To the op. I have the older InReach, and it is waterprroof, has replaceable batteries, and overall works well for what it does, but depending upon the whole pairing with the cell phone is not optimal in my opinion. I am however waiting/hoping that Garmin will come out with something that allows satellite texting in a good dependable fully "waterproof" GPS navigation platform.
Perhaps this is the wrong thread to do this on, so sorry if this is out of place, but I am going to say it anyway. With all of the new technology, doesn't it seem like a lot of these companies could do better with their offerings and just seem to be missing the mark somewhat on their products for the average outdoor user? It would be interesting to see everyone elses opinion on this. I am just thinking about what Garmin could offer that everyone would want to carry, and that could be used as a stand alone unit, or with a cell phone maybe as just a backup or as an adjunct.
As far as Garmin goes, I think their GPS units overall are great.
The Pros: No fiddle factor (they just work). It can handle some accidental rough treatment and is fully waterproof (at least my touch screen Oregon model is). I have a phone with good GPS seemingly and have tried OnXMaps, Gaia, and Backcountry Navigator, but there is no way that any of them are as dependable or work as well as my Garmin Oregon in cold, wet weather and/or under a canopy of trees. I would much rather be in the North WA Cascades on a prolonged backcountry trip during the cold, wet shoulder seasons with a down sleeping bag, than have to fully depend upon my cell phone, regardless of all of the cool things that it can do. If I am navigating at night particularly, I know that my Garmin is going to put me right back where I need to be coming down a mountain so that I am not hunting around for the right spot and I don't get cliffed out. I know that my Garmin will handle being pulled in and out of a cold wet pocket endlessly without getting glitchy or failing. It takes replaceable lithium or alkaline AA batteries that can be found anywhere on the way to the outdoors or be scavenged from another piece of electronics...that is what I want in a safety device. As far as the InReach, the affordable emergency plan is all that I want. The vast majority of the year I never send a single text, but I will continue to renew it forever at this price, because it is cheap insurance that I know I can throw in my pocket and can take off to the woods with whenever I want and without having to contact someone to renew a plan.
The Cons: The screen size, sensitivity, and clarity on my Garmin GPS could be much improved (Admittedly, I haven't tried a newer Garmins or the Montana, but those Montanas seem to be pretty bulky & heavy?). Something the size of the Montana with an included InReach communicator however would not be so bad, and would be a great combination. Having the ability to download/run other maps or programs not just proprietary to Garmin would make it more attractive also. At least maintaining the ability to continue to run an SD chip with OnXMaps or another similar map program on it would be essential. A person should also be able to carry their Garmin in their pocket without the screen accidentally coming on and burning up the batteries (maybe a two stage depressed button, where a quick intentional push turns the screen on and off, and a long 3 second push is needed to fully turn the device on or off?).
Am I off base here, or do others feel the same way about these devices, the options that are important, and their potential?
