SPOT Hands-On

We covered SPOT back in November last year, and here’s what the folks at Gearlog have to say about it.

During my time with the SPOT, I used it periodically from my office and on my commute to work to see how quickly it would send a message with my exact position. In each case the SPOT was accurate enough that it would be easy to find me, and the pointer on the Google map was only a few meters from my actual location. The device is reliable enough that the service has been endorsed by “Survivorman” Les Stroud of Discovery Channel fame, who regularly strands himself in deserted locations with only his cameras and his wits to guide him to safety.

The SPOT device retails for $169.99 while an annual subscription to the satellite tracking service will set you back by $99.99 annually. Depending on how much more you are willing to fork out, other features like progress monitoring and search-and-rescue benefits can be added.