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Sharing location with Mrs!

Re: Sharing location with Mrs!

Postby Backpacker » Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:00 am

rabthecairnterrier wrote:I find this obsession with tracking peoples' location 24/7 both completely weird and quite disturbing.
Time was when folk went to the hills for a bit of personal freedom. Some of us still do.
Now the surveillance society wants to follow us even there.


Your not the only one, I don't mind sharing where I've been once I get back. Maybe what they say about the COVID vaccine is true :shock: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Sharing location with Mrs!

Postby Marty_JG » Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:22 pm

I don't carry a beacon, but Scottish hillwalking is not a completely safe thing. On some averages there are about 10 MRT incidents per week, about three traumatic injuries per week one of which is a facture, and a fatality every two weeks. Survivability goes up with early search intervention, along with lessening of injury e.g. the difference between a broken leg and an amputated one. And it's just not the trainers & trackies crew falling off cliffs when the Buckie kicks in, experienced and well-equipped walkers get injured and worse. OK, some of us are quite lucky in that we have partners who don't give two chest-beating monkeys if we live or die. If anything we'd free up some space, the place would be less messy and the sofa might finally stop smelling of beer farts. But other people can be a bit clingy, what with their spouse being the love of their life and the other parent to their children, sitting at home trying not to worry when "trying not to worry" is an actively worrisome thing. So I can kind of understand why they might want a "I'm not dead yet" beep a couple of times a day when doing a remote, solo, reaper-taunting sports.You don't want a beeper, okay; but try not to get too disturbed by the Great Zuckerberg in the Sky. His scouring, cycloptic gaze can't see you in the hills in the same way dogs can't see pink.
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Re: Sharing location with Mrs!

Postby Tringa » Mon Sep 06, 2021 3:09 pm

I don't use any location device when I'm walking but I do let Mrs Tringa know my route before I go.

The last walk I did was in the area east of Gairloch and west of Loch Maree. None of it was technical or exposed but even there a slip could be, at the least, very difficult and potentially very serious. It seems a sensible and courteous idea to leave some details. If help was needed it might save the MRT searching about 30sq km.

However, everyone is different and might have partners who are more worried.

To an extent I take your point Rab. Adventurers of many years ago were sometimes out of touch for years, but times have changed.

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Re: Sharing location with Mrs!

Postby malrobb » Mon Sep 06, 2021 4:38 pm

Notwithstanding the comments about using a mobile phone and requiring a signal etc, Strava now offer their Beacon service free of charge as of a few days ago. This used to be a Premium feature. https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/206470124-Strava-Beacon-for-Garmin
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Re: Sharing location with Mrs!

Postby AndyATSmith » Mon Sep 06, 2021 5:40 pm

The reason that I wish to get some kind of tracking device is purely for safety. It gives both myself (who often walks alone) and my family that little bit of reassurance that if something were to go wrong, I should be able to send out an SOS signal and even if I couldn't (say due to being knocked unconscious) then at least my family would be able to provide the emergency services with my last known position should I not return home.
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Re: Sharing location with Mrs!

Postby Coop » Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:28 pm

I go on the hills to get away and find peace from her
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Re: Sharing location with Mrs!

Postby WalkWithWallace » Tue Sep 07, 2021 8:14 am

rabthecairnterrier wrote:I find this obsession with tracking peoples' location 24/7 both completely weird and quite disturbing.
Time was when folk went to the hills for a bit of personal freedom. Some of us still do.
Now the surveillance society wants to follow us even there.


It's personal choice, nobody forcing you. But I don't feel a satellite communicator invades my privacy or personal freedom. It does however give my missus peace of mind whilst I'm away, giving her a bit more freedom not to worry. 8)
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Re: Sharing location with Mrs!

Postby rabthecairnterrier » Tue Sep 07, 2021 4:13 pm

WalkWithWallace wrote:
rabthecairnterrier wrote:I find this obsession with tracking peoples' location 24/7 both completely weird and quite disturbing.
Time was when folk went to the hills for a bit of personal freedom. Some of us still do.
Now the surveillance society wants to follow us even there.


It's personal choice, nobody forcing you. But I don't feel a satellite communicator invades my privacy or personal freedom. It does however give my missus peace of mind whilst I'm away, giving her a bit more freedom not to worry. 8)

It is now ... how long before it starts being 'irresponsible' not to carry one on H & S grounds, with much tut-tutting from society in general and call for folk to be 'banned' from the hills unless they can be tracked in case of mishap?
Creeping regulation, whether by diktat or social pressure is an insidious thing.
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Re: Sharing location with Mrs!

