[CodeMonkee]

Originally Posted by (sp?)

SPOT is a decent layman's tool. it's a bit expensive and rudimentary for my liking. it does serve a need and I can see why it sells. when I want to be tracked, I use APRS on my 2M radio, e.g. http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cg...k4hg-8&terra=4

The main purpose for me is peace of mind for my daughter and my mom so they don't worry when I am riding, especially on a trip alone. For that purpose, except for the imperfect TX, it should work well.

GPS work inside a backpack? maybe.

GPS depends on line of site to the satellite. in northern latitudes (like ours) it is often difficult to get a lock. this problem is exacerbated by tree canopies and mountainous terrain. in other words, your GPS is challenged to get reception on a good day in the PNW. why compound the problem by hiding its antenna inside a backpack?

You can get external puck antennas and for most backpack material it should be virtually transparent. The main thing about forest cover, especially on wet days, is the moisture content and the tree branches/trunks. Backpack material should have no measurable effect on reception. We'll see.