PLB long term hire thoughts

plb the most expensive piece of kit you hope to never use. Mine cost $320 as part of a group purchase. Ive had it 3 years and the only time its been out of its case was to look at it after purchasing. Battery lasts 10 years by which time you are due an upgrade. Only have to push the button once to justify its purchase but of course we dont want to justify this purchase

or get something like an inreach for around $500, you can use it for two way comms and navigation and getting weather forecasts and have your location live tracked online.. theres been cases where something has gone wrong for people. they never got to send an SOS on their inreach but their exact location is known, and people following them can call for a rescue when they see things don't look right , like they've stayed in one place too long esp when it doesnt look like a normal place to stop for the night. you have to pay $25 a month for it to actually work.

> plb the most expensive piece of kit you hope to never use And this is part of the point. It's immensely important when you need it, but until you need it, it's a brick, so it becomes a big heuristic trap. Statistically nearly everyone who spends $300+ on a PLB brick will never use it. The chances you'll need it on any given trip are between very low and insignificant, especially for people who might go outdoors periodically but not frequently. Obviously this isn't the point, but there's a big incentive to not buy one when you could be buying something else like a raincoat or petrol or day-to-day living costs like rent and food for a family on a low budget. So we tell people to hire them and tell people they're stupid every time they're rescued without one because hiring's obviously so easy and there's no excuse, and hiring's relatively cheap on a trip-by-trip basis. After all, at https://www.rescuebeaconhire.co.nz/ you can get a PLB with next-day-delivery for $4.95 per day (I've seen people quote this multiple times)... but factor in the smaller print for a minimum $30 hire plus $5.95 freight each way plus $5 rural delivery and it's no longer looking so cheap, especially if you just wanted it for a weekender. Depending on circumstance short term hiring can be annoying and not always accessible if there's inadequate time to plan. That automatically means that some people are less likely to have them when they should. If it could be managed under some kind of long term rental scheme, maybe with some commercial sponsorship or subsidies, a cost like $15 or $20 per year to always have it available and ready with your other gear when you *do* choose to go out, spontaneously or otherwise, would potentially be much more accessible for a lot of people.

$350ish for 10 years thats well less than $1a week.If you dont go tramping regularly you should hire one for your trip. Dont make excuses for not having one they are essential safety equipment. Agreed you hope to never use it but could save your life. I have been tramping for years and never needed one is not a reason not to have one. They are not expensive comparing it to some of your other gear like packs, sleeping mats/bags, boots. Just buy one, no excuses, just buy one

trampers find the money for their gear and travel... if you tend to tramp with friends then chip in together and buy one between you, tell your family and friends to club their present money together and get your a beacon. i saw someone still promoting the use of taking a mountain radio the other day.. now if you want a brick, that is a real brick...

My point isn't about what people should do. It's what people actually do. Repeatedly complaining that people don't do stuff they should do, after they haven't done it, doesn't cause a change in behaviour beyond a certain point. Changing incentives changes behaviour.

I've borrowed from the Tramping Club now & then. Perhaps a lending system could be another DoC side-line ?.

DOC do rent PLBs

The club I used to belong to had 5 plbs and would rent one out if it wasnt required that weekend. Club Im in now has 2 but I dont know the rules about private use. The plb I have was a bulk buy through a 4wd club Im in. I have been within 5 minutes of pushing the button on one. In the end that all worked out fine but it was a close call. I know an occasion where a beacon was pushed because someone was dead from a heart attack. Doctor on that trip who confirmed this so it wasnt a case of life or death any more but it made sense to use it. I know a case where it was activated within sight of the carpark. Tramper slipped on a wooden walkway and broke her ankle. She wasnt going to make the last 200 meters. 4wd club I was in has used their beacon 5 times only once was it for a member of the trip.