Saturday, Feb 11, 2006 at 05:14
"Come on Mike. Surely you're not suggesting the first thing to buy is an EPIRB ;-) " (I did note the smiley)
You could buy the strongest tyres, biggest winch etc in the world. Or you could buy a 30 yr old two wheel drive with regrooved tyres.
EITHER WAY, you can still be stranded in remote areas - flooding, bogged,
breakdown, rollover, animal strike.
If you set off an EPIRB a search will started within a few hours - if you don't have an EPIRB the search may not be started for a week. I f you have an EPIRB they will find you in half a day - without an EPIRB there is a good chance they will NOT find you while you are still alive.
There are countless cases where people who were
well prepared - or badly prepared - dying in remote areas.
Having been involved with Search & Rescue organisations for the last 35 years, I am concerned by the number of cases of walkers close to major cities, who got lost without an EPIRB, and who are found purely by good luck (rather than due to a large or a
well managed search)
On re-consideration, I am SERIOUSLY suggesting that the FIRST Thing you buy if travelling in remote areas is an EPIRB. What you have left after that massive $250 investment - you can allocate to tyres, water tanks etc.
Mike
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