Garmin In-reach messenger Vs. in reach mini2

Will you be solo or the main/only one in your group to be doing the navigating and really need a navigational aid?  If the answer to any is yes with the solo question weighed a bit heavier I’d lean toward the mini2 and get a good case with a lanyard for your phone. The goal being able to still function with a single failure if possible and mitigate where you can’t. An alternate if always in a group is to make sure someone else also has a GPS app on their phone. I keep my mini turned on and secure in my pack during the day and use my watch and phone to interact with it. Even if something happens to my phone my mini would most likely survive the calamity.  Think about your most likey scenarios.

Mini 2. Is a stand alone unit that you can type specific rescue instructions-that you will be asked-should your phone break or become inoperable. That redundancy is worth the weight/cost.