I thought the only one that did this went out of business last year. If I remember right the hard part is you need the cell signal to go outbound from the watch, which needs to be hooked up to some network.

Great thread title by the way.

I think the only reasonable way that would be technically possible would be to have the watch include a cellular chip so it can communicate directly with whatever service is receiving the update of your position. If you're somewhere without cell coverage it won't matter because it won't connect. There are other ways to do it but it would cost serious money, such as Brietling's SOS watch and not really what you're looking for.

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--Chris

I do not think an option exists for your scenario... The limitation is that the only ways that a device would be able to broadcast your location to someone is through WiFi, cell service, or satellite. Satellite devices are huge, so rule that out. WiFi is not viable. So, that leaves cell. Timex had a watch, now discontinued, called the Ironman One that had a built-in cell radio to broadcast position. However, that would not work for you if you are outside of cell coverage.

They make these types of things for kids: https://www.walmart.com/...h-for-Kids/881791514

Hasn't translated to the adult market hat I'm aware of.

How about a Quarq qollector? https://www.quarq.com/...az80craszw1n5oudj16v

You can use the Strava App on the new LG Watch Sport.

Timex has/had one that did this, but I believe it required a LTE signal.

It's not a watch but if you're really concerned about this you could put a SPOT tracker on your pack.

https://www.findmespot.com/en/

How about a Quarq qollector? https://www.quarq.com/...az80craszw1n5oudj16v

You can use the Strava App on the new LG Watch Sport.

Both require cell service.

I have one of those for bike touring. It is heavy and requires an expensive subscription.
Edit: It looks like they now make them smaller, but I would rather not carry anything extra.

At 114g it's lighter than a Fenix 5 with metal band or slightly heavier that the plastic band Fenix 5.

before reading I thought the title meant you were looking for something to help him slim down

actual meaning is funnier, in that grim way

If there is no cell coverage then you need something that communicates back through a satellite. I have no experience but something like this?

I thought about saying so he could find my body, but that would have been asking for trouble.

Your GPS watch isn't broadcasting anything, nor is it being "tracked." A GPS device calculates its position based on broadcasts from 3 or more GPS satellites via triangulation. The GPS satellites aren't tracking anything, they just broadcast a signal that is picked up by a GPS device. If cell service doesn't exist, then you have to go to something like the SPOT tracker that can talk to communications satellites.

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Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.

I've seen similar posts where people recommend one of the various pet tracking devices on the market. Assuming it's truly just for tracking and no metrics or super-precise tracking is necessary - seems like that might work?

Ok, so are you saying that the watch just stores information it receives from the satellite rather than the satellites being aware that the watch even exists and that is why none of them do it?

ETA: This thread has made me aware that there are a lot of people who can't comprehend the idea of no cell service.

Agreed. OP seems to want something to use without cell service, but doesn't want the bulk or carrying anything extra.

Without wanting to use the SPOT tracker or Garmin Inreach then I suggest the method I used for many, many years before GPS watches ever became a thing. I'd have set-routes and when I left I would communicate which route I was taking, how long I planned to be gone, and I usually clarified a "not to worry until this time." Just takes some communication.

If that's not a possibility then really I'd recommend the SPOT tracker or Garmin Inreach. yes, plans can be expensive, but if you're seriously concerned about your safety then I'd argue that it is a fairly small price to pay for your safety.

Yup, exactly. Essentially, all a GPS satellite is doing is sending a highly precise time signal. Your watch receives this signal, and is able to calculate how far away the satellite is. With enough time signals from different GPS satellites, your watch will triangulate your position in 3 dimensions (lat/long/elevation). Your watch is purely a receiver, and doesn't broadcast anything to the GPS sats, which in turn don't have any capability to receive anything from your watch.

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Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.

Exactly, your watch is a receiver. Sending information about your location requires a transmitter...e.g. cell phone. In areas without cell service you might have repeater coverage for a 2M handheld radio with APRS, but that is even larger than a cell phone. It is, however, a solution I have used for mountain biking and remote hiking/kayaking.

Curious if you ever find one...

I lug around my Garmin inReach Explorer. It is a satellite communicator that allows SOS and texting. Most of my trail runs are long enough where I'm carrying my hydration pack so I just stick it in there. I turn on tracking and anybody who I send the link to can see my progress in real time. When I start I text a trusted friend and they know that if they don't hear from me when I said I'd be done + 1 hour they need to panic. They get my GPS location and a link to the map where they can track me.

I've never called for a helicopter or had a rescue for myself, but twice I've used it to have hikers rescued. One with a broken femur from a river crossing gone bad and another from a probable heart attack (the man was the wrong color - kind of grey). I've had it for ~10 years or so.

No matter what, take a whistle. I never would have known about femur guy if he hadn't been blowing his whistle... another argument against earbuds on trails.

It isn't cheap, but it was a whole lot cheaper than my Fenix 5.

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Hillary Trout
San Luis Obispo, CA

Your trip is short. Make the most of it.
https://www.slogoing.net/

I do need to carry a whistle. I carry a space blanket, but that is really it for safety gear.

  Actually, the correct term is trilateration, not triangulation. The former uses ranges and intersection of circles or spheres, while the latter uses angles.

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"It's Ironman - it's supposed to be hard!"

Author of "Letters to a Driving Nation: Exploring the Conflict between Drivers and Cyclists." http://www.brucebutler.ca

It's thru your phone, but I think RoadID has an app that tracks. You can send text messages of start and stop times and also if you stop moving for a given amount of time. I only used it a handful of times and really didn't dig into it too much but it may be worth checking out. I'm pretty sure it was free.