Do You Need a Satellite Messenger?

One of the most popular and best satellite messengers around is, without a doubt, the garmin inreach mini 2. The garmin inreach mini 2 works as a personal locator beacon, and two-way satellite messenger, and it has a ton of useful navigation features too. You can use these garmin device s as a standalone device or by pairing them to your cell phone via the garmin earthmate app. This means you can choose to use the garmin mini to send and receive messages with or without your cell phone such as two-way texting with your family, sending emails to loved ones, and more.

The best satellite messengers for backpacking or thru-hiking can be a bit intimidating because of their costs and monthly plans, but a satellite messenger or personal locator beacon (plb) should be a part of everyone’s backcountry kit – whether you’re going out for a weekend or embarking on a country-crossing thru-hike. The best satellite messengers for thru-hiking come with a variety of features, smartphone applications, and subscription models. Some include mapping, some include two-way messaging, some include real-time tracking, and most are light enough that you should consider having one in your pack. The satellite messengers and plbs listed in detail here have all been reported by hikers participating in the pacific crest trail and continental divide trail hiker surveys.

If you desire to do anything more than sos, you should look into a one- or two-way satellite communicator, which is a device that, at minimum, can track your location and fire off messages. Such units’ capabilities in both areas—as well as feature sets—vary widely. Shop all satellite messengers.

Get seamless global messaging for your smartphone or tablet. The zoleo messenger makes keeping in touch easy the world over. With unique connections via satellite, mobile network, and wi‐fi, you can take your smartphone or tablet with you anywhere. Stay in touch with the two-way device that extends much further than mere mobile coverage. The zoleo even keeps your chat messages in the same thread across all signals, so you never miss a message. Free standard delivery in up to five working days 1st class delivery in 1-2 working days priority express next day delivery on the next working day.

Best of the Rest

If something goes wrong, sos alerting ensures you can get help. Rest assured, your sos and gps coordinates will be sent to our 24/7 emergency response coordination partner. You’ll get confirmation that your alert was received, and if it was a false alarm you can cancel it. Use the zoleo app to to receive real-time progress updates and exchange messages with our response coordination partner until help arrives.

Easily check in with one button press to let others know you’re ok. Your check-in message will be sent to your check-in contact(s). You can also include your gps coordinates if desired. Zoleo makes it easy to let them know you’re ok so they rest easy. Use the zoleo app to receive real-time progress updates and exchange messages with our response coordination partner until help arrives. Use the zoleo app to check-in or set up your location sharing preferences.

Features sunlight-readable 3. 5” capacitive touchscreen display and a button-operated, dog-focused design for quick, minor adjustments easily set up and monitor up to 20 dogs from up to 9 miles away with a 2. 5-second update rate by using multiple global navigation satellite systems (gps and galileo) dog list and group management lets you keep inactive dogs in the system for easier setup interactive sos alerts and two-way messaging via the 100% global iridium satellite network (active satellite subscription required; jurisdiction restrictions may apply) preloaded topoactive maps, direct-to-device birdseye satellite imagery downloads and built-in three-axis compass and barometric altimeter user-replaceable battery lasts up to 20 hours; up to 15 hours with inreach technology enabled.

Because of iridium's whole earth coverage, any limiting factors would be solely due to terrain or other conditions that prevent line of sight to the iridium satellites. For example, if you're in a deep slot canyon or an unusually narrow mountain pass, you may not have direct line of sight to a satellite that's needed. The inreach has been tested successfully under heavy forest cover, even triple canopy, but it is possible that in some locations the canopy may be dense enough to block line of sight. In these or other instances where line of sight is unavailable, you will know your message has not reached the satellite because you will not receive a message confirmation and the signal led will flash red.

1. Garmin inReach Mini 2 ($400)

The garmin inreach series has been the standard-bearer in the satellite communicator world since these devices came on the market in 2016. As technology advanced at lightning-quick speed, the inreach line got more capable and smaller in size, attracting the attention of every ounce-counting backcountry fanatic. Enter the inreach mini. At a mere 3. 5 ounces, this device opens up a world of possibilities for communicating, navigating, and accessing important data like weather when you’re off the grid. It allows you to send and receive messages anywhere on the planet (both on the device or on your phone through the earthmate app), track and share your location, access weather data, and instantly send an sos anywhere on the globe with the press of a button.

