Satellite phones

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I have a very nice work benefit where I have 3 months off, and would like to do some solo hiking during that time for photography.

I'm not interested in taking risks so will be planning trips around weather and accessibility, but in the interest of complete safety would like some recommendations on tough, light satellite phones just in case.

The cheaper the better obviously, as long as it fits the requirements.

Thanks!
 
Not to do with the sat phone, but would suggest you download "what3words" app onto what normal phone you have.
 
but in the interest of complete safety
The cheaper the better obviously
Cheap or highly reliable?

I don't think any emergency services guarantee to know about What Three Words so I wouldn't bother, they tend to use SARLOC - in both cases you need a mobile data signal. If you want a sat. phone for general comms etc. then go for it but of course to use any of these things need you to be conscious and thinking clearly (hypothermia stops you thinking clearly). For serious rescue purposes I would have thought a Personal Locator Beacon is probably the best bet if you are that worried. However probably the best thing you can do is tell someone where you are going, what your route is and when you will be back and then when you get back contact them to let them know you are safe. Also make sure your "call out person" person is reliable, will actually call for help and knows how to call for help (do you know how to call for mountain rescue even if you have a sat. phone?)
 
Cheap or highly reliable?

I don't think any emergency services guarantee to know about What Three Words so I wouldn't bother, they tend to use SARLOC - in both cases you need a mobile data signal. If you want a sat. phone for general comms etc. then go for it but of course to use any of these things need you to be conscious and thinking clearly (hypothermia stops you thinking clearly). For serious rescue purposes I would have thought a Personal Locator Beacon is probably the best bet if you are that worried. However probably the best thing you can do is tell someone where you are going, what your route is and when you will be back and then when you get back contact them to let them know you are safe. Also make sure your "call out person" person is reliable, will actually call for help and knows how to call for help (do you know how to call for mountain rescue even if you have a sat. phone?)

According to What Three Words 35 English and Welsh emergency services have got agreement to use it, I’m not sure how many Scottish services use it (given there is a National police, fire and ambulance service in Scotland I assume it is likely to be completely used)
The BBC have covered it both nationally and locally where I live.
 
my historic use of a sat phone was both a massive pain, and also very expensive. fortunately i didn't have to foot the bill, it was down to my employers. If you do get one, don't forget to leave gaps for both sides of the conversation as the lag is unbearable
 
AFAIK What3Words and OSLocate (which gives you a lat/log or grid ref) use GPS, so no need for any mobile signal.
TBH I wouldn't stress too much. Bear in mind that people were doing solo hikes before mobile comms were invented and the vast majority survived to tell the tale.
 
I've a few friends that do races through rural areas that require a satelite spot tracker including one who used it to be tracked on a round the world ride which seems a good option:

https://www.findmespot.eu/en/

Garmin have recently produced their own satelite devices:

https://explore.garmin.com/en-GB/inreach/

I tend to stick to areas with mobile coverage or go in groups in more rural areas although if I was going further afield on my own, I'd consider one of the above. I'm very surprised about how blase some people are about safety, yes many people do survive on their own but sadly many still die on the hills every year and one of the big difficulties is finding those who have gone missing. It's not just the walker/climbers who risk their lives it's the rescue teams trying to find them as well.
 
Thanks all...maybe I'm being a bit over cautious. Will definitely get what 3 words (although not having mobile signal is an issue for relaying your location, not determining it).

I definitely don't want to drop £500 plus credit if I don't need to!
 
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