It's true that some really lost people in wilderness find themselves off-trail, maybe fallen into steep terrain or on the wrong side of a ridge after coming dow

It's true that some really lost people in wilderness find themselves off-trail, maybe fallen into steep terrain or on the wrong side of a ridge after coming down hill. If people are intentionally in trail-free 'true' wilderness, such as snowy high country, they are also much more likely to carry PLBs, leave flags for wayfinding, know how to use a map and compass, etc. However, a huge amount of search-and-rescue expense is spent looking for less-prepared people who turned the wrong way at a fork, or who broke their leg 10 miles from the trailhead, etc. This technology still seems useful to me.