Inreach Mini or Something Better?

[sneaky]

Replaceable batteries is the biggest difference. Backup GPS feature as well

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[Titan_Bow]

I’ve got 2 older Delorme Inreaches, the oldest I think is 5 years old. I’ve used them a lot and never had an issue. I recharge a goal zero battery pack at camp with a solar panel. In the high country of Colorado where it’s usually sunny, I’ve been able to go 10 days with no concerns of running out of power.


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[ragz]

Replaceable batteries is the biggest difference. Backup GPS feature as well

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Thanks!

 

[B.J.]

Does the mini work well paired with a phone for GPS?

 

[All American Boy]

Just bought the Gramin Inreach Mini on Amazon for $300. Researched the rest, love the small size and I use Onx on my phone for GPS, so it is also a backup.

 

[muddydogs]

Does the mini work well paired with a phone for GPS?

Yes and no. The mini works well paired with a phone but its not needed for a phones GPS function, all you need for your phone to GPS is a map app. I use the Earthmate app that comes with the InReach subscription which is very similar to ONX. Once paired with the InReach you can send track points via the InReach to your map page so others can keep track of your or you can just use your phone tracking function with the Earthmate app which will sync with the Garmin web portal once your back in cell service so you can view where you were on your computer screen.
Biggest thin with a phone app is you need to download the maps and photo's for the area your going to onto your phone while you have WIFI service on your phone.

 

[tdhanses]

Does the mini work well paired with a phone for GPS?

Yes it works very well, I leave mine on all day and use it to communicate with my hunting buddy and family. Battery life easily went 3 days doing this and takes very little juice out of my battery pack. Personally I always have a 20,000mah battery pack with me for my phone, watch, GoPro, Inreach, camera etc. no issue having enough power for 2 weeks straight of hunting.

As far as the GPS I’m not a big fan of the Earthmate from Garmin, I use Gaia on my phone. I don’t turn the tracks on mini, I use Gaia for that. I think if you use the tracking feature on the mini it would eat up more battery life and may not go 3 days like I use it.

 

[dprice911]

Following, possibly getting the in Reach mini in a couple of weeks.

 

[polarkraft]

Used my mini in colorado last year, never turned it off I. 7 days but did need to charge it once, I found the earth mate app gps to lack functionality, but since I had my phone on me anyway the onx app covered that problem

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[B.J.]

Thanks for the info fellas. I bought one on sale too haha. That’s good advice on the 20,000 mah charger as well, I was curious about charger size.

 

[Coach529]

Following along since I have been in the market for one. Thanks for the info!!

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

I didn't think of this until now...

Since the InReach have a number so others can text you, can you text from InReach unit to InReach unit?

could be useful in areas with no cell service and when radios don't work so well.

 

[Ronb]

Yes


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[Blockcaver]

To text InReach to InReach you have to have their InReach address, not their iPhone number or email address. Once contact is made you just text back and forth. When I fly with a flight service or hunt with an outfitter the first thing I do is get their InReach address and send them a text and ensure they got it. You also should do the same with your hunting buddies. Last fall about 3/4 of the way through a remote caribou hunt in BC my hunting buddy and I decided we should make IR text contact, as it was his first run with his new Mini. Lucky for him we did as he arrowed a caribou late in the afternoon of the last day and sent me a message. I was able to get back to camp as quickly as possible and get our third partner and go climb the mountain to meet up with him. He already had the 'bou skinned, quartered and game-bagged and we loaded it in the packs in the dark and got the critter into camp that evening. We tore down camp the next morning on schedule and headed out. Without IR contact we'd have been running nearly a day late.

 

[Dos Perros]

I didn't think of this until now...

Since the InReach have a number so others can text you, can you text from InReach unit to InReach unit?

could be useful in areas with no cell service and when radios don't work so well.

Yes you can. Pro-tip: do a practice one before you leave the trailhead/cell service. Because from your InReach you don't just message the phone number that represents your buddy's InReach. You message his/her InReach ID, which is something like [email protected].

 

[870]

Thats not great if the battery dies on you in the field.

true, but for ultra light its better because you can charge it on solar .

 

[Chainsaww]

Great info, thanks everyone.

 

[muddydogs]

Yes you can. Pro-tip: do a practice one before you leave the trailhead/cell service. Because from your InReach you don't just message the phone number that represents your buddy's InReach. You message his/her InReach ID, which is something like [email protected].

Kind of late on this one but the Inreach addresses changed a while ago and there no longer what you posted but instead [email protected]. Not sure if the old ones still work as I changed all mine a year or so ago when they updated to the new @ part.

 

[fwafwow]

I've had an Inreach Explorer + for ~3 years and the battery life is still great (I use one or the other at least 2x/month). There are much older Delorme units out there that are still working as well; I wouldn't let that deter me from buying an Inreach. My newer Inreach mini has been great so far with battery life, I leave it on all day but only send/receive 1 or two messages. It's not a phone line for chatting; it's there for daily check-ins and 'oh shit' moments.

When you say you leave the mini on all day but only receive 1-2 messages, can you leave the unit on for tracking purposes, but "switch off" the ability to receive messages? I'm guessing maybe that is done by not coupling your phone with BT during that period? Mine is brand new and I've yet to start the subscription, but need to do so a bit before I head out to CO next month.

 

[WTFJohn]

When you say you leave the mini on all day but only receive 1-2 messages, can you leave the unit on for tracking purposes, but "switch off" the ability to receive messages? I'm guessing maybe that is done by not coupling your phone with BT during that period? Mine is brand new and I've yet to start the subscription, but need to do so a bit before I head out to CO next month.

No, if the unit is on it can receive messages. The tracking function (I assume you're talking about the part where someone else can watch your dot move on the map on a computer, not regular GPS tracking on the device while you walk around) is overrated IMO unless someone is for sure going to be watching the track.

The inReach will transmit an SOS signal if the device is off after you hold the SOS button for 5 seconds, so you could leave it off most of the day except for preset windows and still have the safety benefits of the inReach.

Setting up your Garmin account and pairing with your phone takes 10 minutes at the most, worth it to do it sooner rather than later to get familiar with the device. The big one most guys get wrong is making sure the messages send before putting the inReach back in a pocket. There is a 'message sent' chime and the icon on the paired app will go from a loading circle to a pin next to your typed message. The recipient will get the message along with the GPS Coordinates you sent it from & a link to a map showing the message location. You can zoom in on the map to go from topo to sat pictures of the area.