Solo hunters: do you use an inreach device?

STEELCITYSLICKER said:
How do you charge it when in the field?

That would be my only concern.....running out of juice.
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They are no different than your cell phone or flashlight......you need to keep an eye on how much power you have left and plan accordingly.
In the field I can use any USB battery pack to charge up my Garmin InReach mini but it uses hardly any power anyhow so I can use it for weeks/months without needing to charge it at all. When it starts to get low I charge it back up at home over night and your good to go.
Granted, I don't run mine tracking continuously when I'm out in the field and if you do you will certainly need to charge more often. Some of the new fancy GPS units with the color LCD screens and other features use much more power but it is what it is.....charge it up when you need to.
There is no reason to run out of power with your GPS unit if you do your homework and have your act together just like there is no reason to run out of gas in your truck...........:rolleyes:
 
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SJAR said:
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.
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InReach Mini arrives on Thursday. Started having second thoughts after ordering and THEN doing some research. There are options out there but I think the InReach is as good as any of them.
 
Carrying InReach would detract from the experience of pitting yourself against nature...if you want to be 100% safe, stay home and watch hunting videos! :)
 
hawk-i said:
Carrying InReach would detract from the experience of pitting yourself against nature...if you want to be 100% safe, stay home and watch hunting videos! :)
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No worries hawk-i, we here on CGN will have a Celebration of Life for you if the "experience of pitting yourself against nature" goes bad for you kind of like it has for many fearless folks over the years......:nest:
I'm sure there are worse ways to go then dying cold and alone in the bush.......:stirthepot2:

Anyhow, have a great hunting season!
 
kc34 said:
No worries hawk-i, we here on CGN will have a Celebration of Life for you if the "experience of pitting yourself against nature" goes bad for you kind of like it has for many fearless folks over the years......:nest:
I'm sure there are worse ways to go then dying cold and alone in the bush.......:stirthepot2:

Anyhow, have a great hunting season!
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Thanks kc34...we all gotta die sometimes and I'm not going to live my life in fear! I've hunted for over 40 years without Inreach or similar electronic aids.

Some things a man should just do on his own and by his own merit...just my opinion...YMMV :)
 
hawk-i said:
Carrying InReach would detract from the experience of pitting yourself against nature...if you want to be 100% safe, stay home and watch hunting videos! :)
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True. However, for a lot of us it is less about the safety factor and more about the peace of mind for the family. I have a wife and kids, and I just got back from a 9 day moose hunt. I can guarantee you that my wife would have appreciated the occasional check in to let her know things are good, and that was on a trip with 3 other mugs nevermind solo hunting.
 
Suther said:
True. However, for a lot of us it is less about the safety factor and more about the peace of mind for the family. I have a wife and kids, and I just got back from a 9 day moose hunt. I can guarantee you that my wife would have appreciated the occasional check in to let her know things are good, and that was on a trip with 3 other mugs nevermind solo hunting.
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I too have a wife, kids and now grandchildren....they get use to it!

Hunting is my time out...and unless I'm hunting with my son or now grandson(5 years old), I prefer to do it solo.
 
hawk-i said:
I too have a wife, kids and now grandchildren....they get use to it!

Hunting is my time out...and unless I'm hunting with my son or now grandson(5 years old), I prefer to do it solo.
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To each his own. For me, its happy wife, happy life! So if this makes her less stressed when I am out then its well worth the cost IMO. She doesn't sleep well when I am away from home, maybe this will help with that...
 
Suther said:
To each his own. For me, its happy wife, happy life! So if this makes her less stressed when I am out then its well worth the cost IMO. She doesn't sleep well when I am away from home, maybe this will help with that...
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My wife is the same and has said she is going to buy me one for a birthday present...nope, don't want it and won't use it told her to save her money and buy something for herself.

In the end it all worked out just fine! :)
 
Suther said:
To each his own. For me, its happy wife, happy life! So if this makes her less stressed when I am out then its well worth the cost IMO. She doesn't sleep well when I am away from home, maybe this will help with that...
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Same here. I get no complaints about my many days and nights away from home during hunting season except that she worries because she doesn't know exactly where I am or if I'm safe. Now those issues are resolved.
 
