Rescue me in the woods, Spot

I don’t usually blog gadgets, but as an outdoors and gadget lover, I’ve gotta share this. It’s the Spot Satellite Messenger.

What this thing does is give you a way to be rescued no matter where you are. Press the emergency button and the gizmo sends out a distress call that includes your GPS coordinates. You can also use it to check in with family or friends, so they can see where you are on a long backpacking, mountaineering or bike trip.

As a mountain biker, I appreciate what this thing can do. Of course, it’d be nice if cell phones would do the same thing so you don’t have to carry multiple gadgets. I expect one day they will. Meantime, a phone won’t do you much good when you ride your bike off a cliff 10 miles from the nearest road and out of cell coverage.