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Anyone have experience with the new Garmin Inreach?
Im looking at the model with a GPS
I use Gaia on my phone as a GPS but I need a communication device and it sure would be great if it had a GPS in case as a backup.
Are the new Garmin models much better?
Appreciate any intel!
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Yes.. I bought the new Garmin Explorer last year to replace my spot and gps.. works great, have had no issues and map are good... am hoping in the future they make it like the Rhino and have the walkie talkie feature in it as well, that would be great.
A bad day in the bush beats just about anything...
HuntingBC Champ
I grabbed one of the Garmin explorers when it came out and love it. No issues at all, worth the money.
Senior Member
The one thing I struggled with the Garmin Explorer was the internal battery and recharging. If you run out of juice on a trip, you're out a GPS and ELB and cannot pop in couple of AA's to get it going again. I guess you could pack a portable battery pack or a solar panel. Something like a Spot you can leave powered down and activate it only when needed.
The nice thing with Delorme is that you can stop and start your plan, and two way communication. Spot is one shot for the year. I'm holding out before upgrading, I think cell phones will be going satellite soon, sat phones are pretty cheap now, then you can talk and text anywhere.
Keep in mind, the Garmin Explorer does not have the mapping capabilities as say the Garmin 64st.
HuntingBC Champ
The yellow Garmin InReach that I use (not set up as a GPS) uses way less power daily than my iPhone that I use to pair with it to text and as my GPS...probably about 20% as much. I am sure I could make a 10 day hunt and have battery to spare without charging it. I shut it off between checks for messages. It does charge up very quickly on my 6700 mah battery when I do charge it. Note...I keep the iPhone turned off as well except when using it to text via InReach, take photos or use GAIA for navigation, all the while in airplane mode when the phone is on. In February on a 10 day remote trip, I came back with a fully charged InReach and iPhone 7 and 1/4 of the 6700 mah battery pack remaining.
Last edited by Blockcaver; 04-19-2018 at 11:31 AM.
HuntingBC Champ
I thought the yellow one had GPS as well, just didn't come with maps on it. :/Originally Posted by Blockcaver
HuntingBC Champ
The bigger question is .... are there any good deals on plans?!?
one time purchase is no big deal ..... it's the recurring monthly charge for the plans that are killer.
Hunt Smarter
the yellow model is just for communication, orange model (Explorer) has a basic GPS unit. No ability to add maps
$35 a month for 100 messages. Suspend your plan for $2.95 per month. Reactivate it via your online account at any time. I only activate mine for hunting season
"If you ever go into the bush, there are grizzly bears lurking behind just about every bush, waiting to pounce, so you need a powerful gun, with huge bullets" - Gatehouse ~ 2004
HuntingBC Champ
The plans are pretty good. I love being about to suspend at any time and wake it up at anytime without additional fees. Though I used mine all the time so I never do.
I have the orange model with colour maps. I never use the gps features though as the Gaia app on my iPhone is infinitely better.
The built in battery doesnt bother me at all. I find it more convininet actually. I carry an auxillary battery that charges all my devices from phone, inreach, headlamp, flashlight, even my portable music player.
HuntingBC Champ
oh, that's not too bad if you can suspend and re-activate. that's great.
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