When you have no cell reception.

[TK161BOONER]

Hey guys I’m planning a trip and I’ll be out of the country and have no cell service where I will be.
What do you guys recommend or device you suggested for keeping in contact with my wife and kids while I’m away?
Is there some device I can purchase and use just to text her? Thanks for any advice.

 

[CorbLand]

InReach

 

[hunterjmj]

 

[prm]

Rent a sat phone. If you want to step up from Inreach. I use inreach hunting to text and it works well.

 

[fmyth]

I carry an Inreach while hunting for text messaging via satelite and have Starlink internet at basecamp so that I can communicate with my customers via email. Inreach is about $300 up front and $14 a month. Starlink is around $600 upfront and $150 a month. Both can be paused when not in use.

 

[TK161BOONER]

What Inreach do you guy’s recommend? Thanks

 

[cnelk]

Another InReach fan here.

You can get the Mini or full size. Lots of threads on Rokslide about each.

I keep my subscription on all the time (basic plan) then Switch to unlimited in the fall during hunting seasons

 

[fmyth]

What Inreach do you guy’s recommend? Thanks

I carry an Inreach SE+. I am selling my wifes its listed here in then classifieds for $220.

 

[Dust Rider]

Sounds like the perfect hunt. No phone, no wife, no kids.

 

[CorbLand]

I like the full size but that’s just me. The battery life is way better on them and if your phone dies, you kind of SOL with the mini.

I would buy the one @fmyth has.

 

[cnelk]

^^^ Exactly my thoughts too

 

[Tobe_B]

Garmin inreach every time.

First story, buddy and I are horseback 10 miles into the wilderness. I get a message on my inreach from wife that buddy needs to call his wife. Before he can get a connection with his sat phone I have the whole story through text. Typical cloudy wet day on the mountain.

Second instance same year. Emergency situation needing to contact a game warden and stop an escalating situation. Buddy is using his sat phone to make contact and have authorities waiting at trail head, no connection and no completion on the call, I used my inreach and got the necessary messages sent. Sunny, clear day.

Twice in emergency level situations my inreach made contact and communication less than 30 feet from a sat phone under the same conditions. Same trip as situation two we had to contact the USFS about a different situation and I was able to get the situation from my wife through text, before we could get the story through USFS office personnel on a sat phone.

Use what you want. But I’m grabbing my inreach and not even looking at a sat phone.


Edited to add that I carry an inreach explorer. Battery lasts for almost a week with no charge if I’m not running the tracking and keeping it my sleeping bag.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ODB]

Garmin inreach every time.

First story, buddy and I are horseback 10 miles into the wilderness. I get a message on my inreach from wife that buddy needs to call his wife. Before he can get a connection with his sat phone I have the whole story through text. Typical cloudy wet day on the mountain.

Second instance same year. Emergency situation needing to contact a game warden and stop an escalating situation. Buddy is using his sat phone to make contact and have authorities waiting at trail head, no connection and no completion on the call, I used my inreach and got the necessary messages sent. Sunny, clear day.

Twice in emergency level situations my inreach made contact and communication less than 30 feet from a sat phone under the same conditions. Same trip as situation two we had to contact the USFS about a different situation and I was able to get the situation from my wife through text, before we could get the story through USFS office personnel on a sat phone.

Use what you want. But I’m grabbing my inreach and not even looking at a sat phone.


Edited to add that I carry an inreach explorer. Battery lasts for almost a week with no charge if I’m not running the tracking and keeping it my sleeping bag.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In all fairness, this comparison only applies if the sat phone is also on the iridium network, which is what inreach uses.

Given that, I keep my INReach service all year - specifically because it uses iridium.

 

[cnelk]

I’ve tested my old Delorme InReach SE battery life with good results.

Started with 100% battery life.
Put it on the kitchen table and
Left it on to go into sleep mode.

Each day at the same time I’d wake it up and check battery life and let it go back to sleep.

At the end of 7 days I had 12% remaining.

I’ve taken it to Alaska twice and it’s with me on every outdoor adventure from hunting to remote ice fishing trips.

 

[Tobe_B]

In all fairness, this comparison only applies if the sat phone is also on the iridium network, which is what inreach uses.

Given that, I keep my INReach service all year - specifically because it uses iridium.

Both units were in annual service under an iridium network. They were under the exact same parameters and conditions under each use. Also, when my buddy would use his sat phone to call home at night and talk with his kids. He would have to wonder and around a meadow to find and keep a signal. I could just type out a message and go back to my task at hand.


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[cnelk]

The first time I took mine to Alaska I didn’t have a smart phone so I had to scroll the keyboard when sending a message. It’s not as bad as some make it out. Especially when you’re sitting in camp with nothing else to do.

Like anything, theres a learning curve. The biggest thing I’ve found is to select ‘Check Messages Now’ instead of waiting for the preset time (you can change the ‘Listen Time’ but it drains battery)

Overall it’s pretty easy.

 

[jtevanMT]

Nearly everyone I hunt with has an InReach. Primary for safety and to check-in with family. Also helpful if someone harvests an animal and needs help.

 

[Andrew12gauge]

Just to throw out another idea, I use a zoleo, pretty much like the inreach mini but costs less. Can’t send pictures with it either. That’s it


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[Team4LongGun]

Surprised to see so much love for the inreach. I had one for years and switched to the zoleo. Way better in my opinion. I don't have to stand on one leg holding my breath with my arm in the air for 7 minutes to get it to transmit or receive.
The zoleo connects within 30 seconds verus over 5 minutes for my inreach, isn't as finicky with cloud cover/tree canopy.
The zoleo is for communication only, be it your family or emergency. It's not a navigation device like a handheld GPS.

 

[Tod osier]

Both units were in annual service under an iridium network. They were under the exact same parameters and conditions under each use. Also, when my buddy would use his sat phone to call home at night and talk with his kids. He would have to wonder and around a meadow to find and keep a signal. I could just type out a message and go back to my task at hand.


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I think your buddy needs to learn how to use his phone.

That said, I prefer a phone over texting to talk to loved ones and in an emergency.