Missing hunters in Colorado

[Serrano]

My T-mobile satlink service asks if you want to share your location. Or you can send it manually. It says you have to point at a satellite, but it will send it even if you don't usually within seconds.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

I have usually turned my InReach on when I intend to check in with my wife. I never thought the unit could still track me when turned on but I just never really felt like I was in danger and would want to conserve battery. What a crazy way to think about after following this thread and having a new perspective. If the unit was turned off and I got into trouble, chances would be good that I wouldn’t be able to turn it on and get the SOS button pressed. At least if it’s always on with tracking, it would provide benefit to a SAR.

I will now be keeping it on with tracking and simply use my battery bank that never seems to fall below 75% on a hunt anyway. If nothing else this thread has given me a new perspective on how quickly it really can go poorly and I hope others take away something similar. I’ll probably have the InReach clipped to my pack on every hunt from now on, even local day hunts where I typically wouldn’t even bring it. I have it. Might as well use it.


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Same,if your like me we are worried about battery life so we turn them off.

 

[fngTony]

I think my onX only works when I have phone service.

GPS works with or without service, downloaded maps work without service as well.

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I believe you are both right but talking about different use cases. On X will work for you in the fieldwithout cell service, but it won’t transmit any of the data from the field to your account without an Internet connection. Sounds like there is extremely minimal service if any in that area so I don’t think onx is gonna have anything unless one of these young men entered in a bunch of data prior to heading out on their trip.

 

[dirt_nap]

A good reminder to always carry a battery pack and charging cables for phone and inreach or emergency communicator

 

[ResearchinStuff]

I have usually turned my InReach on when I intend to check in with my wife. I never thought the unit could still track me when turned on but I just never really felt like I was in danger and would want to conserve battery. What a crazy way to think about after following this thread and having a new perspective. If the unit was turned off and I got into trouble, chances would be good that I wouldn’t be able to turn it on and get the SOS button pressed. At least if it’s always on with tracking, it would provide benefit to a SAR.

I will now be keeping it on with tracking and simply use my battery bank that never seems to fall below 75% on a hunt anyway. If nothing else this thread has given me a new perspective on how quickly it really can go poorly and I hope others take away something similar. I’ll probably have the InReach clipped to my pack on every hunt from now on, even local day hunts where I typically wouldn’t even bring it. I have it. Might as well use it.


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mine is only off when its in my tent with me, and i always send a good night/good morning messages from the tent. the thing can only work if it is on.

 

[CorbLand]

Also remember that the tracking feature on inReachs cost extra for basic plans. It’s 10 cents a ping.

I don’t ever use the tracking so I turn mine off and power it on when I need to use it. I send my wife a couple presets a day. Only time I left it on was when I was with a buddy that his wife was 8 months pregnant so we needed contact if she went into labor.

I tell my wife that if I don’t come back and you never find me, well, that’s not horrible. Caskets and funerals are a waste of money anyways.

 

[OKHunter84]

I met a dude at a bbq who was found in a tree high as a kite when he was in his 20s and had to have search and rescue bring him down. It’s funny now because, well, he was found in a tree high as a kite and no harm done. I know another guy who fell down a 150’ near cliff and almost died while liquored up. Double over doses aren’t that uncommon they just don’t make the news unless they are cute college girls on spring break - ask your local paramedics. The healthy clean cut 30-something dad renting the house next door to me got some stronger stuff than he expected, overdosed, was found by his young son after school, and was taken out in a body bag. Some kids we know well, who have well established oxi habits thought it was a good idea to cliff dive off a new spot they hadn’t checked for submerged rocks. You keep believing impairment doesn’t contribute to the odds of bad things happening, but I don’t have to make stories up in my head, but simply look back at what guys have already done.

Flesh this out in your head before you start typing. These two young fellas are obviously passionate about hunting. They spent a month elk hunting in Montana last year in the crazies. They're most likely saving, training and researching all year for this. But then they get there and they decide to drop acid instead?

 

[mtnbound]

I believe you are both right but talking about different use cases. On X will work for you in the fieldwithout cell service, but it won’t transmit any of the data from the field to your account without an Internet connection. Sounds like there is extremely minimal service if any in that area so I don’t think onx is gonna have anything unless one of these young men entered in a bunch of data prior to heading out on their trip.

