Emergencies in remote locations? (Fairbanks: to buy, living, costs)

[msta999]

Hi all,

just wondering what a person would do, if they lived in a remote location and an emergency happened where they needed help. I was looking at these emergency locators and wondered if they would work for this scenario....or what does work? What is recommended?

Thanks for stopping by.

Sorry for the typo. I can't seem to change it (Emergencies)

[DannyL]

no offense, but the best answer I can give is that you live carefully. In some locations you are simply your own rescue service.
Having good relations with your neighbors helps more than you think.

[arctichomesteader]

Be careful, stay on good terms with neighbors, and have a way of communicating to outside help. If you have a life threatening situation it's a toss of the coin...you might survive until you can get out, or you might die.

[msta999]

So, not many have radios and such to communicate with neighbors? Seems to me, living remote would be a full time job in its self, with not much time to go 5 or more miles to visit your closest neighbor. I guess if a person lived on the water the distance could be covered quicker by boat, provided who you are going to see was also on the water. Maybe it is more like, when I was young we lived on a farm and dad would stop by other farms when in the area, just to see how they were doing and if they needed any help, and they would do the same for us. I can see where that would be a good thing.

[DannyL]

Originally Posted by msta999

So, not many have radios and such to communicate with neighbors?

CB Radio and a 12 volt power supply.

[warptman]

Or a hand held aircraft radio, there's a lot of traffic in the sky. There is an emergency channel that most of the aircraft monitor or have one of their radios on, 121.5 is the international emergency channel in aviation.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by DannyL

CB Radio and a 12 volt power supply.

CB radios do OK within a few miles of open space (no mountains or forests between two points). A better alternative would be a high power GRMS radio, and the best, a HAM radio. A license is required for the last two. I got a GRMS license a couple of years ago, and if I well remember should be good for five years. It costs $85.00 or so.

[msta999]

Thanks all.
I have been thinking of getting a ham radio license for a year or so, even bought the study guide. My thinking about this, is it is kind of hard to communicate with anyone in your area, if no one else is using what your using. Sounds like most in remote locations, just don't worry about it and figure they can deal with what ever comes up on their own. Thought there might be some type of communication system most in remote places use, weather it is CBs..... I guess one thing I overlooked, sounds like many have internet.

But I originally posted to see what people were using to signal for help, if they were.....say out hunting and got hurt somehow and couldn't make it out on their own. What is a good device to have. I have seen some emergency transponders or what ever they are called on ebay with varying prices. I just don't want to buy a semi truck, when all I need is a F150.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by msta999

Thanks all.
I have been thinking of getting a ham radio license for a year or so, even bought the study guide. My thinking about this, is it is kind of hard to communicate with anyone in your area, if no one else is using what your using. Sounds like most in remote locations, just don't worry about it and figure they can deal with what ever comes up on their own. Thought there might be some type of communication system most in remote places use, weather it is CBs..... I guess one thing I overlooked, sounds like many have internet.

But I originally posted to see what people were using to signal for help, if they were.....say out hunting and got hurt somehow and couldn't make it out on their own. What is a good device to have. I have seen some emergency transponders or what ever they are called on ebay with varying prices. I just don't want to buy a semi truck, when all I need is a F150.

All depends on where you are hunting at. For example, I hunt on some of the ridges not too far from Fairbanks (by Livingood), and keep an AM/FM radio in my tent to listen to. I also communicate with my family and friends while standing on high points on the trails using my cell phone. But I could not do the same if I were in the valley. However, from down there I would not have any problem whatsoever with a SAT phone. Also, a lot of boaters, skiers, snowmobilers, and flyers around Alaska use ELT's, but these can only be activated during an emergency.

Also, you can communicate with anybody who is on the air at the moment or listening to the HAM transmissions. In this case, you can provide the emergency details to whoever happens to listen and respond to your transmission, and that person can call the appropriate agency (s) that will get the ball rolling. With a SAT phone you may be able to communicate directly with the police or rescue, however.

[Rance]

Flares and a mirror, then stomp out an SOS in the snow.