Your wish is my command sir. :D

No seriously, now I'm confused MT. Weren't you doing a 3+week trip? I tweaked an ankle one year. I had met up a friend for part of that trip and he was along on the out of the way daytrip where it happened. I laid there writhing in pain thinking I would be screwed and being damn glad we just took the one canoe that day. A day or two later he was heading out and didn't want to leave w/o me. I said it was getting better and I'd be fine. I'll just sit here for another day or two.... In the back of my mind though, I was thinking I cold easily con him into portaging my canoe on the three portages we'd travel together and then make some excuse to continue my trip.

I use to just go, leaving my girlfriend with a date I'd return and the phone# for the park. She had been there many times and knew the place and my habits well. I'd always called as soon as I could after I get out. Essentially to say that I was starting the second dangerous leg of my trip. Now days I plan a route and leave a map with lines and circles and arrows, contact #s. It's a pain in the butt. I was thinking a SPOT might be useful since I wouldn't be locked into a predefined route.

After reading your sister thread on solotripping tonight I can't help but wonder.  My evil mind is saying Dude! Get a spot and get in the boat and go until you run out of food or get bored. Then just stick the paddle between two trees and break it. Hide the evidence and press the help, send float plane at your earliest convenience button.

My luck? I'd probably yank on that paddle cautiously with no success. Then rethink my methods and give it one big push, snap, go flying only to hear a bone snap as I hit the ground badly. Hard to escape that Karma thing.

Plus, and to me, this is akin to the PFD thing, don't do the crime if you can't do the time. Part of the allure for me is working w/o a net. Being self sufficient in mind, body and spirit. Knowing my limits. If I need a little help along the way I'll take it but once you can count on it w/o consequences ... that becomes a slippery slope - eyes too big for the stomach type of thing IMHO.