To Ping Or Not To Ping???

I started writing a trip report about my first real backpacking trip which occurred in the Tetons two years ago, but saw this article today and had to share it.

A couple of months ago I wrote about those who misuse their locating beacons after assuming that they were lost. A couple months before that I wrote about the cranial malfunctions which occur when your average Joe walks into an REI, purchases a SPOT locator beacon, and assumes that he can rely on others to save him when he ignorantly places himself in an otherwise avoidable situation.

The author of the Two Heel Drive blog wrote about "The right time to ping your beacon," and gave some great tips. He gives five questions to ask yourself when in a sticky situation before pinging your beacon in order to call in the Calvary.

1. Does anyone need immediate medical attention? As in, are you or your buddy at risk of bleeding to death? Did you break your leg or hip and are hiking alone? Common sense is the best rule of thumb, but the truth is that if you are freaking out, even in a small degree, your judgement may be jeopardized. Asking this simple question may, by itself, help you get your mind back.
2. How long could you survive with the gear you are carrying? No sense in calling for help when you have enough gear to sleep though the storm. Remember, gear, not food and water. This blog author reminds us "Three hours without warmth, three days without water, and three weeks without food" before you are really in trouble (this obviously varies depending on the climate you find yourself in).
3. Are you motivated by an urge to get your money's worth? If you are purchasing a beacon for the peace of mind, good for you. If you are purchasing it with the intent of "getting your money's worth" than forget it. You pay all that money for the device and yearly fees to have the peace of mind that you will have a lifeline in the worst possible scenario, not as a rip cord to pull when you have had enough.
4. Is it obvious that you are royally screwed?
5. Have you exhausted every option EXCEPT calling in the Calvary?

The article which inspired these tips came from a story about two men who went missing near Pinecrest, CA (a place I visit every year). They left their car at a ski resort parking lot to go camping, but became lost during a white-out. They became "desperate" and pinged their beacon after convincing themselves that they were lost. Tuolomne County Sherrifs found the two guys 100 feet from the parking lot...