Safety is usually a big priority when mountain biking. It can be a dangerous sport with serious consequences. After all, what sport where helmets are used is not potentially dangerous? On top of the inherent dangers of mountain biking, heading into the backcountry for days on end without cell service, or convenience of a nearby town can add to the risk. I am sure you have been asked by your spouse or significant other, “is it worth it?”
A trip that involves sleeping next to your bike in the woods or desert is always worth it. Lucky for your loved ones, there is a simple solution to stop the worry. For the past decade or so, SPOT has given bikepackers the ability to do just that. A SPOT device not only allows us to track blue dots during a race, but it also gives spouses, significant others, friends and family members peace of mind.
SPOT was introduced as a subsidiary of Globalstar in 2007. Globalstar realized their satellites were degrading quicker than they had expected, inhibiting the two-way feature on Globalstars satellites, which happens to be Globalstar main service, satellite phone communication. The idea arose to use those satellites as a simplex transmitter (one way) and the SPOT Messenger was born. Since then Globalstar has upgraded their satellite fleet, and SPOT has gone through 3 generations of their popular messenger system.
Pingback: The Kiwi Brevet 2014 Setup - Bikepackers Magazine
Pingback: A Wanderlust Gear Bag Set Review - Bikepackers Magazine
Pingback: Bikepacking the Spine of Vermont's Green Mountains - Bikepackers Magazine
Pingback: Readers Rigs: John Schilling - Bikepackers Magazine
Pingback: Arizona Trail Bikepacking Rig - Bikepackers Magazine