A Young Adventurer's Humbling Lesson: The Unexpected Value of Preparedness

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A Young Adventurer's Humbling Lesson: The Unexpected Value of Preparedness

A Young Adventurer's Humbling Lesson: The Unexpected Value of Preparedness
Lives saved

3

Hiking

Hiking

Mountain

Mountain

Weather

Weather

Challenging Terrain

Challenging Terrain

Hiking

A Young Adventurer's Humbling Lesson: The Unexpected Value of Preparedness

-43.082349594469°S, 171.40417480469°E

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Darius

What happened?

Back when I knew little of preparedness, I loved to joke about a PLB being the most useless gift I’d received – “I’ve just never had a use for it, Mum!” I was, and perhaps still am, a classic young ‘Kiwi’: dumb, keen, and optimistic.

It started on a 4-day trip with a few mates into the Southern Alps. Great time hanging out, walking for days, and talking nonsense. Each day we bashed further up the river, getting higher and higher until the 3rd day when we would ascend a pass into the next valley.

As we ascended, things got snowy, and we realized we were in over our heads. Blind optimism turned into a realization that we were on steep snowy slopes above bluffs.

With limited knowledge and a storm coming, we popped out our ResQLink 400 PLB. About an hour later, a heli crew picked us up, avoiding the need for a winch or stretcher.

There were significant lessons learned about trip planning and the importance of acquiring skills for mountain safety. Though the rescue was a little embarrassing, it sparked a journey of growth – leading to avalanche, climbing, and mountaineering courses.

Now that I prioritize preparedness, I hit the mountains every weekend, learning from mentors and friends, all thanks to that “useless” gift.

Words of wisdom

The difference between a very adventurous trip and a significant emergency is small and shifts quickly – i use my ACR plb to provide a small amount of insulation from the consequences of this.

Thank you note

Hey Team,

 

Your doing epic things, it must a be a great feeling to know that the work you put in each day is a part of saving lives!

its awesome to have a reliable tool i can use as part of my emergency plan

one of the great things about the plb i used is its small scale – its important that you keep moving towards smaller and smaller otherwise an inreach will become a more and more compelling option just given scale and mass for fast and light mountaineering

Thank you

Rescue location

WC93+3M Birdwood, Canterbury, New Zealand

Rescue team

Local Search and Rescue

Sale!

ResQLink™ 400

Go to product details

$379.95$394.95

Small but resilient, the ResQLink 400 has been professionally engineered and tested to ensure it can withstand even the harshest elements. This buoyant Personal Locator Beacon requires no subscription for use and can be utilized to enhance your safety in a wide variety of environments. Whether on land, at sea, or in the air, trust that the ResQLink’s satellite precision and military durability, put rescue in the palm of your hands.

 

Features and Benefits:

  • No Subscription Required
  • GPS and Galileo GNSS
  • Built-In Buoyancy
  • Strobe and Infrared Strobe
  • Global Coverage
  • MEOSAR Compatible
  • Small and lightweight
  • 5-year battery life
  • 24+ hours Operational Life**
  • Multi-function Clip System Included
**Based on test report from an accredited laboratory   WARNING: PROP 65   
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