Cell coverage in the area. Red is Verizon, Blue/Purple is AT&T, no other carrier in the area.

 

[mad_angler]

I thought i heard that it was the end of the day. Their phones and garmin could have been dead by then.

 

[TreeDux]

I have to admit to checking this thread compulsively throughout the day hoping for some good news. This one hits close to home. These guys were doing something akin to what all of us love to do. Bad things could happen to anyone at any time, and sometimes it has nothing to do with experience or preparation and it’s looking more and more like they could have met a bad end. Still, the human spirit is strong. I will continue to hope for the best until we learn otherwise.

 

[mtnbound]

Also remember that the tracking feature on inReachs cost extra for basic plans. It’s 10 cents a ping.

I don’t ever use the tracking so I turn mine off and power it on when I need to use it. I send my wife a couple presets a day. Only time I left it on was when I was with a buddy that his wife was 8 months pregnant so we needed contact if she went into labor.

I tell my wife that if I don’t come back and you never find me, well, that’s not horrible. Caskets and funerals are a waste of money anyways.

If you leave it on and fail to show up or check in, Garmin, at the request of law enforcement, can ping your current location and even send you a message checking on your status. This can be done without paying for tracking.

Plans are affordable, and you can suspend them if you only venture into the backcountry during hunting season.

 

[mtnbound]

I thought i heard that it was the end of the day. Their phones and garmin could have been dead by then.

Depending on the model and its original charge status before going into the backcountry, the units can last for 14 days or longer, depending on usage.

 

[BBob]

There needs to be an option on the garmin contract that you can designate certain people to access.
Not just at the request of the responsible law enforcement agency.
If my wife wants to have 100% of all my data she should be allowed to get it instantly.
It may be a priority to her,in today’s world it may not be as big priority to others.

This is as simple as adding them to the Mapshare link feature and or by giving them your login to your Garmin account. I always send three main people the Mapshare link when I head out. Any of those three can look to see where I am or at least where my last ping was and where I've been. I also allow location to be seen to certain hunting partners when I send a message. That gives additional people the knowledge to where I am or where I have been.

Good luck to those boys and I hope they're still alive and are be found. Looking grim but holding out hope.

 

[CorbLand]

If you leave it on and fail to show up or check in, Garmin, at the request of law enforcement, can ping your current location and even send you a message checking on your status. This can be done without paying for tracking.

Plans are affordable, and you can suspend them if you only venture into the backcountry during hunting season.

Post 200 and 332.

 

[grfox92]

I have to admit to checking this thread compulsively throughout the day hoping for some good news. This one hits close to home. These guys were doing something akin to what all of us love to do. Bad things could happen to anyone at any time, and sometimes it has nothing to do with experience or preparation and it’s looking more and more like they could have met a bad end. Still, the human spirit is strong. I will continue to hope for the best until we learn otherwise.

This is exactly what I've been doing. Every time someone goes missing I tell my wife, I wish I didn't have to work so I can go look for them.

When Grant Gardener was missing in wyoming last month I checked for updates everyday and was convinced I coykd find him if I had the financial ability to not work and go.

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[ResearchinStuff]

Also remember that the tracking feature on inReachs cost extra for basic plans. It’s 10 cents a ping.

I don’t ever use the tracking so I turn mine off and power it on when I need to use it. I send my wife a couple presets a day. Only time I left it on was when I was with a buddy that his wife was 8 months pregnant so we needed contact if she went into labor.

I tell my wife that if I don’t come back and you never find me, well, that’s not horrible. Caskets and funerals are a waste of money anyways.

i think they have to prove you're dead for life insurance to payout.

 

[Thomas11]

If u share your location w someone on a I phone if u have no service could they still see y location since it’s a gps essentiallly?

 

[Pascoutsniper]

Cell coverage in the area. Red is Verizon, Blue/Purple is AT&T, no other carrier in the area.View attachment 937500

How did you search that?

 

[CorbLand]

i think they have to prove you're dead for life insurance to payout.

Mine is just have to be declared legally dead. Which would be up to a court to determine based on local laws.

 

[BBob]

If u share your location w someone on a I phone if u have no service could they still see y location since it’s a gps essentiallly?

If you have no service then no, as far as I know GPS service doesn't send your location data anywhere other than the comms between your device and the sat to determine your location.