I would like to talk about Outdoor Safety!  I like to get out and ride snowmobiles in the winter and hunt also, so this information will be useful for anybody that goes outdoors!

Last fall, I bought a SPOT (www.findmespot.com).  The neat thing about the SPOT is when I get to the area that I'm going to go play, I hit the 'I'm OK' button to let my contacts know where I am starting from.  Then when I stop for lunch I hit the 'I'm OK' button again to let them know which direction I headed!  Then when I get back to the truck I hit it again to let them know I am done playing for the day and will be headed home!

You set it up from your computer by selecting from your contact list the people you want to notify.  You can either have the message go to their computers or their phones.  It gives the GPS location every time you hit the 'I'm OK' button so they know where I am at (especially the Wife so she doesn't start spending the life insurance money that day!).  This is where I want to mention that it is a good idea to include someone on your list of contacts that would actually come find you!  (Again, the Wife may not if you are worth more Dead than Alive!)

This device also has a button that sends 'Help...I'm OK but need assistance'.  For example, I hit the 'I'm OK' button three times means I'm back to the truck.  If I need assistance, I hit the 'Help' button which lets my contacts know to send a wrecker to the GPS location sent to them (they know I need a wrecker because I drive a Government Motors pickup!).

Of course, the most important button is the '911' button.  If this button is pushed, it not only goes to your contacts but also to the nearest emergency dispatch or closest search and rescue to alert them to the need for emergency assistance.

With this device, anyone hunting, hiking, snowmobiling, ATV'ing, horseback riding or enjoying any outdoor sport will feel secure in knowing that they are just a button away from help if needed and family/friends will also enjoy the security of not having to worry!  

Just remember, the $180 that it would cost to purchase a SPOT sitting nice and warm and safe in your bank account isn't doing you any good if your out in the hills somewhere hurt, lost, stuck, hungry and cold!

On another note, I want to tell you about our Waxies Fire Starters!  These are a must for any outdoor enthusiast to have on hand.  All you need to make them is a cardboard egg carton, your Wife's old candles and dryer lint!  Cut each square out of the egg carton, fill with lint from the dryer and pour the melted wax from the candles over the lint until full.  (The reason we use the Wife's old candles is we try to guess the fragrance and to give us the homey feel!)  Store them in a zip lock bag with two good lighters (always have two because one will always not work)!  Just light a corner and put in with your branches.  They will burn for about 15 minutes.

Please come to our web site and join our contact list to find out what's going on in the Great Outdoors!
Now go out and enjoy!

Ed Melcher
Families for Outdoor Recreation
www.ffor.org