Description

Proudly introducing the “Know Where They Go Board”. This item is the 11th Essential and the best one because it adds no weight to your pack and also takes weight off of your loved ones shoulders should you not return on time and need a Search and Rescue call out. You will have already entered information about your intended plans, backup plans, and expected time away. Descriptive information about your vehicle, person, who to call and when is left for your reporting party so that when they contact Search and Rescue, they are giving them current, accurate information which will be invaluable to finding you quicker.

Consider the following scenarios, in the first there is no information left and you do not return home by dark, your spouse finds it odd, but doesn’t know when to call the authorities. They call in the morning and say my spouse did not return last night, I’m not sure where they went. This is not even fair to Search and Rescue!

Same scenario, but the Know Where They Go Board has been used. There’s a number for the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Department and one for Search and Rescue. My husband said he was going to hike Mt Elbert today from the Standard Route and would hike Mt. Massive from the standard Route as a backup. He expected to be back by 4pm and asked me to report him overdue after 8. He’s driving a green ’04 Subaru Forester with a license plate that reads “GET IT” and a bumper sticker that says “Not All Who Wander Are Lost”. He was wearing a black cotton t shirt, beige cargo shorts, and took only his red REI hydration pack.

The first scenario has the lost party spending the night outside with Search and Rescue starting the next day looking for a needle in a haystack. The second scenario provides actionable intelligence that allows Search and Rescue to potentially start searching that night by letting them know where to look and what to look for. If SAR goes to each of those trailheads and finds that vehicle, they at least know that this particular wanderer IS lost and they’re looking in the right spot. That gives all involved the best possible chances at a positive outcome. As the reporting party, your loved one need not know any intricacies of the backcountry, they must simply be able to read or even text a photo of the information you’ve left.

Final Scenario – everything goes to plan and the person returns on time, wonderful! Erase the whiteboard and it’s ready for the next adventure.

If you are an outdoor adventurer of any kind, or if you love one and want them to come home – you both need this product!! The 10 essentials are meant get you through a night in the backcountry alone. The 11th essential can help get you home – the only mandatory part of every adventure!

Available in 4 models and 2 sizes with an awesome Colorado-themed background, so it can fit on the side of the refrigerator or that spot where you keep all your outdoor gear and it will match any décor.