Taking a hike in the wilderness is supposed to be an adventure. It’s the unknown. It’s risky. You have to come prepared and know what you’re doing. Lately, though, rookie outdoor adventurers have been taking riskier trips with their personal locator beacons, using the beacon as a safety blanket on trips they’re not well-equipped to take. And as a “just in case” measure, the beacons are awesome. Police helicopters can find and rescue endangered hikers who have called for help. Unfortunately, the “Yuppie 911” button, as rescuers have begun calling them, is more often used in non-emergency cases. Here’s the story fromt the Spokesman-Review on what the increasing affordability (the one pictured costs $149) of personal locator beacons has caused.
