EPIRBs
If you ride alone, or are heading somewhere remote in a group, you really should invest in an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. These units save lives every year, calling in the cavalry in times of emergency. They work by transmitting a distress signal that is most often picked up by commercial air flights then relayed to Australian Search and Rescue, who notify local authorities to begin a search.
The old 121.5MHz units brought the search teams within 20kms of the target, but the newer 406MHz models reduce this to 5kms. Some models include an inbuilt GPS that will send enough information to enable the search team to land a chopper slap on the top of your helmet, or at least in a 45m radius of it. Owners of the 406MHz units also have the option of registering their unit with Search and Rescue, so that in the event of it being activated, they know who they’re looking for, where they live and what their phone number is – well worth doing.
Note: the old 121.5MHz EPIRBS are no longer being monitored and the newer 406MHz units are required now.
The drawback with an EPIRB is that while it lets emergency services know that you’re in trouble, it can’t relay the type of emergency involved. Nothing beats a sat-phone for relaying concise information in an emergency, but an EPIRB is cheaper, more portable and more reliable, both in terms of signal and construction. Typical battery life is seven years, so an EPIRB can be left in a backpack and forgotten until it is needed.