Zoleo vs somewhere vs garmin

In my experience, trees don’t impede GPS signals

What does impede GPS is cliffs/canyons.

I’ve been using both the Garmin inReach Mini and Zoleo side by side this year. I get marginally (but noticeable, maybe 20% better) reception with the Mini (i.e., it will send a message when the Zoleo can’t). Both use Iridium networks. Maybe the Mini has a better antenna.

However I love the Zoleo software in the phone. Nice aesthetics!

Zoleo isn’t very feature rich in the absence of a phone.

I like that the Mini offers the full capability of a GPS with or without the phone.

I’ve used a garmin (an Explorer and now a Mini) for quite a few years now. Never had any issue hiking in tree cover (both east and west). I’ve sent and received messages from inside my dyneema shelter with no issue as well.

Ryan, I have a zoleo and notice I get significantly better service when the unit faces up. The manual also recommends this. Most of the time I find its not an issue, but if I see a message isnt sending or I only have 1 bar I will make sure its facing up and the message usually sends quickly.

I clip it on my Mariposa then wedge it sideways in the back elastic pocket and it stays facing upwards pretty well, ensuring maximum signal while im on the trail.

The mini has the physical antenna and the device naturally wants to point upward whether clipped or holding it. Conversely the zoleo natively wants to hang parallel to the ground. Maybe that’s why its service is perceived to be better? They both use Iridium network, no?

To the OP I dont find that trees block my zoleo, though in So Cal usually trees are in valleys so there is a loose correlation between trees and poor service just based on where the local ecology and geology overlap.

great to know that the zoleo needs to be parallel to the ground for best reception, a bit challenging hanging on your pack but doable

mini is supposed to be pointed up?  I’ll have to try that

sometimes I can turn unit on and send message in a few minutes, sometimes it takes more like an hour.  Especially, it takes a long time to acquire the GPS satellites.

Indeed Jerry – I found this https://www.adventurealan.com/best-satellite-messenger-inreach-vs-spot/#tips and I’ll assume he read the inreach manual because his Zoleo statement matches the manual

For the inReach (and other devices with a visible antenna sticking out this is with the antenna pointing towards the sky and free of your body or other obstructions.

For flat units without a visabel antenna, the device should be oriented so the face is pointing to the sky (unit horizontal). This is difficult to do while hiking. If you use the clip provided with the unit, it usually ends up hanging vertically (face of the unit pointing away from your pack/body). While not optimal, it seems to work for many people.

Thanks

I’m not a very good manual reader.  It should just be intuitively obvious : )

My inReach Mini works well even in forests thick with multi-hundred-foot-tall redwood trees. Canyons are a problem. But the Mini keeps trying, so messages get through eventually, at the expense of battery life. And I like that I can use it (slowly, painfully) without a smartphone. Haven’t found vertical/horizontal orientation to be a big issue, usually try to keep it vertical, not hard.

— Rex

Take a look at the BivyStick. It’s the same weight as the Garmin InReach mini, making it lighter than the Zoleo or Somewear. I got the BivyStick because for my use–mainly using the no-charge check-in messages and intermittent over the year–the plan was better. I got the $17.99 plan with 20 custom messages, good for 30 days. No annual fees or anything like that. On most trips, I sent only check-in messages. I auto-renewed for a few months over the summer, and plan to re-activate next spring. There’s also a $14.99 plan for a 12-month commitment.

For the check-in messages, BivyStick’s interface at the recipient end is better than Garmin’s. BivyStick sends an email or text with the lat and long (to 4 decimal places) in the text of the email. Easy for my wife to paste into the search bar of Google Earth or Apple Maps. And more importantly, easy to be read over the phone to a sheriff’s or Forest Service dispatcher.

On a buddy’s inReach (the big one), I looked at how Garmin worked. The check-in message is a link that goes to Garmin’s web mapping site. A popup shows the location, but you have to scroll down to see the lat and long They’re to six decimal places. Too much fuss for an emergency.

As far as I can tell, the transmission power is about the same as the Garmin. It needs a phone to send custom messages, but check-ins and SOS messages can be sent by just pressing a button on the device.

The Bivystick looks good. It appears ACR Electronics is the owner and the emergency service is provided by Global Rescue….good choice. Tracking might be one bigger difference but I have not looked closely.

forgive my ignorance but i saw bivy uses global rescue, which it appears they monitor and dispatch sos but it also says something about purchasing additional insurance which isn’t cheap. is this the same for IERCC?

i didn’t see anything on the website for suspending services. how does that work?

i also didn’t see how you change or how many preset messages you get if just using the bivy and not your phone

the other draw back is if you want tracking they charge. so for 10 min of tracking it’s 1 credit per hour, for 60min tracking 1 credit every 6hrs. so if your tracking every 10min you only get 20hrs of tracking in.

I think all of them use the same service for SOS calls. I’m not sure if the Garmin, Zoleo, or Somewear subscriptions include rescue insurance.

You deactivate your account using the Bivy iPhone app underStick>Account settings. You’re allowed a single preset message–the inReach allows you three distinct presets. This is set up with the iPhone app when you’re in wi-fi or cell data range. I’ve successfully changed my preset when in the backcountry.

I think there’s a corresponding Android app.

As for tracking, the others have some sort of charge for tracking, depending on which data plan you’ve signed up for.

The best device for you depends on how you’ll be using it. Adventure Alan reviewed some of them (but not the Bivy) here:

https://www.adventurealan.com/best-satellite-messenger-inreach-vs-spot/

and rightly noted that the cost of data plan over a few years was more important the price of the device.

So how am I using the Bivy? I have GaiaGPS to record tracks and drop waypoints if I want to refer to my hike after I get home. I use GPSdiagnostic to (1) check if I’m getting a good GPS signal if GaiaGPS is acting up, and (2) send texts with my location if I’m in cell range. Weather forecasts I can get before my trip–they’re pretty accurate for a 3-day horizon.

I use the Bivy for check-ins every few hours when hiking on trail and every 40 minutes or so when venturing off-trail. I do two check-ins at the same place when I make camp at the end of the day, or reach my truck at the end of the hike. I’d use the custom messages only when something eventful happens or if I have a build-up of message credits from the monthly rollovers.

So the minimal Bivy plan works for me. YMMV.

BTW, Bivy’s pricing is a total cost. There’s a line for sales tax on the invoice, so Bivy might collect sales tax in Utah. I think Garmin tacks on those pesky fees that you see on your phone bill.

Some more comparisons are here:

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/camping-and-hiking/personal-locator-beacon/bivystick-blue