Solo hunters: do you use an inreach device?

Pointdexter

Pointdexter

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Location
Lower Mainland
I'm a new hunter looking to get out of the truck and walk around a bit.

And as the title says I'm wondering if getting an inReach is a good risk management purchase. My shift work and family of wife + 3 kids leads me to odd days off, and my friends can't go during the week nor do they even want to get their fat asses out of the truck.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.
 
short answer is yes

I solo hunted for years not really too concerned about having a link to the outside world.
If I am somewhere with cell service I don't worry about it too much but many places I go , even close to home here, have no cell service.
Now that I am a bit older and with physical disabilities, having the inreach is what i now consider essential kit.
I didn't go for the full gps model as I already have a good gps and wanted the simpler device.

I would say also, if you have a wife and kids at home, inreach is money well spent and peace of mind for the family at home.
 
I’m also debating an inreach device. Seems that just driving up the fsr gets me out of cell range, never mind once I throw the pacK on. It’s tough coordinating with buddies, now that everyone’s famillied up.
 
I hunt alone often, if i go deep in the forest, i take my compass, gps and my satellite phone. This is reassuring.
 
I picked up an Garmin InReach mini last year and it works great. You can pair it with your phone which allows for easier typing but that isn't necessary as they work fine stand alone.
If your hunting solo in areas with no cell service they are great for piece of mind. I just have the basic plan which allows 10 messages(?) per month and unlimited preset messages so you can't go wrong.

https://[img]https://i.imgur.com/xg1Is5ol.jpg[/img]
 
I bring it on pretty much all outings in the backcountry. it would be negligent not to.

I see it this way: for buying a $300 device I can make pretty sure I dont starve or die? Sign me up!
 
I've got a Spot X, way better than the push a button to say I'm safe devices. Some question if the Inreach is superior but It's worked well enough for me. They're searching for a couple of lost hikers in jasper park right now , It's preventable for comparatively few bucks.

Grizz
 
Teac said:
I bring it on pretty much all outings in the backcountry. it would be negligent not to.

I see it this way: for buying a $300 device I can make pretty sure I dont starve or die? Sign me up!
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Exactly!
It's pretty easy to do something nasty to yourself out in the sticks and you would feel pretty stupid lying there with a broken leg as you slowly died knowing your probably not going to be found anytime soon........:(..........wishing you hadn't been such a tightwad and just spent a couple hundred bucks on basically life insurance.
The monthly subscription service I pay is I think $21 for the basic plan which works perfect for me but you can certainly get more elaborate plans that track your every movement and allow your people to see where you are in almost real time.
 
Short answer is yes. I will now. Bought one last week.

I'm 67 and have been hunting mostly solo for 52 years.

My wife has told me for years that she is worried about me every minute I am away and I have gone on week-long trips out of any kind of contact. Last week she emphasized that she was terrified while I am away alone, so I went out to Cabela's and bought the inReach Explorer +.

I spent most of yesterday learning how to use it and I must say it is an amazing little piece of kit. I couldn't possibly have imagined when I started hunting that one day I would have a little unit in my pack about the size of a transistor radio with which I could press a button from anywhere in North America or the world even and my Mrs. would get the message; "I'm okay, everything is fine."

Never mind the SOS button which I could activate if I broke a leg or suffered any other major injury.

I haven't bothered with the GPs function. I'm told that it drains the battery quickly and so far in my life I have done pretty well with the magnetic compass and dead reckoning system.
 
MD said:
Short answer is yes. I will now. Bought one last week.

I'm 67 and have been hunting mostly solo for 52 years.

My wife has told me for years that she is worried about me every minute I am away and I have gone on week-long trips out of any kind of contact. Last week she emphasized that she was terrified while I am away alone, so I went out to Cabela's and bought the inReach Explorer +.

