The Bivy Stick — a pocket satellite communicator that pairs with your phone to send and receive text messages, share your location and trigger an SOS where there is no cell service.

Most of the good places have no signal. That is usually the appeal, right up until something goes wrong and the plan for getting help turns out to be hoping somebody comes along.

Because it pairs with your phone, you type on a real keyboard instead of a tiny device screen — which matters when the message is detailed, and matters more when your hands are cold.

Two-way messaging is the part that separates this from an older emergency beacon. You can say what is wrong and how bad it is, and you get an answer back. "Broken ankle, we have shelter, send help in the morning" avoids a helicopter at night; a one-way SOS cannot say that.

It also does the ordinary job of letting people at home know you are fine, which is worth something on every trip rather than only the bad one.

A service plan is required and is bought from Bivy, not from us. Check their current plans before you rely on it, and send a test message from the driveway before you rely on it somewhere that matters.