This trusty little piece of plastic and electronics has helped me evacuate a guy with a spiral fractured fibula and tibula, helped get the right alternator to our chase truck 100 miles off the grid and has been a critical tool in many more tense situations over the years guiding 28 expeditions.
I have a PHd in using and abusing outdoor gear and few things have stood up to the test better than my faithful Delorme Satellite Communicator. As a professional guide there are a few things I love about it. The first is how rugged the design is. It’s completely waterproof and the clip on the back has never once come unclipped from the backpack strap I usually attach it to, this is huge because you don’t want to lose your sat phone when you’re in the middle of the wilderness. From a tech point of view it pairs with your iPhone which makes typing easier but you can also fully compose messages on the device itself. Also you can easily share your location to social media channels or a mapshare link so that friends and family can follow along.
The most important feature is one that thankfully I haven’t had to use; the red SOS button. But if you are ever in a life threatening rescue situation you just press the button and anywhere on earth a rescue team will dispatch and pull you out. Get to the choppa!
In short, I literally will not go anywhere off the grid without this device, the peace of mind it gives is invaluable especially when you are in responsible for keeping humans alive in the woods.
-Steve Dubbeldam, Chief of Adventure and Wilderness founder.