InReach Plans? What do you prefer?

[RaggedHunter]

Curious what everyone has found to be their preferred InReach plan?

Do you just pay by the months as you need it? Do you just buy an annual package? Is it worth getting the cheapest annual package, and then just eating the extra fees on the couple months a year you go over?

 

[Brianb3]

Unlimited. I hunt solo. Like to connect w the outside world


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[InteriorAKPopsicle]

Following, I’ll be buying my first InReach before my Dall Sheep Hunt and was thinking about just paying for the months I will be out hunting.


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[Brendan]

I just activate and use it during hunting season. I do the Recreation / Freedom plan. I'd do the safety plan, but I do use the tracking functionality. Nice to be able to look back and see everywhere I've been, using date filters, etc.

 

[Davis Tent]

I've used the freedom expedition plan for the past 3 years. Turn in on before hunting season then turn it off after. Just have to remember to do it. Garmin customer service has been helpful if I missed the deadline by a day.

 

[Dos Perros]

I turn it on for out of state hunting season, so for September and November. If the dates don't work out I might have to have it on for two months to cover September, just depends.

If i turn it one for a weekend only I just to the rec plan, think it's like 40 messages.

If I'm turning it on for an elk hunt I just go unlimited now. You stick a bull and send a few messages home and your InReach is going to blow up.

 

[hikenhunt]

Completely depends on intended usage. I'm on the freedom safety plan because I'm very careful who gets messages and mostly only use the preset (free) messages to communicate with home. Its very affordable for the service provided.

 

[jlaner0408]

Freedom expedition plan for me- the wife likes me to periodically check in to prove that I am in fact still alive...

Make sure all of you guys turn them back on and update your firmware before trying to use them this season- I think I was reading on here recently that someone went to use theirs without updating it and it wouldn’t function correctly.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I use the Freedom (month-to-month) plan and activate it for the 1-2 months per year I need it. In the past, my message count has been low enough that the "Safety" plan ($14.95/mo + $0.50/message after first 10) has been the cheapest option. I don't use the tracking function, so that doesn't factor in my decision. Below is a chart showing total cost vs. message count for all three Freedom plans. If you anticipate sending/receiving more than 100-110 custom messages in a month, the Expedition plan with unlimited messaging is the way to go.

 

[robby denning]

I do the lowest package, and just pay for the extra text. I had the unlimited for a while but I found that I just didn’t text that much. Just using it in the case of an emergency at home/on mountain anyways, and there’s not very many of those.

And I shut it off after hunting season

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[Dos Perros]

I use the Freedom (month-to-month) plan and activate it for the 1-2 months per year I need it. In the past, my message count has been low enough that the "Safety" plan ($14.95/mo + $0.50/message after first 10) has been the cheapest option. I don't use the tracking function, so that doesn't factor in my decision. Below is a chart showing total cost vs. message count for all three Freedom plans. If you anticipate sending/receiving more than 100-110 custom messages in a month, the Expedition plan with unlimited messaging is the way to go.
View attachment 201744

Thanks for this. I had never done the math but it appears there is no reason to go with the Recreation plan as the Safety would always be cheaper, unless I"m missing something?

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Thanks for this. I had never done the math but it appears there is no reason to go with the Recreation plan as the Safety would always be cheaper, unless I"m missing something?

Tracking would be the only reason to choose the Recreation plan (unlimited tracking points at 10 min intervals) over the Safety plan ($0.10 per tracking point). Based purely on messaging, the Safety plan will always be cheaper than the Recreation plan.

 

[HighUintas]

I looked into the inreach before buying my Spot X. I ended up with it because of the lower initial and ongoing cost. What I've found though, is that even with a clear path to the sky it can take 5-10 minutes to send a message and that eats up a lot of battery. Now I'm considering the inreach.