The two are pretty different looking. Zoleo went for simple and rugged brick. There are only three buttons: on/off, sos, and check-in. Garmin’s is the opposite, as the inreach mini 2 features a full screen, up and down buttons for scrolling, a dedicated sos button, and ok and back buttons for further on-screen selection. There’s also a carabiner to lock onto your gear, just like the zoleo. The two are shock resistant and waterproof, with garmin featuring an ipx7 rating (can be submerged in three feet of water for 30 minutes) and zoleo featuring an ip68 rating (can survive in five feet of water for 30 minutes).

A. There are several garmin inreach models available, including the inreach mini and the inreach explorer+.

Satellite phones are generally affordable but can cost over $1500 and a yearly plan is required to keep them operational. So, what are the alternatives for budget conscious persons? small, compact, and extremely portable satellite transmitters that fit in your pocket and leverage your smartphone capabilities are the solution. They are priced around $250 and offer a series of services. Handheld short-burst-data - sbd – (meaning: small amounts of data are being transmitted) devices like the zoleo satellite communicator, spot x and spot gen 4 by globalstar, garmin inreach and the most recent acr bivy provide some of the following services: email, sms, gps, and weather information, and operate as emergency beacons for safety.

2. Zoleo Satellite Communicator ($200)

Meet zoleo, the affordable accessory that extends your smartphone messaging coverage to everywhere on earth and provides a safety system you can count on. Ruggedly designed, location-aware and iridium-based, the zoleo satellite communicator device will keep you connected and secure when venturing beyond cell coverage*. Simply connect zoleo with our free app on your smartphone to send and receive messages anywhere on earth, and a whole lot more. *active subscription plan required to transmit messages over the iridium® satellite network.

The iridium® based zoleo global satellite communicator offers everything you need to stay connected and secure when venturing beyond cell coverage. With zoleo, you’ll enjoy seamless global messaging that follows you in/out of cellular coverage, and a personal safety system you can count on world-wide. Simply connect the lightweight, durable zoleo device with the free app on your phone or tablet to enjoy: 2-way global messaging and sos alerting, check-in, darksky™ weather forecasts, the ability to share your gps location, andmore. What makes zoleo a better global messaging solution, is that it seamlessly transmits messages via the iridium satellite network when you travel beyond cell coverage, and via cellular or wi-fi® when it is available.

Only zoleo provides truly seamless global messaging so you can always count on your connection: • extends your coverage to everywhere by transmitting messages over the iridium satellite network, mobile and wi-fi • offers a familiar ‘texting’ experience from your phone or tablet • makes it easy for contacts to reach you via your dedicated zoleo sms number and email address • enables you to enjoy more value for your dollar versus other satellite communicators.

December 1, 2022 let’s face it—there’s no excuse to get stranded off the grid anymore. Thanks to surging competition and massive technology improvements, satellite communication devices have become lightweight, user-friendly, and economical. These palm-sized units allow you to send messages from anywhere in the world, let others track your progress, and provide a direct line to help. There’s a handful of satellite communication devices to choose from, including bivy stick , somewear , zoleo , garmin , and spot. Last year, we compared their prices and monthly subscription plans here. How exactly do satellite communication devices work, and can you trust them? we sat down with morris shawn, president of zoleo inc, to give you the inside scoop on how the zoleo satellite communicator works.

4. Garmin inReach Messenger ($300)

Two-way satellite communicators, like a spot device or garmin inreach, are probably the most popular with skiers because of their multi-function use as both an sos button and a way to navigate and communicate while you’re deep in the wilderness. The garmin inreach is a little pricier, but gives you a wide array of features for communicating and navigating. Features like two-way sos and messaging, weather updates, and shared tracking pack a serious punch for a hand-held device. The inreach mini is powerful and palm-sized, with a battery life up to 24 days in power save mode. The explore+ is heavier and more robust than the sleek mini, but it allows you to send and receive messages without having to link to your phone, and you can use the large screen to navigate if needed.

I have owned the garmin inreach se+ for 3 months and used it for three trips and though i am very satisfied with my purchase, i do think you should know about some short comings. Before purchasing i researched pretty extensively the options, including other similar devices, the explorer and the mini. Se+ vs explorer. I didn’t pay the extra $150 for the explorer and i’m glad i didn’t. First a separate device for navigation and backup feels safer to me. Also i use the navigation quite a bit and i like not using the battery of my emergency device for that.