I carry a SPOT in 182 for security > In local news today there is a example of -he had the one where you can text from your smart phone --- think I may get one of these next http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/de ... ker-mount/

There seem to be a range of options available for communicating during emergencies, and it sounds like his choice worked great for him. Except, however, there was no emergency. According to the article, he was just "afraid of getting lost".

I hiked up Lee Canyon one time when I was visiting LV, and the idea of getting lost there is asinine. Who cares if you can see the trail. You walk up a v-shaped canyon. Now turn around and go downhill. When you get to the ski area, go find where you parked your car. You could do it in the dark!

It's a viscous cycle. Each time Search & Rescue mounts a huge rescue effort at taxpayer expense, the news media gets to gleefully tell the horrifying story, and a whole new crop of adventure seeker wanna-bees decides to head out into the wild armed with cell phones, gps units, and locator beacons. I think the people being rescued should pay for their helicopter rides, and that might help them determine the extent of their emergency.