Sat Phone/GPS/SPOT

[Hike&Hunt]

I have used the spot 2 for 2 years without any problems. I simply turn it on when I stop to eat and send my wife the all is well message, then turn it off when I packup to get going again.

My buddy got the spot connect last year, it seemed to work well. One upside was we were hiking along climbing elevation and txt mssgs started hitting his phone. We were just below the divide high in colorado and 8 miles from the truck. Our wives were happy to get an unexpected phonme call.

I rented an irridium phone 8 years ago to go on a 9 day backpacking trip when my wife was 6 weeks out from having our second. As I recall rates were reasonable at the time. We looked at buying one last year and rates of the unit or minutes had not changed much. wierd...

 

[Dead eye]

I purchased a Sat phone about 4 years ago and have never looked back!! It's nice to be able to contact the family whenever you need to! We use it for vacations, backpacking trips with the family, snow machine trips or I have even rented it to friends going on extended trips!

 

[Brandon Pattison]

Okay, so we have the Iridium, Globalstar, SPOT 2, and inReach the latter two of which can be linked to a smart phone. The rates are confusing. I am asking this for myself and others that take the one-a-year hunting trip. I am sure that any of the choices above would all get used if someone had it. I had OnStar in my truck, never used it. Renting is probably the best route but if you take that out of the equation, what is the cheapest? I don't like the idea of carrying my phone that doesn't work but a GPS that can be paired to text makes much more sense.

 

[FWilliams]

i use the spot as well, and have had no issues in sending the im ok messages. am waiting to up grade to see how the newer versions work out.

 

[luke moffat]

Being as I work out of town a lot, if I go hunting without my wife, its worth it for me to get a sat phone. A simple "I'm OK" probably wouldn't cut it if I had just been gone for 2 weeks came home and hit the field without her. Just a couple minutes a day is HUGE for us. If you are just going on one hunt a year its a no brainer I'd rent the sat phone. The Recerational Service with the InReach is 25 per month or just do the safety for $10 and pay for overages on texting I guess, but either way its as much or more than a week of sat phone rental and you don't actaually get to talk in real time.

The cheapest is just the simple SPOT for sure though, I am just jaded a bit against Globostar up here in Alaska as often due to how low the satelites on in the sky a small bump just to the south could leave you up a creek so to speak when you are hurt and walking to another location isn't possible.

 

[Matt Cashell]

SPOT service is $100 a year.

 

[>>>---WW---->]

For the price of a SPOT and a years subscription I figured I might as well get a good PLB. They will work anywhere in the world and there is no anual subcription fee. I hope I never have to push the button on it!