Satellite phone rental

[fastphin]

What company or companies have you used for rental? Hunting an area with no signal and need to stay in touch with family txt and a daily 2min call is required. Considering the inreach purchase and plan for 1-month. Shipping ive found so far is $50 both ways on top of weekly rates and minutes.

 

[MuleyFever]

For that price have you looked into one of the cell phone add-ons like the SPOT Connect?

Edit: I guess you cannot talk with it just send texts. I dont know if there is one that does use voice but I thought someone posted on here about one once.

 

[colonel00]

Do you actually want/need to make calls? I ask because you mention an inReach which is text only. If text only is fine, I can say I really liked using my inReach last year and it was great for staying in communication and having the safety SOS functions as well.

 

[Eric Bailey]

I used Mobal last year. Super easy. Free shipping each way. I forgot to send back the charger. They sent me a very nice note about it and didn't charge me any penalties. All around good experience and I don't think there is a cheaper option.

That said, I HATE calling home from the backcountry. I can hear in my wife's voice how much she misses me and she isn't shy about letting me know what a pain it is wrangling our young kiddos alone. Can't blame her, but it makes it hard to keep my mind on the hunt when I'm thinking about how much I'm going to be paying for it later. So, this year, I might just buy an in-reach.

 

[Beendare]

I used a few- SatelitePhoneStore is probably the best I've used.

Some of these phones are pretty beat up- specify you want them to check the antenna before they send it to you- one year I got one that was so loose I could hardly get it to acquire a sat- worthless. Lucky I found a mtn in the unit that had cell service.

 

[Bearhunter]

The guys down at explorer Satelite communications are great to deal with and have top notch equipment. They are in Florida but will ship anywhere and they pretty much ship overnight...

 

[jwatts]

We used Mobal this past year. As was mentioned before they were great to work with. Shipping and billing were easy. All in all it was a great experience.

 

[Bowtech]

I've used explorer the last couple years and they've been great to work with I plan on using them again this year

 

[1hoda]

I'll make sure my wife doesn't see this post. I want to be off the grid when I'm in the backcountry, which is why I go in the first place. If she knew it was this easy and relatively inexpensive to chat her up everyday, I'm certain I'd be lugging a phone around so we could "check in". I walked right by the SPOT booth at the ISE this year on purpose. If some tragedy befalls me, I'll just count on that $0.75 S&R fee to bail me out! Thanks a lot gents.

 

[greyghostnw]

ocens in washington is a great deal. $60 bucks a week for a iridium 9555 air time paid as used. been using them for years. well worth it if getting deep solo imop. maybe cuz im getting older and a dad but its pretty cool to chat with my boy about what im doing out there, especially after bloods drawn, good luck.

 

[fastphin]

I used Mobal last year. Super easy. Free shipping each way. I forgot to send back the charger. They sent me a very nice note about it and didn't charge me any penalties. All around good experience and I don't think there is a cheaper option.

That said, I HATE calling home from the backcountry. I can hear in my wife's voice how much she misses me and she isn't shy about letting me know what a pain it is wrangling our young kiddos alone. Can't blame her, but it makes it hard to keep my mind on the hunt when I'm thinking about how much I'm going to be paying for it later. So, this year, I might just buy an in-reach.

May just avoid phone. I can hear the same thing now.

Do you actually want/need to make calls? I ask because you mention an inReach which is text only. If text only is fine, I can say I really liked using my inReach last year and it was great for staying in communication and having the safety SOS functions as well.

I don't need talk. I was looking for cheaper options than Inreach. Though I keep hunting solo this may be a cheaper option.

 

[land cruiser]

I used both mobal and satellite phone store, found mobal to be more user friendly. When the time came and I was looking to buy satellite phone had a better deal. ☺

 

[Kevin Dill]

I'm always caught in the sat phone vortex. Should I buy? Rent? Would a text unit be enough? Is less cost more important than other things?

I spend a good bit of time in the backcountry and have no way out except for a pilot. If I kill something...if I get hurt...if something unexpected happens...if I do want to hear my wife's voice....a text-only unit won't be enough. I want to talk live to someone and let them know what's going on. Satellite texting works, but I've found it to be much slower and less reliable vs cellular. In the end, a sat phone always wins out for me.

Just last evening I set up my 2015 unit with Justin at FairbanksSatPhone. I'm sure I could've saved a few bucks, but I like convenience. Justin will meet me in person to deliver/pick up the phone, so no shipping and risk of loss. I'll pay extra for service like that.

 

[jdmaxwell]

used Telstra last couple yrs..

 

[luke moffat]

Man you guys that want to get away and not in contact with your wives so badly better not ever get them into hunting at all, I "have" to listen to my wife's voice on nearly every backcountry trip I take, its horrible.

That said especially for fly out trips communication with home is nice every 2nd or 3rd day I check in with my wife for 2-3 mins to let her know I am ok. If something does go terribly wrong the cost of the sat phone is small potatoes and worth every penny. Being able to call in for an early pick on a fly out or get a weather report or give a weather report to the air taxi is very much worth it. Heck summer of 2013 when we were buying one our and selling another the sat phone was the only reason we could still do a 3 week sheep hunt in the Brooks range by being able to keep in touch with our power of attorney and such to makes sure all the things were falling in place and such.

I feel it gives me more options and worth "lugging" the 10 oz in my pack at all times.