I’ve got one for my upcoming moose hunt. I like to explore different waterways and have done most of my scouting by satellite imagery. Boots on the ground is often different so My plan is in constant flux. I’ve got 10 days, which in my opinion is too long to lay in the Bush with a broken leg. Something as simple as a wind from the wrong direction could delay me days and I want to be able to communicate that before they send in the search party. In fact the responsible thing is to avoid a search party altogether. If I need help I can text buddy with a float plane and he’ll have my location.
If a bear eats my boat I would feel silly hitting the SOS button on a spot but would sure pay a plane to save me a week of hard walking.
 
kc34 said:
They are no different than your cell phone or flashlight......you need to keep an eye on how much power you have left and plan accordingly.
In the field I can use any USB battery pack to charge up my Garmin InReach mini but it uses hardly any power anyhow so I can use it for weeks/months without needing to charge it at all. When it starts to get low I charge it back up at home over night and your good to go.
Granted, I don't run mine tracking continuously when I'm out in the field and if you do you will certainly need to charge more often. Some of the new fancy GPS units with the color LCD screens and other features use much more power but it is what it is.....charge it up when you need to.
There is no reason to run out of power with your GPS unit if you do your homework and have your act together just like there is no reason to run out of gas in your truck...........:rolleyes:
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Not sure why you responded with the eyeroll.

I have zero first hand experience with these units so it was an honest question.

I didnt realize that they will go weeks or months with no charge. I assumed that they would he similar to a phone, where the battery gets eaten up real quick, especially in the cold. I was assuming a 1-2 day battery life. I tend to plan to go out for a week or 2 at a time.

So thank you for the info saying that it will last months on a charge.

That said, I'll stick to my compass and map. Neat devices though.
 
kc34 said:
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.
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I have a friend who lives alone on an acreage. She carries hers with her all the time.

Grizz
 
STEELCITYSLICKER said:
Not sure why you responded with the eyeroll.

I have zero first hand experience with these units so it was an honest question.

I didnt realize that they will go weeks or months with no charge. I assumed that they would he similar to a phone, where the battery gets eaten up real quick, especially in the cold. I was assuming a 1-2 day battery life. I tend to plan to go out for a week or 2 at a time.

So thank you for the info saying that it will last months on a charge.

That said, I'll stick to my compass and map. Neat devices though.
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Most phones these days will last a significant amount of time if you do your part. With my Samsung Galaxy S9 (which is almost 2 years old) I get just shy of 3 full days on a single charge if I am only using it for GPS purposes with the iHunter BC App in airplane mode. Add the 4000mah battery I have that'll give my phone ~1.5 charges, and I can plan on having at least 6 full days of use, closer to 8 or 9 if I put my phone into powersaving mode during the night and things like that. (And I have 3 of those batteries if I ever planned to be away from a vehicle for 10+ days)

Compass and map are great for navigation, but we're talking about communication devices that allow you to call for help if needed, and keep the family updated if help isn't needed - two very different tools. (yes I know some are also GPSs, but I don't think thats really why anyone is buying these as there are more affordable GPSs on the market if thats all you care about)
 
I have the Garmin Inreach explorer+. Use it anytime I'm sledding or in the backcountry at all. It's nice to have the communication there if needed. Have had multiple friends choppered off hillsides. Had to go out to an SOS call from one this spring from a good buddy in the middle of the night. He decided to camp the night on the mountain side by himself as that's his way to escape. SOS button got triggered in his backpack and he was unaware and didn't look at it that evening. SAR got to him before us and he was confused, getting ready to jump into action to help him, when they were there for him. All turned out OK but nice to know it works.

We also have a sled camp we spend days at at a time which is out of service and it's nice to be able to let the folks at home thinking about you that everything is ok.

The Inreach is on a better system than the Spot. More satellites, quicker and better service. Either one works but my pick is towards the Inreach. There's a new one called the Zoleo as well which is on the same system as the Inreach. I haven't seen or used it personally yet but it seems to be a good contender. The unit itself is cheaper and plans are cheaper as well.

Whichever system you have don't push beyond your normal limits just because you have this tool. There's still no guarantee with it.
 
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