REVIEW: How the SPOT Gen 3 GPS connected me to loved ones on my latest adventure better than ever
My adventures take me beyond the realms of mobile data service. And certainly outside the bounds of a Wi-Fi hotspot. So when I’m travelling, a satellite GPS tracker is an essential part of my kit for maintaining vital communication, wherever I am in the world.
Enter the SPOT Gen 3 GPS. The USB-connected gadget offers a custom tracking rate, so tracking positions can be sent either every 2.5, 5, 10, 30 or 60 minutes, as well as Motion Activated Tracking. Just place it on anything, and when it detects movement, it will begin transmitting its GPS coordinates. Plus, its smaller size than its earlier model makes it easy to carry and travel with.
I have seriously put this thing to the test. This handy bit of device has accompanied me on a wide range of trips lately - and I’m talking about areas in the world where no other communication exists, from the amazon river Manaus to Leticia and little travelled to Guyana but seriously, the tracker was an essential part of my Essequibo River expedition in Guyana, and I most recently put it to the test on my bike ride of more than a thousand miles, from the UK to Northern Spain.
This tracker is ridiculously simple to use. I used it throughout the entire bike ride. Which brings me to battery life: I did not need to change the batteries once on the trip - even with twelve days of constant use. It simply did not falter.
My favourite part of the tracker though? Not only did the GPS allow me the safety of being able to maintain contact whenever I needed, but it proved a perfect addition to my travels in allowing people back home to track my progress on the trip. With this by my side, they could see exactly where I was, and be assured that I was safe.
Now all I need to do is plan my next adventure.