InReach

[Jotis]

Looking a getting an inreach. I plan on using my,phone with onyx for navagation. Mainly want the inreach for communication. Thing the mini would be the way to go. What is everyone else running

 

[S&S Archery (Rob)]

That's exactly what it's designed for!

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[fmyth]

I chose the SE+ over the Mini. With the SE+ I can still navigate back to my truck even if the phone dies. This was my first hunting season with it and noticed that the battery in the SE+ will last for 3 or 4 days but my phone will only last 6-8 hours running it paired to the Inreach via Bluetooth.

 

[Nick Muche]

Put phone on Airplane mode, put message update on InReach to every 20 mins, they both will last quite some time. Carry a small battery bank of some sort. Easy stuff.

 

[Researcher]

I used an inreach mini this year and it was awesome. Kept in touch with the wife and family who are worried im gonna fall off a cliff and die a slow death.

As long as I had a decent view of the sky it worked. When I was in thick trees the communication just took longer sometimes 20-30 mins to send a message but they always went through.

 

[NJDiverDan]

I have an older SE coupled with my phone. I only turn it on when I need to check in. Typically 2X per day and it's only on for 10-20 minutes each time. I have hunted about 20 days so far this year and it is down to 45% on this last hunt. I will charge it before I go out again. The phone on the other hand, gets charged from a battery pack each night. My back up GPS is my watch.

 

[fmyth]

Put phone on Airplane mode, put message update on InReach to every 20 mins, they both will last quite some time. Carry a small battery bank of some sort. Easy stuff.

All good recommendations for sure. I had my phone on airplane mode and shut off all apps except Onx and Garmin and still couldn't get more than a day out of it. Obviously all phones are different and some will last longer than others. None of that will help if you drop the phone or take a fall in a stream etc.

 

[Elkhntr08]

InReach Explorer here. Worked flawlessly this year in Wyoming. Plans are a little pricey, but worth every penny cause the wife is happy.

 

[prestonn]

InReach Explorer here. Worked flawlessly this year in Wyoming. Plans are a little pricey, but worth every penny cause the wife is happy.

Totally worth it!

 

[Snowey79]

Put phone on Airplane mode, put message update on InReach to every 20 mins, they both will last quite some time. Carry a small battery bank of some sort. Easy stuff.

Agreed, exactly I how run my SE+ and phone

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[gfreidy]

I get 2 full days from the inReach mini and 3+ days from my iPhone 8. Keep the phone on airplane mode and turn the inReach off at night. I carry a 10000 mAH Anker battery ($25.00) and I can charge both my phone and the inReach 1.5x times at least. Works great!

 

[muddydogs]

I chose the SE+ over the Mini. With the SE+ I can still navigate back to my truck even if the phone dies. This was my first hunting season with it and noticed that the battery in the SE+ will last for 3 or 4 days but my phone will only last 6-8 hours running it paired to the Inreach via Bluetooth.

The mini can be used to navigate as well just has a smaller black and white screen.

6 to 8 hours of battery life sucks, could be your phone is older and the battery just isn't very good anymore? My 6 month old phone went 24 hours Bluetoothed up to my Inreach with quite a bit of navigating out in the dark this year and still had 40% life left. This was with the phone in normal operating mode searching for a cell signal the whole time. Navigating an Oak jungle at 1 am with a full load of meat on your back sure sucks.

 

[ChrisAU]

I use OnX on my iPhone 8+ for navigation and the InReach mini for communication. I could use the InReach mini for nav but haven't had to. Phone on 100% of the time for pictures and navigation, InReach only turned on to communicate back home or with the other hunting party at set times, and a 12,000mah Ravpower charger was just enough for a 7 day/6 night elk hunt last month.

 

[AKDoc]

I'm running the same as many of you. I'm typically in the field for several weeks continuously each fall in extremely remote-drop locations, and I'm pretty much set with the following...

inReach Explorer for communication with family, which I do primarily at nite in the tent. The battery on that thing is crazy good.

Cell phone with GAIA ap for navigation, which works on airplane mode if you download the map area in advance.

Goal Zero Venture 30 charger and Nomad 7 solar panel (which I have used occasionally).

 

[austinphps]

Just got on the train and purchased the mini. Was leaning towards the SE+, but once I found out you could still text (albeit a PITA) on the mini even if your phone craps out that's all I needed to push me in that direction.
I have a garmin Foretrex that I mark camp/AOI with and have the garmin instinct that I mark camp with. Mainly use the watch for navigating now, but the GPS is backup. I guess if the Mini marks pts the GPS might get left behind more and more...

 

[rob86jeep]

I ended up getting the new 66i. I was torn between the mini and the new one but figured it would be nice to have a backup gps unit incase my phone shit the bed on me. Part of me wishes I would have just got the mini as I only plan on using it for texting, but I got an in reach to prepare for emergencies on the mountain so I figured I might as well cover more emergency scenarios and have the backup GPS capability as well for the small weight/size penalty.

 

[Vandy321]

Inreach mini. Had it for 2 hunts this year, never needed to use it, but glad to have it. Went to the mini from a Garmin 650...was nice to lose the size. Mini fits great in a bino harness pocket, so it's always with you, I tied it off to the harness with cord on the advice of another guy on here, to give an extra layer of security from losing it, since it is so tiny.

If phone (On-X/GAIA) dies, and you can read a map (or even just follow a bearing pointer), the mini can still give you location and track direction to waypoints you have marked (like the truck), it would be tough to get lost using it for backup navigation, worst case.

 

[MidGAHunter]

Looking a getting an inreach. I plan on using my,phone with onyx for navagation. Mainly want the inreach for communication. Thing the mini would be the way to go. What is everyone else running

I used an InReach Mini this year and OnX for my GPS. Worked great especially when paired with the Earthmate app.

 

[CBreeze]

If was cold enough this year to crush my iPhone battery and to prevent it from charging unless it was in contact with me and my body heat at all times. Even loose in my sleeping bag if it got away from me it was a struggle. The batteries weren’t as much of an issue as water. InReach took it like a champ. Significantly more robust hardware to go with the inconceivably clunky software. I roll with an SEplus and my phone and a paper map and a compass and protractor.

 

[TheRambler]

I have the mini and love it. Does everything i need it too-communication. I mainly use my phone for navigation as well, but the mini is a great backup in this regard. If your phones gps malfunctions for some reason you can still use the inreach app for navigation. You can also use the coordinates from the mini itself and a paper map.