I spent most of yesterday learning how to use it and I must say it is an amazing little piece of kit. I couldn't possibly have imagined when I started hunting that one day I would have a little unit in my pack about the size of a transistor radio with which I could press a button from anywhere in North America or the world even and my Mrs. would get the message; "I'm okay, everything is fine."

Never mind the SOS button which I could activate if I broke a leg or suffered any other major injury.

I haven't bothered with the GPs function. I'm told that it drains the battery quickly and so far in my life I have done pretty well with the magnetic compass and dead reckoning system.
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Some of the GPS units can run down on power relatively quickly if you have it on all the time or are using back-lighting or tracking, it's cold, etc., so power management is wise as at the end of the day if your device runs out of power and you don't have the ability to charge it in the field then it becomes an expensive paper-weight which is not good and defeats the purpose your carrying it for.....

I don't generally have my GPS turned on so I'm not running down the battery but I do always take a way-point at the start of the day at my vehicle or at camp and then turn it off and into the pack it goes. During my hunt I may fire it back up to take additional way-points wherever I want to save a location I think is important to have coordinates for. You might never use those locations again but if you need to you can navigate directly back to them any time you want.
IMHO it's always much better to have way-points you don't need then needing a way-point to a location that you don't have on your GPS handheld....:rolleyes:
 
I've been in the market for one of these types of devices for a while, haven't pulled the trigger though. Has anyone used both the Spot X and the Inreach products? Which one is better? Which one costs more subscription-wise (I see the Spot X is cheaper to buy)

I already care enough stuff, so I'd prefer one of the smaller models. Do the Spot Gen3/Gen4 have any sort of phone connectivity? (not that you can make phonecalls, but can connect to your phone via bluetooth or whatever)

I'm currently leaning towards the Spot X 2-way messenger, its cheaper than the cheapest inreach and seems to have all the features I would want (plus its on sale at Cabelas right now)
 
Suther said:
I've been in the market for one of these types of devices for a while, haven't pulled the trigger though. Has anyone used both the Spot X and the Inreach products? Which one is better? Which one costs more subscription-wise (I see the Spot X is cheaper to buy)

I already care enough stuff, so I'd prefer one of the smaller models. Do the Spot Gen3/Gen4 have any sort of phone connectivity?
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those devices use the satellite phone network and only work with satellites, they use messages only . if you want voice connections you will need a satellite phone
 
Teac said:
those devices use the satellite phone network and only work with satellites, they use messages only . if you want voice connections you will need a satellite phone
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You must have quoted me while I was editing my post lol

I'm not looking for phonecalls, just the ability to connect to my phone for typing messages or something. Basically I want something that provides me with the ability to send a custom message, not just "IM OK!" or whatever. Let the wife know updates about when Im expecting to be home, if Im going to stay out an extra night, letting her know I need help but not wanting to use the SOS button (say my truck has issues but I'm not actually in danger, just need my wife to let a friend know where I am to come get me/help me fix the truck/whatever... things like that. If I am going to pay for a device AND a monthly subscription I want more than just an SOS button, a check in button, and tracking)
 
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I enjoy mine. As others have stated peace of mind for family and not even for solo stuff but just communicating if needed while out and about. I just renewed my subscription after a while in the "$5 per month " stage.

That mini one looks interesting.
 
Suther said:
You must have quoted me while I was editing my post lol

I'm not looking for phonecalls, just the ability to connect to my phone for typing messages or something. Basically I want something that provides me with the ability to send a custom message, not just "IM OK!" or whatever. Let the wife know updates about when Im expecting to be home, if Im going to stay out an extra night, letting her know I need help but not wanting to use the SOS button (say my truck has issues but I'm not actually in danger, just need my wife to let a friend know where I am to come get me/help me fix the truck/whatever... things like that. If I am going to pay for a device AND a monthly subscription I want more than just an SOS button, a check in button, and tracking)
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i only use inreach and you can send any text messages to any cell phone. you can type it on the device keyboard or connect a phone via blutooth and type the message on your phone
 
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