While many of us stick to marked trails and hike with phones and friends, sometimes that isn’t enough. Both Aus and NZ have patchy signal in many of their national parks, more often than not having none at all if you’re going for more than an hour.
As someone who loves to hike, I recently did a 5 day solo trip and decided it was time to use a PLB. Thankfully I didn’t need it but it had made me realise the value, and I’ve since started to look into buying one. The information available isn’t always very clear so I’ve tried to make this as simple as possible – apologies if its a little dry!
What is a PLB?
A personal locator beacon is a portable device that you carry and, when triggered, will also the emergency services. It is an international tool but you do have to register it. From my understanding you register it in your own country and then can take it overseas. It is very important to know that in some countries PLBs are illegal on land. At the time of writing, Japan and Denmark were two examples so please double check before travelling.
Is a PLB the same as a GPS/ Satellite Messenger?
No, a PLB has one function – to notify in an emergency. While satellite messengers can also do this, they’re a little different and tend to have extra features. Which you prefer will come down to a number of factors. I’d recommend reading this article for more details: https://www.hikewest.org.au/plb/
Hire or buy?
It really depends on how much adventuring you do. If you’re doing more than five trips a year where you want to carry one, it with buying one off your own. The reading for this is:
- Avoiding the hassle of having to go and collect the beacon
- Price
With a PLB, you typically do not need a subscription but with a satellite messenger or GPS you do.
Where to rent?
AU
– Oz Satellite Rentals including at MacPac stores and other retailers: https://www.ozsatelliterentals.com.au/
– Nationals Parks NSW (certain parks only) – free: https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/safety/bushwalking-safety/personal-locator-beacon
NZ
– Locator Beacons NZ including at MacPac stores and other retailers: https://www.locatorbeacons.co.nz/hireoutlets