If you’re experiencing an emergency in the backcountry and need to call for help, but have no cell phone signal, what would you do? There are several electronic ways of calling for help which don’t require a cell phone signal, along with some old-school SOS techniques that you can use to summon help in a backcountry emergency situation. We’re partial to satellite messenger devices (this article includes an affiliate link to one we use), but there are other devices you may already own that can summon help in a life or death situation.
When Should You Send an SOS in The Backcountry?
Sending an SOS or mayday message is a serious endeavor. Once you’ve initiated an SOS call using certain devices such as satellite EPIRB’s, you may not be able to rescind it, and may be liable for thousands of dollars of search and rescue costs. If you’re simply lost, this doesn’t qualify as a “life or death situation”. Situations where you should send an SOS include those such as when suffering from hypothermia, severe dehydration, head injuries or other trauma. Ultimately it’s up to you to make the determination based on your unique circumstances, but the key words are “life or death emergency”.
Your Cell Phone May Still Work to Make an SOS Call
When you need to use your cell phone to call 911, it may still work for that purpose, even if your phone shows “no service”. Some phones will increase power and prioritize 911 calls and the call may go through. Try powering off your phone and restarting it, as this may force it to switch to a closer tower. If you have no luck dialing 911, try dialing 112, which is another number that all GSM cell phones (AT&T, T-Mobile) are able to dial, even when locked. In the US and Canada, 112 calls are routed to 911 dispatchers, so this can be a second number to reach them.
Send an Emergency Text – Often a phone may be able to send a text, even if the signal strength isn’t great enough to initiate a voice call. Start by texting 911 with your location and situation details. Many areas now support 911 via text. Next, send an SOS text to several on your contacts list with your position and details about the situation.
Some cell phones can now send an SOS text message via satellite. The iPhone 14 can send emergency texts using the Globalstar satellite network. To use this feature you must have an iPhone 14 or newer and must have a clear view of the sky. To send an SOS message with an iPhone 14 tap “try emergency text by satellite” and follow the instructions on your screen for aiming your phone for the best signal.
Some new Android cell phones will soon get general purpose and SOS satellite messaging, through a partnership with Qualcomm Inc and Iridium Communications. (No date yet for product release.)
Finding Your Location Online or Offline – For quick GPS coordinates on an iPhone, open the default map, then click on the blue dot which shows your location to see the coordinates. On Android devices locate the Compass app, or in Google Maps press on the blue dot showing your location and the GPS coordinates will appear. For situations when you have cell service and need to quickly display your location, consider adding a shortcut to FindMeSAR.com
AirFlare – Even if there’s no cell signal at your location, your phone may still be able to help search teams locate you. Some SAR teams are now using a technology called Airflare, designed for alpine sports enthusiasts, which can detect your phone’s wi-fi signal up to several hundred feet away, using drone deployed sensors. (Use of these sensors by SAR teams is still very limited.)
The Airflare app enhances your phones ability to serve as a backcountry SOS device.
Note: This system has some good features but should not be considered a substitute for an EPIRB or satellite messenger, as it relies on your cell phone – which typically isn’t a rugged device with long battery life.
Sending a Cell Phone or Satellite Messenger up on a Drone
If you don’t have a cell phone signal and need to call for help and have a drone with you (and can run it straight from a controller or a second phone or tablet), it may be possible (depending on its lifting capacity) to send your cell phone aloft after sending a text message. Once airborne, your phone should keep trying to send the message until it goes through.
If your Spot or Garmin satellite messenger can’t send your SOS it might be able to from a higher elevation. Iridium satellites pass by every 15-30 minutes, but battery life while lifting is much less than for regular flight. Be aware that this SOS method is technically illegal, as FAA and FCC rules don’t allow for operating cell phones aboard “aircraft”.
(A drone could also lift a highly visible object, such as a blaze-orange hunter’s vest on a weighted string for a few minutes to help approaching rescuers find your location.)
Calling For Help With Lights and Whistles
The old-school method of calling for help with a flashlight is very effective, especially at night in the mountains. Try aiming your light towards an area where other humans might be located, then use either the alpine distress signal – six flashes or whistle blows each minute (one every ten seconds) – followed by a one minute break before repeating.
