GPS Tracker for Children

[ValentineWiggins]

Hi All

I know I'm being crazy neurotic but just work with me please! Has anyone ever come across anywhere you can hire/buy a GPS tracking unit that I could put in my DD(6)'s ski jacket so that I can find her on the mountain if necessary?

Something like the Flaik tracker but for personal use? I've come across various things that say they work for tracking children but they all seem to show tracking against Google Maps or similar - and I wonder how well that would work on a mountain. I just get really worried about her being separated from her ski school group...

Ta in advance

Can't you get tracker Aps for iPhones: I'm sure I've heard of those.

We just make sure we put a business card with both DHs and my mobile numbers on it, plus her EH11 card with her details in a pocket that she is told not to touch unless there is an emergency. She is told that if, for any reason, she gets split up, she is to go to a ski lift operator and ask for help. However, I do very much doubt that she will ever be separated: they always seem to travel in their packs/crocodiles.

Could you not just pick a resort with a ski school with flaik? The dc used them this year for the first time. Think the ski school needed them once - but the missing child was waiting at the lift with the lifties so not really lost/in danger.

Alternatively the find my iPhone app works well in the UK but then you need data roaming on so would be expensive to use abroad & might not work in the mountains.

Bit late to change resort!!!

Guess so!

The Snooper My-track might work for you, but think you might have to buy rather than rent.

You can get cheap walkie-talkie sets either to buy or hire but it does sound a bit ott. Sometimes groups wear coloured bibs so are easily identifiable. Typically skischool groups don't go far at that age and there will usually be another instructor with group coming along who child can ask to follow to nearest lift and contact his own by radio. Perhaps it would be a better strategy to have a "just in case" procedure that rely on hi-tech?

I think the instructors are pretty good at making sure they don't lose anyone. How about exchanging phone numbers with the ski instructor and also making sure your DC know your number and what to do if separated? Do you normally need to track the DC in school?

I'm sure you could hire them for off piste skiing when we were in Flaine last year. It's not something I had thought about for DS(5) last year.

We have got bracelets (neoprene with pieces of paper inside from Amazon) for our children with our phone numbers in and instructed them to find another ski instructor / lift operator to call us and given them a rendezvous point in the village to ask to get back to in case they cannot reach us by phone - none of which I hope will ever be necessary!!!

I can't help thinking you're worrying unnecessarily. Would you consider using a tracker device when your child goes to school over here? What's the difference, really? Ski-school children in luminous bibs on the nursery slopes of a ski resort can't go far. The slopes are heaving with adults and ski instructors and rangers and so on.
And as others have said, if you instruct her with what to do if she can't see her group (find an adult with the ski-school logo jacket, for instance), and have your mobile numbers on her, then it'll be fine.

Its unlikely that the children will get separated but if you are really worried you could give them a cheap pay as you go phone for them to keep in their pocket. my daughter is 6 and she can use one. As mentioned another alternative is to put your mobile number on a wrist band that way they could always go to a lift operator and ask them to contact you.

On another note we have just returned from skiing and I was teaching a toddler to ski i found this amazing harness backpack. It's got a handle so i could lift her easily onto lifts keep her upright by holding the handle without my back breaking and also it has reins so when she got more confident i skied behind her but totally confident she couldnt ski off the slope because i had hold of her, we had so much fun! I found it on this website www.snowsportstore.co.uk which is where i also bought the kids helmets because i really wouldnt like them skiing without them.

Transceivers are recommended kit for off piste skiers. Snow and Rock sell a selection. I think they can also be hired in resorts.

Transceivers only work within a range of around 50 metres, and identify any other signals - not just your child, so wouldn't be suitable here

As others have said, OP, I think you're worrying unnecessarily. Just make sure your children know to find a liftie if they're lost and have your contact details on them.

I know this is a dormant thread but I don't suppose anyone found a good gps tracker?

Ma P'tit Balise is a child-focussed ski tracker with a free iPhone and Android app. It can be rented for 2.50EUR per day from most French ski resorts. It was used in 2015 and rolled out fully for 2016 ski season. Having had the ski school lose my six year old, I am very keen. They lost a distraught five year old in the same session, and he was scarred by being left on the mountain alone. I just want my kids to love skiing as much as his parents love it. That's my main aim. We'll never forget hunting the mountain for our six year-old, lost by the school, on his first day skiing.