EPIRBS....What a great idea.

"Why can't this be extended to all national parks ?"

Sometimes I intend to go where I don't want them to know :-)

The "Intention to Travel" can be a bit of a pain at times.

Was asked to fill one out at the Nullingine police station, because i went in and asked about the condition of the Skull Springs Road and camping on the Oakover.

You are required to give a completion date, so if you haven't reported in by then they will come looking. All well and good you might say, but we found some great camping spots and could have stayed for weeks, not days as we indicated on the form.

Yes great idea.! Was wondering how many people die each year lost in the elements.?

I seem to be reading about people getting lost every 2 weeks.? This would save so many lives and reduce search and rescue costs.?

Book it in Danno..!

We have carried one our whole trip. Not had to use it thankfully. Cheap insurance I say. We carry it when we go on hikes as well. How many bush walkers/4wdrivers would be alive today if they carried a $400 epirb. I like the idea of free usage for walkers. A few years ago we were involved with a campsite. A group got lost and we were asked to help look as local coppers were up at Mt Baw Baw looking for a school group in the snow. We spent 6 hours looking for them to find they had gone up a different track to the one they were logged in to do.
They got disorientated cause they were on a different track. If they had kept to the track they had logged into we would have found they straight away. Mild hypothermia and a few cuts and scratches were all they got but could have been worse as a huge storm blew in that night.
If you log a trek stick to it, yes it can be a pain but so is dying. An epirb is cheap insurance and one item I hope we never get to try.
Ron Moon told us he was involved in looking for a couple in the Simpson desert who set off their. When they found them they were in a hire car and couldn't work out how to change a flat tyre. Their bill was about $15,000 I think. Epirbs are only if you are going to die.

Josh

"Why can't this be extended to all national parks ?"

- it's the usual answer as to why the obvious isn't done - MONEY.

The EPIRBs were donated by the company that sells them.

After they had been donated, they weren't available to walkers for many months while the paper-shufflers worked out the requirements for lending them out !!!!

I borrowed one on Friday - the process is quick and easy now.

While initially I thought what a great idea as well I have some reservations about Parks having to spend the time running the system. It is clever linking the handout of the EPIRBs to regeristing a trip intention as really that is a key process all hikers need to do.
Like Vince I doubt that the people who take the time to pick one up will actually be the one's that really need it.
Cheers Craig............

Tasmania Parks and Wildlife also have an arrangement in place where you can hire one for $40 for 7 Days.
http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?id=7364

We coordinated a rescue for three guys who hired one last week, and needed to be recovered by helo. Best $40 bucks they have ever spent.

This was a pilot scheme and it has proved to be very successful with over 200 having been loaned out and 3 rescues so far, as soon as we sort out a few minor issues we will extend it. We are trying to raise the money to take the scheme state wide

By the way, we don't sell them, we just bought them and donated them.

Thanks for raising the issue

All the best