If you do the safety plan, does it still provide the real time tracking information for whoever is watching you without charging the $0.10 per tracking point? Or is the tracking point charge just for storing that info for later viewing? Part of the reason that I went with the Spot x is that my wife wants to be able to see where I am at, in case I get hurt and can't send a message out. In looking at the plans, we were thinking that we'd be charged the $0.10 per point for her to be able to do that. If she'd be able to do that on the safety plan without being charged extra for viewing my position, then I think it would be better option. Am I getting this right?

 

[RaggedHunter]

Thanks for all the replies, this helps out a ton. I think I will just end up doing the Safety plan, and paying for extra messages if/ when I go over.

Another question I have regarding the InReach is.

If I'm using the InReach, do I still have to download my Basemap/onx offline areas prior to going out? Or will these apps allow me to access the maps etc on my phone while blue toothed to the InReach without downloading maps?

 

[justin davis]

I’ve been considering an inreach. I only want it for a month or two out of the year. The unlimited messaging would be nice because I’m sure you ca. Rack up messages pretty quick. The price of the plans is quite expensive

so if I turn it on for only a few months and then turn it off. How much does it cost each time I turn it off?

 

[Mighty Mouse]

so if I turn it on for only a few months and then turn it off. How much does it cost each time I turn it off?

No fee to turn on/off. There is an annual $24.95 fee applied on the anniversary of initial device activation, but other than that you just pay for the months you have service activated. For example, total cost over the course of a year in which you had the Safety plan activated for 3 months and service deactivated for 9 months would be: 3 × $14.95 + $24.95 = $69.80.

 

[Blockcaver]

Basic plan when I am not hunting. Switch to the Unlimited plan for northern hunts. I typically upgrade 4 to 6 times per year, the day before I leave hime, then down grade the plan ASAP when I am back in cell range. My plan is only billed for the days I am on the upgraded Unlimited plan, not in monthly increments....i.e. if I turn on Unlimited on Sept 1 and off Sept 15, I am only billed for 1/2 of the month at the Unlimited fee. My unit and plans date back about 3 years to when Garmin was buying out InReach, and I am in Canda so I'm not sure if that is the way billing would work on a new unit in the USA?

 

[hikenhunt]

I looked into the inreach before buying my Spot X. I ended up with it because of the lower initial and ongoing cost. What I've found though, is that even with a clear path to the sky it can take 5-10 minutes to send a message and that eats up a lot of battery. Now I'm considering the inreach.

If you do the safety plan, does it still provide the real time tracking information for whoever is watching you without charging the $0.10 per tracking point? Or is the tracking point charge just for storing that info for later viewing? Part of the reason that I went with the Spot x is that my wife wants to be able to see where I am at, in case I get hurt and can't send a message out. In looking at the plans, we were thinking that we'd be charged the $0.10 per point for her to be able to do that. If she'd be able to do that on the safety plan without being charged extra for viewing my position, then I think it would be better option. Am I getting this right?

I don't do tracking, but the way I understand it, if you are on the safety plan, you would be charged $0.10 for "real time tracking" as you have described.

You can also set up the preset (free) messages to send your location with the message. That's what I use and send frequently throughout the day to keep my wife at ease.

Also thought I'd mention that I switched from Spot to Inreach and wish I had done it sooner.

 

[idelkslayer]

Safety plan.

I use the preset messages to send a nightly "all is well" to the wife. I save the custom messages to send her updates when plans change.

I'm not out there so that I can sit and text all day so I don't send many messages besides the nightly check-in. But if texting is your thing consider this. There is a $13 difference before you get to the next level plan. At $0.50 per extra message you can send an extra 26 messages for a total of 36 messages before you spend as much as the next plan that allows 40 messages.

Then consider how often you think you will actually use the tracking feature. It is rare for me, so the occasional use is still low enough to stay below the cost of the more expensive plans. Every message you send contains the tracking point.

I use mine all year so I stay on the annual subscription. By the time I estimated usage on the Freedom plan it wasn't going to save me any money.

 

[Trial153]

Unlimited