I would just like to add the reasons why I chose the satellite phone over a PLB or the Delorme InReach.
Realistically, chances of my being hurt to the point of not being able to help myself, of requiring immediate medical care, are pretty remote. The older I get the more careful I am and the fewer chances I take. It is far more likely that the vehicle I'm using breaks down and I am stranded many miles from any help. Trying to walk out, in the desert, is a chancy thing. How much water can you pack?? Now, if I were to activate a PLB, that results in a full-blown SAR activation with a lot of people out looking for you, not something I really want since this is not a life-or-death emergency (at least not for a few days!). For some people the Delorme InReach is just the ticket in a case like this. But not for me. I have a terrible time with my old and trembling fingers, trying to compose a message on a tiny screen. Even entering a new contact into my smart phone takes a while as I have to keep correcting my mistakes; I cannot even imagine trying to give someone directions on how to find me, that way. (Yes, they can see your location from the breadcrumbs the Delorme sent - but what's the best way to get to that location?) Not to mention that the messages you can send out are limited in size.
So for me the sat phone was the best option. If need be I can initiate a full SAR response. But I can also just call someone I know, or the local sheriff's office, and have someone come get me. I can give my exact coordinates (I always carry paper maps plus two GPS units, one a Delorme and one a Garmin) and then carefully explain my situation and how best to get to where I am. That last is most important - I've always been amazed at how many SAR members have never taken the time to explore the county they live in! Yes, the sat phone is by far the most expensive option compared to the alternatives. Especially for those who get to the outback only once or twice a year a PLB or InReach might be the way to go. But for someone like myself who spends the majority of my free time exploring wild country I've not seen before, the sat phone is cheap insurance.
