Risk of medical emergency

[rlown]

Worse if you're the driver!.. forgot about it (left ankle, automatic) Stepped out on it at a Burger King and collapsed. Didn't know it was broken until 20 years later.

[oldranger]

i think we discussed this a few years back. I once got a UTI in the backcountry that eventually resulted in surgery. I was really sick and it was painful. Self evacuated 14 mi. to TH. Could have gotten helo evac but just not my style. I figure it is wilderness and not other peoples responsibility to save my ass.

[Lumbergh21]

Worse if you're the driver!.. forgot about it (left ankle, automatic) Stepped out on it at a Burger King and collapsed. Didn't know it was broken until 20 years later.

My wife broke her ankle while out of town. She still spent the day shopping and then drove the 200+ miles home including 60 miles of windy two lane road through the mountains. Her car has a manual transmission. She refused to go to emergency care when she got back, but I was finally able to get her to go in two days later.

Back on topic. I don't carry a PLB, etc. but I'm pretty sure that I would wait too long. I think that's the case for most people. Uness it's an obvious injury, like a broken bone or severely damaged joint, most of us will assume it isn't that bad, and 99.9% of the time, that's true. And as pointed out, even if you do eventually hit the SOS button; if it is something dangerous, it's too late. As many have said, things like the Garmin In-Reach are for your family back home much more than they are for you.