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Thread: Garmin Inreach

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    4,368

    Re: Garmin Inreach

    Bough my Inreach mini a couple weeks ago. I just got home from a 4 day bear hunt.

    Over 4 days, my mini was:

    on from approx 0630 to 2200 daily,
    Blue tooth mode on,
    Track mode on for the trip to and from camp, off the remainder,
    Sent 4 custom messages per day,
    Received 4 messages per day,
    Half my messages were while the unit was synched to my phone,
    Battery today when I got home was 60%.

    My normal trips wont be more than an ok message in the morning and evening with the unit powered down in between. Figure I can easily make a 7-10 day backpacking trip.

    Was cool to be able to tell my hunting buddy what I was seeing and where.

    I left it turned on to see as dont intend to strut around with it on all day. Figure turning bluetooth mode off will save additional power.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Lower Mainland - South end of Surrey
    Posts
    995

    Re: Garmin Inreach

    Great thread. Difference between Mini and Explorer seems to be the Earthmate map function / display. Is the quality of the mapping worth the size and price difference (when also have Rino 650 with BC Backroads Maps)?

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Posts
    19

    Re: Garmin Inreach

    I have Explorer+. Used it north of Sachs Harbour on Banks Island, all over B.C. and as far south as Mexico. Take it anywhere that cell service may be a problem. used it for a truck breakdown,
    mid November, foot snow, -10, remote road. Tow company used coordinates sent with the message to locate us. $14.95 a month...Bargain

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    538

    Re: Garmin Inreach

    SOS is an awesome feature. BUT, it should be harder to inadvertently set off. Luckily search and rescue was tracking my movement and did not deploy the helicopters for 45 minutes. Finally on my lunchbreak, I heard a faint noise from my pack. ARGH!!!! I always turn it off. My fault for having too much meat in my pack....

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Posts
    952

    Re: Garmin Inreach

    I have recently discovered how well my phone links with my 66i. It is an absolute game changer. So nice to be able to zoom and drag on your iphone. Now I just need to figure out how to get the satellite maps going and a couple other little things. I'm very pleased with the unit.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Abbotsford
    Posts
    306

    Re: Garmin Inreach

    I just saw these on sale $679

  7. #17
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    100 Mile House
    Posts
    55

    Re: Garmin Inreach

    Thanks for the heads up on the sale; purchased! The Explorer+ works but doesn't have enough mapping features for me (use it for work etc).

    Looks like ol reliable orange is going to the chopping block.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    13

    Re: Garmin Inreach

    If you hunt beyond cell reception and/or go out alone I would consider having an inReach an essential piece of gear. They aren't perfect but neither is a Sat phone - I've used both and actually trust the inReach more. If you are not going out every month it is easy to put the account on 'dormant' mode to reduce the monthly cost to only a few bucks. Totally worth it for the safety element but I've also found it useful to text a friend when you need a moral booster when out alone in shitty conditions.

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Williams Lake, BC Canada
    Posts
    14,170

    Re: Garmin Inreach

    Hmm so Globalstar has updated my plan..my SPOT to the new unit generation x that allows texting..confirmation of message being received.
    Will update on how it works.
    We did use James and Tyler Garmin Inreach mini on the 2 week black bear hunt..the units worked out very well and made the trip even more successful.Susan was contacted several times for things..lol
    New tech is amazing.
    Steven

  10. #20
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Coquitlam
    Posts
    32

    Re: Garmin Inreach

    I updated to the Inreach SE too soon. The Spot X at that time was having a lot of teething issues with their software. It sounds like they have the bugs worked out now. The Inreach does work well enough, but I miss the quality of the maps sent with the location texts and the lack of free unlimited tracking of the Spot system. Inreach charges you for tracking at the lower cost plans (similar monthly pricing as Spot). The Inreach sent text location maps, when used as a stand alone, basically suck if you use them anywhere but back country. We use ours as as dual purpose RV-road trips and back country. With Spot it would name the location of where you had stopped for the night ie: Walmart, and was accurate enough to almost identify the parking spot number you were in. With Inreach you where somewhere near some big unnamed building with a white roof near some unnamed freeway. Spot maps off road where so accurate when you got back home to check where you had been you expected to see your parked truck in the satellite photo. When Inreach, you were somewhere close to that lake. Not a game changer for most, but paying a lot more to purchase it and then getting lower quality, and less services for the same monthly fees, kind of bites.

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