No Bars? SPOT Connect Turns Your Smartphone into a Satellite Communicator

SPOT Connect keeps you in contact virtually anywhere in the world (Photos: SPOT)

When you’re on the trail and find yourself in trouble, having no bars on your phone can have you thinking it’s going to be a really, really bad 127 hours…

Throw a SPOT Connect in your pack and it won’t matter how far off the grid you are—your smartphone becomes a satellite communicator, able to keep you in touch with family and friends, and even send an SOS for emergency help.

Just download the SPOT app, pair the pocket-sized Connect with your smartphone via Bluetooth, and you’re connected to a global satellite network that works pretty much anywhere in the world. You can send short emails and text messages, update your status to Facebook and tweet your experiences to your followers. It can also share your location in real time on Google Maps, so everyone can track your trip, or let rescuers pinpoint your location to within 10 meters in an emergency.

Connect also comes with a Check-In/OK feature that sends a predetermined message and your location at regular intervals to friends and family (and your social media accounts if you want), to let them know where you are and if you’re ok. Want to track your progress on a hike and show it off? Use SPOT’s Track Progress to send your GPS coordinates to a live map every 10 minutes.

The Connect is also as rugged as you are. The 4.9-ounce (with batteries) Connect can operate in temps from -13F all the way to +140F, and at altitudes from -328ft to climbs as high as 21,325ft. And should your Connect drop in the drink, it can survive a 1 meter dive for up to 30 minutes. The only downside is now you have no excuse when your mom asks why you never call.
$169.99 FindMeSpot.com

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