A satellite phone that has not been tested is not a backup plan. It is an unknown. Whether you are heading offshore, sending a utility crew into a remote service area, or packing for a backcountry hunt, knowing how to test a satellite phone before departure gives you time to...

When a hunter is deep in public land, a boat loses power offshore, or a lone worker is beyond cell coverage, the question is not whether a phone has a signal. It is whether help can be reached and whether anyone knows what is happening. The PLB versus satellite messenger...

A dead phone battery, a washed-out access road, a fall on a remote trail, or a vessel taking on water can turn a routine outing into a rescue situation quickly. Emergency beacons are built for the moment when cellular service, local infrastructure, and ordinary communication plans are no longer enough....