Joined in 2023 
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63 About this deal
It was a never-ending battle to try to brush the snow out of my tent so I could keep my down sleeping bag dry.
I wouldn’t have to face the shame of being rescued, or the sidelong glances from other long-distance hikers.
As you might have already guessed, I would encounter a moment when my Garmin inReach Mini would ultimately save my life. If you want to stop people peering into your tent, a windbreak can make a great privacy wall, as well as giving you somewhere to enjoy a drink without a gale blowing through. But, I’m here to stomp on the illusion that you’re safe just because you’ve hiked thousands and thousands of miles. I could even make out the outline of the mountains across the lake instead of just a wall of white of snow blowing in front of me.
Around 9:40 pm, the SAR coordinator texted me again to inform me they were hoping to try another helicopter rescue during a break in the storm after midnight. Plus, I’d have the ability to text some additional messages through Garmin’s Earthmate App and the SOS option for emergencies. That aside, when there are other adventures on the horizon, there’s no time to cry into your beer so to speak, but rather just move on with your planning! The local fire departments didn’t have helicopters designed to fly at high altitude or pilots who felt skilled enough to make the rescue.Plus, there are three different subscription plans – The Safety Plan, The Recreation Plan, or the Expedition Plan – depending on how often you want to text, check the weather, or track your specific route. And the entire time, the SAR Coordinator from the local sheriff’s office was incredibly responsive and clearly invested in getting me to safety. Cobey – When it comes to a life and death situation, money shouldn’t be most people’s primary consideration. And I was protected enough to pull my icy gloves off and let my hands thaw while I waited for new instructions. I don’t take undue risks or throw caution to the wind just because I have the safety net of a SOS button.
Not long after it got dark, I received a message that a helicopter was en route to my location and 35 minutes out. I struggled to find somewhere to block the wind in the pitch-black darkness with the snow swirling around me. Being able to send my family a preset message each evening to let them know I was alive was reassuring for all of us. g., trespassing) or while engaged in grossly negligent act, then there’s a greater likelihood the person will have to pay for their extraction – especially if it occurred in Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, and Oregon.I’d broken down my unstable tent to meet the helicopter, and now there was no way I could possibility get my it set back up again in this wind. Then I slid inside the tent like it was a bivy sack and used my backpack behind me as a backrest on the hill’s slope. This wind break stood up to 61kph gusts and probably saved our tent when we got caught out in a yellow weather warning for wind. So, I debated long and hard about this purchase while holed up during the early months of the pandemic. Essentially, the cost is often part of their budget just like responding to other major accidents in the frontcountry.
I wedged myself between the boulders and flipped my tent upside down (so the thicker bathtub floor was toward the sky).
Yes, all the communication between myself and the SAR coordinator were done as texts through the Garmin Earthmate App. Aside from the rescue though, there are others associated costs that you absolutely WILL have to pay out-of-pocket in every state. Far too often, people assume that dramatic rescues like mine are a result of recklessness or gross negligence. Windbreaks aren't just for blocking out the wind (though as the name suggests, they're very good at it) they're also an ideal way to add a little privacy to your camping setup. I wanted to hit some trails that wouldn’t require me to resupply in small communities or risk contracting/spreading the virus.
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