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Hard to believe that come 2008 it will have been 25 years since Tim Leatherman introduced his original Personal Survival Tool (later called just the “PST”) and singlehandedly created an entirely new category, the multi-tool. The full-size pliers revolutionized the concept of what you could [...]

The FCC has taken the next step in an effort to get Tracme to see the light regarding their misuse of the term “Personal Locator Beacon” to describe their FRS homing transmitter.
For background on this issue, please review the following Equipped.org Blog entries:
Original TracMe Blog Entry: “That’s No Personal Locator Beacon!”
FCC Initiates TracMe Action: “TracMe: [...]

SPOT has started shipping their new SPOT Satellite Messenger device and are hitting the PR wires heavily, as are their dealers (including some catering to the aviation market), so expect to see a lot of publicity about this new device. The question is, should you consider one in lieu of a 406 MHz PLB?
You [...]

The NTSB has issued a Safety Recommendation as the result investigating a number of ditchings in the Gulf of Mexico by offshore oil crew helicopter services. Click here to read the letter to the FAA. There were two recommendations, one to do with mounting life rafts externally so they are more likely to be [...]

Gerber Legendary Blades has issued a recall for their EAB (Exchange-A-Blade) Pocket Knives which use a standard replaceable utility knife blade. During use, the back of the blade of the knife can slide past the blade support, posing a laceration hazard to consumers. Gerber has received eight reports of individuals cutting themselves while using [...]

Well, the TracMe “Personal Locator Beacon” saga continues. For background on this issue, please review the following Equipped.org Blog entries:
Original TracMe Blog Entry: “That’s No Personal Locator Beacon!”
Follow-on TracMe Blog Entry: TracMe: “Curiouser and Curiouser“
In response to the FCC request that TracMe cease using “Personal Locator Beacon” to refer to their device [...]

In a Safety Recommendation released yesterday, the NTSB has once again recommended that the FAA require all aircraft have 406 MHz ELTs (Emergency Locator Transmitters – 121.5 MHz ELTs are currently required). They first recommended this back in 2000 and after vigorous opposition by AOPA, the FAA declined to do so. This latest [...]

SPOT Inc., a subsidiary of Globalstar, introduced its subscription-based “SPOT Satellite Messenger” at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City. SPOT is being promoted as a multi-purpose tool that can used as a distress beacon as well as providing options to request help without a full blown Search and Rescue response. It can [...]

I have posted my Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2007 Report on Equipped To Survive.
In years past, Outdoor Retailer hasn’t been a particularly fertile ground for me, SHOT Show is generally where the big influx of new gear comes. However, this year there were quite a few interesting new products in Salt Lake. [...]

The FCC Weighs In
For background, please see the original TracMe article, “That’s No Personal Locator Beacon! – When is a Personal Locator Beacon not a PLB?”
On Wednesday of this week, just as I was getting ready to leave for Salt Lake City to attend Outdoor Retailer, I received an email that included the latest [...]