Authors: Bill Gloyd, Don Meaders, and Marilyn Warrant
Last Update: 3/28/19
Contents
Introduction
Some of our favorite hikes are partially or completely out of cell phone range. For a number of years we have relied on the SPOT as an emergency device. Senior Affairs has purchased seven Garmin InReach SE+ units to replace the SPOT units. The InReach is a more complicated device, and we knew some training would be helpful.
Most of the training materials available on the internet assume that the units are owned by individuals. There was nothing that fully addressed the situation when a unit belongs to an organization but is used by people on activities sponsored by the organization. For this reason, in 2018 we developed a training presentation and held three training sessions attended by most of our hike leaders and van drivers. Some senior center personnel also attended. An important part of each session was the opportunity for each person to have some hands-on experience with a unit.
Presentation
The first training sessions were held on September 20-21, 2018. We then took the units along on hikes and tested their performance. This led to significant changes in the presentation that were reflected in the third training session on November 19, 2018.
The date of the latest version of the presentation is March 7, 2019.
One-Page Instruction Sheet
This is a one-page sheet of information boiled down from the presentation that hike leaders and van drivers can fold up and carry with them on hikes.
The date of the latest version is March 7, 2019.