The second method, which may be easier to remember, is the international Morse code distress signal, SOS for “save our souls”. Three short flashes or whistle bursts, three long, three short, all together, followed by several seconds before repeating.
When calling for help with a whistle, try to use natural features in the environment, such as standing in front of an overhanging rock ledge, to amplify the sound. We carry a HyperWhistle when hiking. Billed as the “world’s loudest whistle” at 142 dB, it can be heard for well over a mile.
How Far Will Whistles and Lights Work to Call For Help?
A good emergency whistle capable of producing 140 dB or more of sound can be heard up to a couple of miles on a calm day. Dense tree cover, fog and wind can reduce this distance to much less. As for lights, a hikers headlamp putting out 500 lumens can be visible for five miles or more, depending on darkness and weather conditions.
EPIRB or Personal Locator Beacons
EPIRB stands for Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. These devices are required by law on all aircraft and commercial ocean going vessels and smaller versions are available for personal use. Personal locator beacons, such as the ACR ResQLink 400 cost about $340 and don’t require any fees. These electronic devices are only for calling for help in an actual life or death situation. Using one if you’re simply “lost” may result in heavy penalties.
More Powerful than Messenger Devices – Personal locator beacons use a much higher transmitting power and different frequencies than messenger devices like the inReach Mini. Their signal will penetrate cloud cover and trees much better than messaging devices and can also broadcast on 121.5 MHz, the frequency monitored by all aircraft. We’re not knocking the inReach, we love ours in fact, but if you’re looking for the most powerful means of summoning the cavalry, these devices are the only way to go.
Satellite Messenger Devices
Satellite messenger devices such as SPOT and Garmin inReach Mini allow you to send and receive – (some models), SMS text messages from almost anywhere on earth. The SPOT messengers use the Globalstar satellite network, which covers about 80% of the earth, while Garmin inReach uses the Iridium satellite network, with near 100% global coverage. These devices require a service plan and don’t transmit as powerful a signal as EPIRBs, but are a good compromise because they allow you to actually communicate with the outside world.
SOS messages through the Garmin inReach are routed through the GEOS emergency call center, a private monitoring agency which relays your information to local SAR teams, and stays in communication with you until they arrive. Unlike an SOS message send from an ACR or other dedicated personal emergency position indicating beacon, you may cancel an SOS if your situation changes, if teams are not yet en route.
Search and Rescue Insurance / Memberships – Garmin offers a couple of optional search and rescue insurance plans, starting at $39.99 a year for inReach subscibers. GArmin’s SAR insurance can cover up to $100,000 of the cost of your emergency extraction. In Colorado backcountry hikers can purchase a CORSAR card through the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue organization. While this is not insurance, funds from membership fees go to help compensate local search and rescue organizations for expenses that may be beyond their normal budget.
Alternatives to inReach – A new satellite messenger which has just come on the market is the Zoleo. Like inReach it transmits over the Iridium network and also uses cellular networks to send regular or distress messages. It’s a bit more affordable than the inReach Mini at $199, with subscription plans starting at $20 a month.
Keep Your Emergency Contacts Updated – For both personal EPIRB devices and satellite messengers, it’s critical to keep your emergency contacts updates. The authorities will first try and reach the numbers you’ve provided to learn more about your situation before dispatching a team. Critical time may be lost if your emergency contacts aren’t up to date.
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones, service plans and airtime can be expensive, which is why most backcountry hikers and travelers don’t carry them. We carry an Iridium 9555, which we bought used and activate for three months out of the year ($60/mo), when exploring parts of the Western US. As with satellite messengers there are different satellite systems, including Inmarsat, Iridium and Globalstar to choose from, each with it’s own limitations and cost.
We like the Iridium system for its global coverage and affordability, although dropped calls are sometimes an issue. Our article What’s the Best Satellite Phone for Overlanding goes into some of the pros and cons of different satellite phones.
Using A Two-Way Radio For Mayday – SOS Calls
Many outdoor adventurers already carry small FRS or GMRS radios for keeping in touch with those in their party. These can also be used – with limited results – to call for help in some situations. UHF radio waves, the type of signal FRS walkie-talkies, works mostly along the line of sight, so range is limited. Signals can carry for several miles if you’re at an elevated location though. If you have an FRS radio, try calling for help on channel 1 first, and speaking clearly into the mic saying “mayday, mayday, mayday” then state your emergency, followed by your name and location.