Postby AndyATSmith » Tue Sep 07, 2021 4:34 pm

To be honest, if it saves the emergency services time in locating me then I see that as a positive thing. Every minute saved looking for me could be a minute spent locating the next unfortunate soul to have an accident on the hills. Could potentially be saving both my life and others. In my opinion everyone should have a certain amount of responsibility towards society as a whole. Many hillwalkers complain about folk going up mountains in inappropriate clothing, or not having any navigation skills because we feel they need to take on some level of responsibility not just for themselves but for others too. I'm not sure this is much different. I'm not necessarily arguing that it should be compulsory to carry a tracking device of some kind but I do personally feel that it's a responsible thing to do.
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Re: Sharing location with Mrs!

Postby Kendrum » Tue Sep 07, 2021 5:47 pm

There was a time where I would go on my trip replying to requests to "text every day to let them know I'm safe" saying I'm on holiday and looking for peace and quiet and wouldn't be turning on my phone.
But my opinions have mellowed. I have developed more empathy for the worrier at home. As I do more on my own I realise that I am more vulnerable to minor issues becoming more serious. And also I enjoy the technology that's out there and can afford to embrace it.
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Re: Sharing location with Mrs!

Postby Marty_JG » Tue Sep 07, 2021 6:27 pm

rabthecairnterrier wrote:how long before it starts being 'irresponsible' not to carry one on H & S grounds, with much tut-tutting from society in general and call for folk to be 'banned' from the hills unless they can be tracked in case of mishap?
Creeping regulation, whether by diktat or social pressure is an insidious thing.


Lead that tut-tutting in the direction of finishing the coverage of mobile phone networks, it doesn't even have to be masts these days, Elon Musk's Starlink would work.

And you could be a dissident and subvert expectations by not carrying a phone. Just take extra care not to crack an ankle because you'll be annoyed at yourself for not having one even for emergencies.
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Re: Sharing location with Mrs!

Postby WalkWithWallace » Wed Sep 08, 2021 2:33 pm

rabthecairnterrier wrote:It is now ... how long before it starts being 'irresponsible' not to carry one on H & S grounds, with much tut-tutting from society in general and call for folk to be 'banned' from the hills unless they can be tracked in case of mishap?
Creeping regulation, whether by diktat or social pressure is an insidious thing.


Like the armchair mountaineers demanding insurance, then MR quite rightly rebuff? Given the cost to purchase these units, plus the subscription charges they won't become that common. Don't think you have anything to fear.
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Re: Sharing location with Mrs!

Postby DopeyLoser » Wed Sep 08, 2021 3:23 pm

As Marty has mentioned, technology such as Starlink is just about with us.

I'm sure this has already been discussed to death but a problem with the "I'm still alive dear" type notifications is what happens when you are fine but your device does not work? E.g. the batteries died, or you dropped the device in a river or off a cliff.

I have fortunately never been required to call home for reassurance but on one occasion at least, I turned back from a climb because it was taking hours longer than expected, I'd given wifie an ETA that was unrealistic, and I didn't want to be the subject of an MRT callout. I went back myself on a different occasion and climbed the hill without anyone knowing my route or expecting me back. We are all going to die someday, on a street or on a hill or in our beds.
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Re: Sharing location with Mrs!

Postby Marty_JG » Wed Sep 08, 2021 4:46 pm

DopeyLoser wrote:I'm sure this has already been discussed to death but a problem with the "I'm still alive dear" type notifications is what happens when you are fine but your device does not work? E.g. the batteries died, or you dropped the device in a river or off a cliff.


Perhaps the same "what if" you don't arrive at a pre-planned destination waypoint e.g. a remote B&B. Are you fine or not? Do you have a broken leg on the hills, or did you take a wrong turn and added several hours to the journey? What is the default assumption? My point is it's not like we don't have "physical analogues" of the situation.

I'd hope MRT have experienced people who are able to talk-through with a 3rd party about a hiker not checking in as planned and they can help make a determination, e.g. about conditions, how long it has been, their experience, last known location, planned route, etc.
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Re: Sharing location with Mrs!

Postby Alteknacker » Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:50 pm

After many years of solo walking and scrambling I unfortunately developed a heart condition; but didn't develop the concomitant condition of no longer wanting to do remote walks solo.

The thing is, if you get into serious difficulty, it's not you that's the main sufferer, but rather those that care for you - I experienced this first hand with a near fatal accident: I didn't find it too bad, but it was tremendously stressful for wife, kids, family and friends to observe me gently rapping on death's door.

So (very reluctantly) I agreed to get and carry a Personal Locator Beacon on walks. They're mainly intended for sailors, but the functionality (immediate notification of emergency and location) works just as well for walkers. It cost me £200, and for the peace of mind it bought the family I think it was excellent value. (I don't tell them much about what I do on scrambling expeditions, mind :-) ).
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