devices is understanding the blinking lights. That is your confirmation that your messages have been sent. I have not myself sent an SOS message, but have been told that the blinking lights are the same story for that function as well.
Need some updated info. Does this $149.95...
ARYcave
Member since
Need some updated info. Does this $149.95 include any subscription plans? Did anybody ever use this in Asia "yellow" zone where it says "96% TO 99% PROBABILITY OF SUCCESSFULLY SENDING A SINGLE MESSAGE WITHIN 20 MINUTES." Does that claim match the reality?
Brett Clatt
Member since
The price of the unit does not include a subscription of service. The packages range from $90-$160 a year. You can find these on sale for $99 and then get a basic service package and it keeps your cost under $200 for the first year and $90 a year thereafter. I've been happy with mine. I havent had any issues with the unit and the 8x batteries last about 1 year. In the summer the tracking is almost dead on, in the winter with the satilites lower on the horizon the track can sometimes be up to 100yrds off, which is to be expected. When comparing the spot to a satalite phone or avy beacon, I feel the spot is a better value and just as reliable. As with all electronics, I would never put my life 100% in its hands.
SPOT at camp
Andrew McManama
Member since
SPOT looking to the sky, sending the nightly OK message.
SPOT on the pack at Trailhead
Andrew McManama
Member since
going into action
Alex Stoy
Member since
can't wait to use the Spot Connect this next year on all my adventures and know that I'll actually be able to be found using this lightweight and small device. Adventure #1 coming up1
the outdoors are fun and stuff
Member since
Not a review.
0-2. I have both SPOT2 & Connect
Derian Wiley
Member since
GPS is slow and sometimes inaccurate on SPOT2 - loses power a little fast, and has been missing more transmissions than promised.
For Connect, I have worked with customer care reloading the app and trouble shooting with them on multiple occasions. The customer service was friendly and nice, but they are not up to speed on the device. They couldn't answer many questions, and after spending countless time on the phone, without resolving the issues, they said someone would call me back.
I didn't get the call back twice. When I recently followed-up I actually, got a call back the next day. The guy admitted to some of the faults and said they are working to fix them. They sent me a new unit, but I still have all the same problems. They then gave me the number of the SPOT sales rep for my area, Rocky Mountain, and he seemed very rushed on the phone, and really didn't have any more to offer than care did. What is a customer to do?
And SPOT has already collected a full year of service up front!
I live in Alaska and drive from Southeast...
Cathy
Member since
I live in Alaska and drive from Southeast Alaska to Interior Alaska on a regular basis. Is there a similar device which will work in Northwest Canada?
Andrew McManama
Member since
According to their coverage map (http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=109) you can get this device for coverage where you are looking for it. If you are looking for something less expensive you can get one of their less expensive models. I have the SPOT Personal tracker and it tracks and send OKs just fine. I think it is around $100 plus services.
riverbum1
Member since
I used this device in Northern Canada while floating 600 miles on the Yukon River from Johnson's Crossing to Dawson City. It worked flawlessly.
Video review!
BackpackersReview.com
Member since
This is a great little device with some great features... and it has proven to be a life saver for some. Learn more in my video review:
http://backpackersreview.com/gear-review/tents/52-a-mountainsmith-morrison-tent
Spot on my Pack...
Jeff Sacks
Member since
I used the Spot for my 6 day solo hike of the STS. My wife got every "Check OK" I sent her. Great for giving the ones who worry about you a piece of mind .
Works well
Evan08
Member since
Works well and haven't had too many problems with it. The yearly subscription seems to be a little high for the few things that it is able to do.
Question flagged as irrelevant. Click here to view.
I am in South Africa and looking at doing...
Jean
Member since
I am in South Africa and looking at doing an extended hike from source to delta of one of our rivers here. I am looking for a device that will allow interested parties to track our progress online (on google maps) and also be able to communicate out the co-ordinates if need be. The hike will not be on roads. I need to know if this product will work for this? And is there coverage in South Africa - specifically Kwa-Zulu Natal from the Drakensburg through to Port Shepstone.
Shaun
Member since
check out the spot coverage map from Spot. Sending a single also depends on how unobstructed the sky is. In deep narrow canyons, dense forest with canopy sending a single is harder.
http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=109
Review flagged as A sales pitch not a review. Click here to view.
View all contributions... Be patient, it might take a while.

Laura
Member since