Inreach on outside of pack. Why?

[j3h8]

You’re going to stalk a critter with your bow with no pack but with your satellite messenger?

Will you not carry your range finder? Binoculars? Surely you don't expect someone to be out there without these items. They all are in/on my bino harness along with minimal survival gear, a skinning knife and because I love food, snacks. Adding an in reach to this doesn't equate to a lot but if something were to happen I still have emergency communication. There are many times where a large pack is not going to help your stalk during the last few hundred yards.

 

[Poser]

I’m a little surprised how many of you think the 5 secs to get it out of the pack is a deal breaker

If you consider worst case scenarios, it is unknown how clear you or your partner's thinking process is going to be. Again, I think this is less likely out backpacking or hunting, but there are scenarios where you could be relying on a stranger to initiate the SOS button.

I had an acquaintance killed in an avalanche back in 2018. The story that I heard is that his partner completely lost his mind at the scene and instead of tending to the situation at hand, skied back to his car, retrieved a pistol and starting shooting his gun in the air to seek help.

Of course, its also possible that some people have influencer deals with Garmin....

 

[dirtshooter]

It’s NEVER a good idea to leave your pack behind

In my case I took my pack off to rest on, shot my elk, hit him and he was trotting away so I got up and moved with him and finished him off. I wasn't far from my pack but I could have slid down the hill or whatever the case may be and not be within reach of my pack to dig out my garmin so it just stays on my bino harness.

 

[LIWolverine]

Lots of reasons to keep it on my bino harness on the left shoulder strap.

Ever cross a river or stream where you might get caught or lose your stuff?

Kayak or canoe where you might lose your pack?

Ever hunt from a tree stand where you have no cell service and not wear your pack for the whole hunt? It’s pretty easy to fall, even in a harness, and be left hanging.

Lots of us don’t just go “backpacking” on super easy trails. We go off trail, sneak up to cliffs and rock ledges, climb trees, cross rivers or lakes, canoe or kayak flowing water.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dennis]

I keep my InReach Mini on my person in my pants pocket along with a few other essential items. I keep it tethered to my belt loop so not to loose it. I know I won't always have my pack on, nor my binoculars harness, but pretty much always keep my pants on. I know the most likely event will be that freak event that occurs when I least expect it. The old saying "Never get caught with your pants down".

 

[greyghostnw]

u bought it, use it, keep it at arms reach, best case scenario nothing ever happens, next best your conscious to use it, next best your arms still function to use it and so on…. We all have our own risk taking in high country and accidents happen. Be a hard lesson id rather not learn and make a situation become even more difficult to resolve. The scenarios are endless… i carried mine in my lid for years was pointless if i tumbled and couldn’t get pack off, would be carrying it for nothing. I keep a fixed blade on my shoulder strap as well for back up protection. be like keeping that in my pack, pointless… my sat phone stays in my lid but now keep in reach on bino harness as that never comes off from truck to truck unless in tent. Good luck.

 

[cnelk]

In my pack.
My phone with the app [ and OnX] is always more handy and since you can send SOS from the phone, why have both handy?

Also, you can send an SOS with the power being off the InReach

 

[Caseknife]

How in h*** did hunters get by without dying right and left in the woods back in the day prior to electronics and everything else now available to save your sorry ass?

 

[greyghostnw]

How in h*** did hunters get by without dying right and left in the woods back in the day prior to electronics and everything else now available to save your sorry ass?

Thats not the point. Some technology today is a benefit. Evolution. Do u use a range finder??? Probably otta ditch that? U use a problem solver like a kestrel? Ditch that too…Im a keep it simple type less is more but id rather have a way to extract from a chitty situation that id otherwise be fuked. If its your jam to crawl outa a hole that didn’t have to be then enjoy. No different than carrying an avy beacon in snow terrain.

 

[striped1]

Garmin inReach MINI 2 Pouch

Pouch for the Garmin inReach MINI 2. Mini MOLLE back for attaching pouch via OneWrap, UAB or MALICE clip. Velcro closure. *Attachment device / Garmin not included.

tracer-tactical.com

This is the way. I solo bow hunt. I use this to keep it with me at all times.

 

[LongWayAround]

How in h*** did hunters get by without dying right and left in the woods back in the day prior to electronics and everything else now available to save your sorry ass?

A guy was recently found in Idaho who got lost back in the 70's. I bet his family would have appreciated an InReach.

 

[Windigo]

If you’re concerned about scratches, just put a piece of clear gorilla tape over the screen. It’s been a great screen protector on my mini and I beat the hell out of it.

 

[Dos Perros]

I keep mine handy so I can see the last time it checked for messages. The phone won't tell you that. Sometimes in canyons or heavy timber it doesn't get a great signal and it's nice to know if your buddy that said he'd message didn't message or you just haven't received it.

I'll mention that this last fall messaging seemed almost instantaneous, very fast, and had no signal issues like in some years/places previous.

 

[Skerhunter]

Mine is strapped to my shoulder if im having signal issues with getting messages in/out and I’m expecting a message (finding partner).

Or When ONx craps out and I need to use it for navigation in the dark.

The rest of the time it’s in my lid and not even turned on.

 

[cnelk]

I keep mine handy so I can see the last time it checked for messages. The phone won't tell you that.

Mine does. I bet yours does too

 

[cnelk]

You should be able to set the listen interval to whatever setting you want.
Constant - uses most battery
2 min
5 min
Or whatever the device says

 

[Dos Perros]

Mine does. I bet yours does too


View attachment 826600

Ooo that must have been included in an update I haven't noticed.

I'll still keep it in my bino pouch because it's there if I need it. I have a family that depends on me and if keeping it somewhere is arbitrary I'll keep it where it's most handy. I have it on a tether so I can't lose it. If I do lose it I can ping it remotely for a location and go and recover. And if it's gone for good oh well I can buy a new one.

 

[ganngus]

I keep my inReach mini on carabiner on the shoulder strap of my bino harness. I've experienced many times where I can't get service if it is covered or antenna is not pointing to the sky. Having it carabineered on my bino shoulder strap means I will always have it with me and that the antenna will be unobscured.

 

[TaperPin]

I’ve had a coworker call 911 while I was on international vacation because my cell phone was turned off to avoid crazy roaming fees. It was too traumatic for them to not be able to instantly reach me. *chuckle*

That would be funny enough, but I had recontoured part of the yard and excess dirt was piled along one side of the house visible through the front gate. It could have covered a body I suppose. The young officer who drew the short straw and drove by to do a welfare check left a series of increasingly urgent and excited phone messages throughout the week - it felt like a crazy ex was blowing up my phone. It must have been a big let down when we landed and I was alive and they didn’t have to bring cadaver dogs to the house.

That experience, and how attached our grandson is to his favorite security blankie, lets me completely understand why folks walk through the woods with pistol drawn and finger on the SOS button. The world is a scary place.

 

[AKsam]

I heard a story here in AK of a guy rolling his wheeler and getting pinned underneath. Story goes that he survived the rollover, but succumbed to either injuries or the elements at some point afterwards. The haunting part of the story is that there was evidence he was desperately trying to reach the inReach on his wheeler (scratches in the mud/dirt). Whether this is an urban legend, or some version of the truth, still a remote possibility I'd like to avoid.