Boundary Waters Security Blanket

     One of the nicest things about the wilderness areas of the BWCA is that cell phones don’t work.  One of the scary things about the Boundary Waters is that cell phones don’t work.  People have become dependent upon their cell phones and rely on them to make them feel secure.  To some a cell phone is kind of like a security blanket to a child. 

     I learned just how important a blanket can be to a child at Josh’s sleepover the other night. It was getting close to bed time and one of Josh’s tough buddies started freaking out because he couldn’t find his blankie.  "Who took my blankie? You know how upset I get when I don’t have my blankie!" He looked beneath sleeping bags, moved suitcases and searched high and low for his blankie.  When someone started to tease him he replied, "Be quiet, you have a blankie too Andrew."  "I don’t go anywhere without my blankie," another one said.  To listen to these 9 year old boys talk about their blankies was quite amusing.

     A SPOT is a security blanket that we are now offering our guests at Voyageur.  We have been hesitant but after testing it out this spring and working on the details we are now renting out these security blankets and people love them.  It works where cell phones don’t and it can track the location of a group with its built in gps.  You can press one button to let folks at home know you are ok, another button to say something isn’t quite ok, and yet another to say you need emergency services.  The fun part of the Spot is being able to watch the progress of your group on a google map.

     The next time you are heading out into the wilderness and need a security blanket give us a call.  We can send you a SPOT or the blankie I stole from Josh’s friend!

 

SPOT Just you, the trail and a new experience around every bend. But it’s important to stay connected

SPOT Just you, the trail and a new experience around every bend. But it’s important to stay connected and let those at home know you’re ok. Now, there is an easy way to to provide that peace of mind without interrupting the hike. With the push of a button, SPOT’s “check-in” function sends a message with your exact coordinates to people of your choice.Need some help? Ask your contacts or fellow hikers for assistance with the “Ask for help” button. If real trouble comes your way, hit 911 to bring emergency help right away. You can even share your journey with friends and family with the 24 hour tracking function. It allows them to follow your trail online in real time with vivid detail on Google Maps.  get them out of trouble all too often.