Handy advice if lost

[nztimb]

If you are ever lost while hiking, get stranded with a broken down car, etc and you notice your cell phone is either low on juice or has no signal, here is a tip that very well may save your life.
Change the voicemail on your phone to a message that gives your approximate location, the time, the date, your situation (lost, out of gas, car broken down, injured, etc) and any special instructions such as you are staying with the car, you are walking toward a town, etc…. The best part of this is that even if your cell phone dies or stops working, voicemail still works, so anyone calling your phone looking for you will hear the message and know where to find you or where to send help.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Good idea but will only change the outgoing message if you can get signal so best to do it before you run into trouble. Something like if not back by abc, please xyz

 

[Bullthrower338]

I always bank on the fact that either the IRS will find me or the guy selling extended warranty on the truck I haven’t owned for 10 years will find me, one of the two seems to know where you are at all times

 

[Tbitty]

While this is a great idea, there are some additional details to consider. Here's a Quick "counter" article that adds deepr thought and info.

https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/qdqd0g

 

[nztimb]

@Tbitty It just shows what lack of knowledge can do when seeing something that seemed to be helpfull. I have very limited tech savy and only posted it as supposedly helpfull advise for the members and if I could delete it I would.

 

[Tbitty]

@Tbitty It just shows what lack of knowledge can do when seeing something that seemed to be helpfull. I have very limited tech savy and only posted it as supposedly helpfull advise for the members and if I could delete it I would.

@Von Gruff
Your post was very good idea and definitively well meaning. I just wanted to add additional information to expand the knowledge level of all readers. Absolutely no reason to delete your post, it is a great start to the thread!

 

[Tanks]

One of the reasons I have a Garmin InReach Explorer+. The two way SOS feature is available even when the Satellite communications is disabled.

 

[BigSteve57]

One of the reasons I have a Garmin InReach Explorer+. The two way SOS feature is available even when the Satellite communications is disabled.

I have an InReach also. I go out prepared all the time. Frankly over-prepared.

If you are ever lost while hiking, get stranded with a broken down car, etc and you notice your cell phone is either low on juice or has no signal, here is a tip that very well may save your life.
Change the voicemail on your phone to a message that gives your approximate location, the time, the date, your situation (lost, out of gas, car broken down, injured, etc) and any special instructions such as you are staying with the car, you are walking toward a town, etc…. The best part of this is that even if your cell phone dies or stops working, voicemail still works, so anyone calling your phone looking for you will hear the message and know where to find you or where to send help.

I don't get it. How does my voicemail get updated with my position without cell/network connectivity?

 

[BigSteve57]

One of the reasons I have a Garmin InReach Explorer+. The two way SOS feature is available even when the Satellite communications is disabled.

We have an InReach. Perhaps we should have two. We go out prepared, in fact over-prepared, ALL THE TIME.