Charlie- it's always a good thing to have as many Comms as possible when out in the back country. Goto Hardcoreoutdoor.com or get the latest copy of Western Hunter. Both with articles on communication in the back country. The information contained in those 2 places cover in detail the nuts and bolts of backcountry comms. Hardcore has also been testing the SPOT unit for 6 or 7 months now. Over 160 messages without fail from the western US. Every comm out there has it's pros and cons but the SPOT has been some outstanding features that others don't and for less money. Anyways, check the articles out. CDN Snapshot -your original post is down in the optics and gear section-I think I saw it there.