Adventure Cycling Association Forum
Bicycle Travel => General Discussion => Topic started by: bauhaus on January 29, 2020, 11:42:47 am
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Does anyone have a recommendation for emergency helicopter evacuation insurance? I will be riding the Great Divide this summer.
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Look into taking a Spot Gen3 satellite tracking device. Unlike a cell phone, they are essentially in contact 100% of the time no matter where you are on route.
It has a “SOS” button on it for use in emergencies and they will dispatch the authorities to fetch you from wherever you are.
Pete
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I recommend checking into one you may not have thought of: DAN, the Divers' Alert Network. Started to cover scuba divers for emergencies and evacuations in remote areas, but they have broadened out and are a great choice for a wide variety of activities now. Quite a few of my colleagues in wilderness medicine swear by them. (My wife and I go with the Alpine Club of Canada's plan, but it doesn't sound like you live up here.)
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Highly unlikely you will need helicopter insurance. The vast majority of the route is easily accessible by a vehicle.
That said, if you look into Garmin's InReach device and service, that is very nice as it uses a better satellite system than Spot and you can even do custom messages on your smart phone so you could describe the issue if needed after sending the SOS. I use it whenever I am doing extended remote touring where cell service is questionable. Also, has a highly accurate tracking feature (as much as every 2 minutes) so your family and friends can see exactly (within 15 feet in my experience) where you are at on their computer and/or phone. The device and subscription are not cheap but is nice.
Tailwinds, John
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A couple of relevant articles: https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/26/health/air-ambulance-high-price/index.html
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/06/14/732174170/why-air-ambulance-bills-are-still-sky-high
https://www.thebalance.com/does-your-insurance-cover-an-air-ambulance-2645679
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I recommend checking into one you may not have thought of: DAN, the Divers' Alert Network. Started to cover scuba divers for emergencies and evacuations in remote areas, but they have broadened out and are a great choice for a wide variety of activities now. Quite a few of my colleagues in wilderness medicine swear by them. (My wife and I go with the Alpine Club of Canada's plan, but it doesn't sound like you live up here.)
I second using DAN. My wife and I have used this on a number of trips, including a year-long multi-continent trip. If I remember correctly, the cost was very reasonable as well.
Jay