Do Many of you Hike Alone?

I was thinking more along the lines of a PLB than something to use for navigation. When I told my wife I'd go alone if I couldn't find anyone to go with me, she said "what if you get hurt". I assumed there must be a device to use in such a case. So, I looked it up and there was the PLB! Very reasonably priced for something that might save your life.

For the SE, I wouldn't bother with such a device though I concede that an emergency/accident can happen anywhere and anytime, of course. The SE is more crowded in general and not as remote. I'd rather invest in a decent Wilderness First Aid course than a 2-way satellite messenger or PLB. That being said, if your wife is adamant... nuff said.

I admit I have considered such a device a couple times since my now 9 year old son has been accompanying me into the wilderness the last 2 trips (and will continue to do so), but I just haven't been able to justify it for that one trip a year. We do try to text or call mom sometimes when we're on a peak/ridge. And we do leave our route plan, local emergency numbers, what we're wearing and the time she should call in the troops if she hasn't heard from us.

I mostly hike solo, have a style similar to CW and live in the Intermountain West. I have a SPOT and use it on every hike regardless of location. A key factor is age.

I recall being in the Wind Rivers during the search for Randy Udall several years ago. Caused a lot of angsts for his family, the SAR people and cost the tax payers well north of $1,000,000 to locate his remains. Essentially, he dropped dead of a cardiac arrest, leaving no clue as to his whereabouts. The point I remember is that he left a SPOT device in his car at the trailhead.

So for me, it's more like an avalanche beacon, a considerate location device to find my remains in a worst case scenario. In my mind it's good manners.

Sometimes my family may track my whereabouts on a daily basis for fun.

As a veteran I am particularly cognizant that you can be here one minute and gone the next. Toss in my age, add the retirement factor (more time to hike)and it makes sense to have one. It's simply a risk management exercise using your personal criteria, risk probability, tolerance and consequences. Just another HYOH situation.

I finally caved in a got a PLB last year. My wife doesn't worry much about me, since she figures I know what I'm doing and she backpacks enough herself to have a good sense of the risks. The people who seem happiest about it are mainly at work. It's hard for some of them to differentiate between backpacking and riskier pursuits, like big wall climbing or BASE jumping.

Yes, I have to say that I cut my risk tolerance way back when alone. I also cut it back when I had kids, just because I have a responsibility to them that I can't fulfill if I'm dead

I seem to have a better ability to draw back than my spouse, so maybe it's partly a guy thing (I will say that he has gotten more sensible in the last few years. Or maybe just more tired).

That's true. My first night solo was to a familiar place where I had hiked before with others. I was over-prepared on purpose. (This was before the ultra-light fad.) The experience taught me that the rewards far outweighed the risks. Over the past 35 years I have continued to evolve how I handle gear, attitude and terrain.

Actually, the farther you are from a trail head, the less likely you'll come across wackos. Most troublemakers don't venture far from their campsite. Get more than a day out and you'll be pretty safe.

Having said that, I have walked through bee swarms, come across bandits near the Border, been followed and had unattended dogs charge at me. I've had my vehicle vandalized at a trailhead and detected false trail indicators. My take-away. Pay attention and use your wits.