+1 on everything you just said. A dedicated radio (FRS, GMRS, MURS, or amateur VHF) -- along with GPS and other survival gear -- is essential in the backcountry. Carry a cell phone, but don't rely on it. I see folks doing that far too often.

That said: Having just done some research on distress beacons, I just want to point out that there's some better options than SPOT beacons out there.

The problem with SPOT is that they're entirely reliant on GPS and having a clear view of the southern sky. If either of those aren't met, your SOS message might not go through properly. Since folks often buy these for life-and-death situations, this is a problem.

I'd recommend an actual 406 MHz PLB (personal locator beacon). The big benefit is that these are triply redundant: GPS via geostationary satellites, doppler shift triangulation via low-earth orbit satellites, and old-fashioned direction finding on the 121.5 aircraft distress frequency.

As an added bonus, since the PLB network is run by an international government organization (COSPAS-SARSAT), there's no subscription fees either. It would be unfortunate if you didn't get rescued because you forgot to pay a bill.

The only downside is that you don't get breadcrumbs or non-emergency text messaging. I think SPOT (and the Iridium-based InReach devices -- which seem to have better coverage btw) make great satellite communicators for this purpose. I just don't think they're good emergency beacon replacements.