If you are doing research before joining the more than 80,000 customers that have rented our camping and travel gear, or have already received your camping gear rental package from us, here's where you can learn about the operation or setup of a specific camping or travel gear item before you leave on your big adventure.

The information below provides more details on how to use the SPOT gps communicator we rent, but we encourage you to give us a call or find more resources online if more details are needed. For more information on this rental item including rates, check out the main product page at Rent a SPOT GPS Personal Tracker. There are more how-to pages on nearly all of our most popular rental items; find most at our video and user guide to rentals main page


The SPOT device is pocket sized and easy to carry.  However, to use it as a communicator, it does need to be out in the open; it won't work in a pocket or inside a backpack for example.  The label like the one below you will see on the rented unit you get is the user login to the profile you will setup online for your trip.  We send you the link to the instructions you need for that setup.

rent spot communicator

The SPOT unit requires 3 or 4 (depends on model selected) LITHIUM AAA batteries that WE DO NOT SEND as part of the rental.  Buy good ones, and don't try to cheap by with alkaline batteries - your will get poor or no performance. 

spot units for rent

The power button on the SPOT3 model is on the left side looking at the unit front.  Hold this and any other button for a few seconds to activate that function.

rented SPOT unit power button


All other functions of the rented SPOT unit, which include several message-sending options, bread-crumb style tracking in real time; and SOS functionality, are controlled by buttons on the bottom of the unit.  The instructions sheet we send with the unit will explain what each button activates, and there are full user manuals available online.

control buttons on rented spot device


The SPOT unit lets you know what kind of messaging it is trying to do with a series of blinking LED lights.  Again, our provided instruction sheet  lets you know how to interpret the various lights.

rental spot unit sending message signals

Here is an overview video about the rental SPOT device