Tip: If you’re not getting a response on one channel, try calling “mayday” on others, waiting for a couple minutes on each channel. If your radio has a scan feature, try scanning when not calling for help and if you hear a conversation, try to break in by saying “break, break, emergency”.
When calling for help by radio, wait for a response and repeat your message after a minute or so.
GMRS Radios – More Powerful
GMRS two-way radios may work a farther, which is why we like to use them instead of FRS. In many areas you can use a repeater capable GMRS radio to connect to powerful mountaintop stations which re-broadcast your signal over a wide area – to hopefully more ears that can hear your distress call. This added capability is worth the cost of the $35 FCC license, which is good for 10 years.
A map showing repeater stations around the US can be found at MyGMRS.com. Special repeater access tones and permission to use certain repeater systems may be required. Programming your radio for the GMRS repeaters (including access tones) in an area you plan on exploring is a good idea should you need to use them.
The effectiveness of FRS or GMRS radios for distress calls is diminished in cases where other hiker’s radios are using use “privacy tones” which prevent them from receiving your call, although you may hear them clearly. A FRS or GMRS two-way radio should not be relied on as a primary means of calling for help.
Other Ways of Calling for Help in The Backcountry
Depending on your own unique situation there may be other ways to call for help in the mountains or backcountry.
- Fire & Smoke – If you’re injured and sheltering in place, a fire – if it’s safe to make one – can be an effective way of summoning help. If you see SAR aircraft above, try burning something which will give off lots of smoke, such as green branches or even trash. Always exercise caution. Don’t make your situation worse by causing a forest fire.
- Spelling Out SOS – Rocks or branches can be used to spell out SOS. If you’re planning on trying to hike out, place a large arrow next to your message indicating your direction of travel.
- Ham Radio – A ham or amateur radio license costs nothing except for a bit of studying and taking a test. Small handheld ham radios can be used to reach even more repeater stations than GMRS ones. In a life or death situation, the FCC allows hams to use “any means necessary” to summon help, including even using frequencies outside the ham bands.
- Mirror or Reflective Surface – If you’re able to see people or dwellings, signaling SOS in their direction using a mirror can summon help.
- Cell Phone Camera Flash – You can use your cell phone’s camera flash as an SOS beacon. Try using this if you see SAR aircraft approaching your location.
- Banging on Objects – If you’ve been injured or are dehydrated, it may be hard to use a whistle. If you hear searchers nearby calling for you, use a rock or hard object and strike it against any object that will make a loud noise.
- OnStar – If you’re in a vehicle in the backcountry and it has Onstar, you may be able to call for help, sometimes even if your subscription has lapsed.
- Horn – If you’re stranded in a vehicle try honking the horn using the SOS method.
- Old Cell Phones – As required by law, all cell phones must be able to call 911, even if they don’t have a SIM card or subscription plan.
Don’t Neglect Basics Survival Needs
If you’ve determined that your only option is to shelter in place and try to summon help, don’t let things like electronics distract you from the most important task at hand, staying alive. Take care of needs like hydration, keeping warm, making a fire, shelter, etc. first, then try to call for help.
Once you’ve instated an SOS or mayday call in the backcountry, make sure that you don’t move (unless instructed to do so or must do so for safety). If you’ve transmitted your GPS coordinates, try to stay at that same location until help arrives.
We hope this information on how to call for help in the backcountry is helpful, but we do hope that you’ll never need to use it. The best insurance you can have is preparedness, including proper gear, clothing, food, water and a solid trip plan and navigation tools.
Disclaimer: Be sure follow all applicable laws and to verify the legality of any improvised SOS methods mentioned here before using them. This article is not a substitute for professional advice or for proper back-country survival and preparedness training.
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Sources:
https://www.scrg.org/about-us/cosar-card/
https://discover.garmin.com/en-US/inreach/personal/
The author has participated in several search and rescue operations in Texas and Colorado and is a licensed GMRS and amateur radio operator.
Full Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links.
