Time to Ditch inReach?

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/sos-emergency-devices-in-deep-cover/

Thanks for the link. Let me re-phrase my question:

Who here has chosen to ditch their navigator-communicator in favor of one of the newer satellite messengers?

I’ve only researched them a bit. Yet to buy any.

I’d have a hard time giving up a $400 unit. The inReach has some nice features, but if you don’t need them. The Motorola did have the lowest price for service at $5 a month, with the first year waived. That video was the first true report that I’ve seen of any of them. I saw recently that they used an iPhone SOS in a Grand Canyon rescue.

I’m hoping that cell phones replace plbs soon.

I suspect that if I were buying one from scratch today I might choose a communicator over the more full featured InReach. But it works for me and it does provide GPS back-up, so I don’t really see myself ditching it and making another big investment. As Mike noted, it’s likely that a low earth orbit satellite messaging iPhone subscription might be available in the near future so my phone would satisfy all of my electronic needs.

Ok thanks. I think what’s partly driving my question is two fold: (1) I’m only using it for messaging and not frequently at that and (2) I’ve never had a message dispatch in under 7-10 minutes which makes me wonder if there’s a better mousetrap.

Unlike the video linked to above, I’m not hiking in deep valleys or particularly dense tree cover. I’m usually just 45 mins North of New York City, yet the messages don’t dispatch quickly at all. So I wonder how useful it would be in an actual crisis.

{I know someone will ask, so….yes the firmware is up to date on the device and on my phone}

I have the same experience with inreach

Sometimes it takes a few minutes to check mail, acquire GPS satellites, and send message.

Sometimes it takes an hour or two, especially the GPS satellite acquire.  My phone only takes a few minutes.

To me, it doesn’t matter, I only do it when I get to a campsite and I have all night.

I am looking forward to a phone that can send and receive messages.  I think it will be a year or two.  Both Apple and android have said they have some capability to do this.

I have a Zoleo. It has a setting for how frequently to sync messages. The default is 12 seconds (Or is it minutes? Not sure.) and you can change it. It is not a good way to have a conversation though because of the delay. There’s a limit to the setting. Their cheapest/lowest plan is $20/month, which is a little outrageous when you aren’t using it.

I got an InReach a few years ago when my wife became uncomfortable with my solo hiking and backpacking for the same reasons the OP lists.    I have once used InReach messaging to initiate a self rescue by contacting family to come pick me up in the middle of a trip. Also my understanding of the InReach  SOS function, is that Garmin Response still contacts your emergency contact (assuming you set up the account correctly) to find out your trip itinerary and use that information to communicate to the agency responsible for local SAR.  The other advantage the InReach device has over a future iPhone or Galaxy is that is in hardened, waterproof, and with judicious use, has a long battery life. And finally it was not cheap, and I am still amortizing the cost.

@Diane With iridium based systems the frequency of message transmission/reception depends on your view of the sky along with the ever changing positions of the satellite. At the bottom of a narrow cove I have had it take over half a hour to get a message out, other times it’s almost instant. Such is the nature of the network. More frequent message checking is only productive if youre in view of a satellite at that time and does burn more battery. The zoleo default is 12 min, constant can be a good option if you’re trying to maintain as much contact as possible with another party, say during the day, scattered group, good sky visibility, just remember to change later to save battery. You can suspend both Inreach and zoleo plans when not using to save a money.

Actually I’m considering selling my SPOT III beacon and GARMIN Colorado GPS for a GARMIN In Reach Montana 700 and have all in one unit.

My iPhone 15 Pro apparently has satellite messaging, but I still take my inReach: I have tested it and trust it, and I am more likely to drop my iPhone down a ravine than my clipped inReach, or run out of power. I’ve used the inReach when I’ve been in risky situations, and to change plans when suffering altitude sickness; my new iPhone might have been able to do it, but I am willing to pay the extra cost for the global dispatch center, the extra battery, and the redundancy and reliability. I don’t think there’s anything out there that’s substantially better or cheaper to make me switch. I don’t count the weight and I don’t think twice: it’s safety equipment. The monthly cost is negligible, particularly when compared to e.g., my car insurance.