Spot (GPS emergency beacon)

[Justin]

Bay Area Riders Forum has hooked up with SPOT and gotten a big rebate for it's members.
http://findmespot.com/barf/

This device can send an emergency alert to 911 and get you help when your cell fails or you have no reception.  Your family (and friends) can also track your progress on a trip, and you can check in with them by pressing the "I'm OK" button.

My friends who paraglide, ski the backcountry and mountain bike use it. 
A little bit of peace of mind is worth it, and now with a rebate, pretty affordable.

As my favorite philosophy professor said many times,
"Chance favors the prepared mind"

jusTINO