Do you bring a Sat phone/SPOT etc?

[Wrongside]

SPOT II for the last 3 years or so. Works great. Gives my wife, family and friends peace of mind and it's cheap insurance for me, in the case of an emergency.

 

[Snyd]

SPOT 2, works great.

 

[jherald]

I've always rented an iridium 9555 whenever I went on an extended trip where I couldn't get cell coverage here in Alaska. I myself like the idea of a sat phone versus the spot type systems because I can give detailed emergency information in real time if I ever needed it.

I just sprang for the iridium 9575 extreme and wont have to worry about renting and returning anymore. And for my purposes in AK, they have a plan for 204 dollars for 200 minutes for 6 months, coverage all over alaska and all of canada. So i can have the phone at the ready for all my hunting and fishing season, check in with a call or text now and call emergency services if i need help. Its worth the few extra ounces to me to carry the phone along.

I would suggest renting a sat phone or buying one. It was expensive but I just saved for it like i do with all my other gear and bought it when i was ready. To me its money well invested.

 

[Rocky]

How do the sat phones work ( reception) if you are down in a godforsaken hole ?

 

[jmez]

How do the sat phones work ( reception) if you are down in a godforsaken hole ?

Not very well, the reason I carry and ACR. Guys I hunt with rented them last year, all had the iridium 9555. Coverage/service was terrible. We were in central Colorado. Took them a long time, 10 minutes or so to acquire a signal, and even when they did they dropped calls and would lose signal frequently. Never even tried them down in any holes, this was on the side of the mountain with a clear view of the sky and no clouds.

Think a lot of it depends on where you are. None of them are going to rent them again after last year's experience.

 

[blb078]

Anyone had decent success getting cell coverage w/their provider while up in the back country, assuming you're not 5+ miles in.

 

[Rocky]

I have been in wilderness areas in wa /or and the gila national forest. I would say that about 90% of the time I could get a cell signal if a got on a ridge. Idk about any other states....just my two cents


The wa/or areas were 5 + miles in

 

[bandit1]

Delorme inreach has been nice, 2 way texting is awesome.

 

[Lawsonw]

I love my satellite phone and don't go anywhere with out it. I live and work in Western Wyoming and use mine year round. They are expensive, so rent one if you only plan on using for s hunt. I have an Inmarsat phone and have never failed once trying to make a call. It gives my wife and I peace of mind and I am also able to program important numbers in the phone.

 

[ctdad]

My problem with inreach is you have to subscribe year round and I don't need it year round. I found this device is available for rental and I plan to try one this year.

https://cerberus.briartek.com/cerberlink/plans

 

[6t4nova]

I have cell service most of the time as long as I get on top of a tall ridge. I also carry a PLB just in case I ever need it.

 

[littlebuf]

My problem with inreach is you have to subscribe year round and I don't need it year round. I found this device is available for rental and I plan to try one this year.

https://cerberus.briartek.com/cerberlink/plans

now that looks pretty cool

 

[TXCO]

With inreach, you can cancel your subscription for a fee and then reactivate when you want. I believe all locators have a yearly fee, but I may be wrong.

I like how inreach can replace a GPS due to the maps you can download to your phone and the tracking ability for either you or your friends/family to see. The downside is your phone has to have a pattery and it wont let you put in a waypoint to say mark a kill. You have to send a message or remember that spot in the tracking series. The detailed messaging is great, especially if you get in trouble or are trying to communicate meeting up with someone for a meat haul out or something.

 

[bigeasygator]

I used the InReach last year on my hunting trip to Colorado. Overall I was very pleased with the performance. It took awhile to sync sometimes and for whatever reason the end of my messages would constantly get cutoff, but other than that it worked pretty flawlessly.

 

[Jay]

Used a SPOT II last year. If you bring stuff like that you then won't need it, and that is good.

 

[Darren Best]

I have the older InReach that was Android only, which I have up for sale.

The application that you donwload is free, the maps are pretty decent, monthly fee was 10 dollars and change, registration fee is one time 20 dollar fee. The cell phone GPS doesn't work as good as a dedicated GPS and it goes through it's battery life much faster than a GPS does. I didn't have any difficulty in pairing the InReach with my Droid.

The InReach can be used in stand alone format and can send preset text messages that you put on your online account, so if your phone pukes out, you still have communication, just limited.

If you only need it for a couple months or less a year, the rental one is a bargain.

 

[ohhiitznik]

I use a spot2, my buddy will be picking up the Inreach and we'll give it a try this year as well

 

[T43]

I have the Spot II and have used it in a lot of places that there was no cell service. I also use the track feature when my wife travels through the cell dead areas with the kids.

 

[Matt W.]

I use a SPOT 2... Even being in Alaska it has worked just fine.. Every once in a while I will rent a Sat phone, but is trip dependent.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

Delorme in reach. iPhone version