Dear Editor:
Your March 16 story, Cellphone GPS Won't Always Help Your Rescuers, is a good reminder of the limits of technology and of the need for preparedness on the trails.
A few weeks ago I ran into some folks looking for a lost dog on the trail. It was pouring rain, and a couple of degrees above zero. They had no maps, and no real clue about where they were going. They were dressed in cotton clothes including jeans, no appropriate footwear or gear of any sort, but told me they'd be fine, because they had iPhones.
I went back to work, but took a few minutes to make some notes of location, time, etc., so I could notify North Shore Rescue about these people later that day. Luckily they did get out, as I heard from one of their group before dark.
As an experienced hiker, I noted with interest that within your story Shawn Hall, Telus spokesman, points out that a personal locator beacon can be had for $20 to $600. If that ($20) were truly the case, I expect more people would carry one.
Browsing local stores online, I see the price is more like $169 and up to more than $1,000.
For regular hikers, such as myself, $169 becomes a worthy investment. I doubt though, for occasional hikers, (and those we read about in the North Shore News after their rescue) that a PLB is on their wish list.
Catherine MacDonald North Vancouver
