June 1, 2021

Inreach "style" navigation devices.

I just purchased a Garmin "GPSmap 66i" at the recent REI anniversary sale, paying $450 for it. I may keep it, or I may exchange it down for the trusty Garmin Explorer. The purpose of these pages are to help my make that decision, and perhaps help you as well.

I'll say more about this later, but remember that all these devices require a "plan" with monthly subscription fees to be functional as rescue devices.

Some quick comments about "rescue devices"

If you carry one of these, you need to develop your own philosophy and mindset about when you would use them. They are no substitute for self-reliance and good judgement. A long page could be written about all of this that probably nobody would read. But the following article is good and recommended reading. Note that experience factors in to deciding when to push the SOS button. My bias is towards accepting risk myself and postponing a call until things are a bit beyond truly desperate. Consider if nothing else that you may be getting dozens of people out of bed and into vehicles, even putting them at risk when you hit SOS. Never do it for mere convenience, or because of discomfort. Avoid getting into trouble in the first place. Don't do anything you wouldn't do without an SOS device just because you carry one.

Garmin versus Spot

The original "Spot" device had a time of great utility, but that time has passed. It was essentially a backcountry panic button. If you were in trouble, you pushed the button and help was on the way. Then along came the "Inreach" which allowed two way communication in text message style and the game changed entirely. Now you could tell the rescue dispatcher exactly what was wrong, perhaps obtain vital information over the link, and have a lot of non-emergency functionality besides. The Spot has been replaced by the Spot X and other gadgets which now allow two way communication. I am not going to say much about these, though perhaps I should. For whatever reason, the InReach devices have become the devices of choice. Backcountry rangers in the Park Service Carry them, several of my savvy friends have inreach devices. Nobody that I know carries a Spot device.

A key difference is the different satellite networks used by the two families of devices. SPOT uses the geostationary Globalstar network, which doesn't work well at high latitudes or in mid-ocean, or if there's a restricted view of the sky (e.g. at the bottom of a deep canyon). InReach uses the Iridium network, which consists of 66 satellites providing true global coverage. They're not geostationary, so at some point an Iridium satellite will probably become visible even if your view is somewhat restricted.

A note in the above forum discussion gives the following explanation:
Globalstar ustes inclined LEO orbits. Globalstar's big limitation is that they use ground earth stations to relay messages from you though the satellite to ground and into the phone network. Iridium uses other Iridium satellites to relay your message around the world and enters the telephone system near Phoenix. For Globalstar the satellite must be able to see you and the ground earth station for the message to get through. For Iridium you only need to be able to see the satellite and the system is configured so messages can then always be relayed to the ground station near Phoenix. The earth ground station limitation is also why globalstar does not work in the ocean, there are no ground earth stations floating in the ocean.
There is much more that you can learn about the issues with the satellite networks behind the two systems, but the key takeaway is that Spot and Iridium use different groups of satellites and there are important differences. Those differences may change over time as satellites fail and/or systems are reconfigured.

Inreach choices

At this time, there are three devices that I think are worth considering that are being offered by Garmin. As always, each has pros and cons in terms of weight, features, cost, and battery life. I'll give a quick overview of each, then hopefully give some sort of comparison table.

Inreach Mini

This is a 3.5 ounce device with an 0.9 by 0.9 inch monochrome screen (128x128 pixel). Price is $350. Battery life is 50 hours when configured with 10 minute tracking intervals.

The idea is that you use this in conjunction with an app on your phone for anything more than bare minimum functionality. This is the darling device of the ultralight crowd, but only makes sense if you will always be carrying your phone (and have a scheme for keeping its battery charged as well).

Inreach Explorer+

This is a 7.5 ounce device with a 1.4 by 1.9 inch color screen (200x265 pixel). Price is $450. Battery life is 100 hours when configured with 10 minute tracking intervals.

This is a standalone device. Everyone I know owns one of these -- I don't know anyone who owns a "Mini", although in some cases this is because they purchased their device before the mini was available. My smartphone weighs 6.2 ounces, so in conjunction with the mini that is a 9.7 ounce total, making the Explorer a win over the combination. That along with the 100 hour battery life made this the winning choice for me.

I was told by the guy on the floor at REI that I would get a first set of maps for free with the device, but would have to pay $100 if I wanted to have more than that "starter" set.

The Explorer+ makes the following improvements over the original Delorme Inreach: Note that the device includes a digital compass and a barometric altimeter. The digital compass works even if you are standing still.

The device will come with maps, but you should view navigation with the Inreach Explorer as a stopgap measure. One fellow says that he carries his Inreach as an SOS beacon and a backup navigation device while also carrying a full blown GPS (so, heck with that, get the 66i). Note that the Inreach devices are their own world in the Garmin ecosystem, i.e. they aren't part of the Garmin ecosystem like the 66i.

Here is what one reviewer says about the 100 hour battery life:

With 30 minute tracking, two text msgs per day, and unit off at night, a full charge lasts about 6 -7 days. If you just power the unit on to send an occasional preset message, the unit lasts months without a charge. That’s typically how I use it. If I’m on a remote or long hike, I’ll fire it up a few times to send an “I’m okay” preset message and then turn it off. That way if I do have an emergency, I’ll have plenty of juice to run the thing with back and forth text messages.

GPSMap 66i

This is a 8.5 ounce device with a 1.5 by 2.5 inch color screen (240x400 pixel). Price is $600. Battery life is 35 hours when configured with 10 minute tracking intervals.

It can store 10000 waypoints, 250 routes (250 points per route), 250 tracks, with 20000 logged points, 250 saved gpx tracks and 300 saved fit activities.

Interestingly, it gets GPS data from GPS and Galileo, but not GLONASS. Apparently GLONASS is on a frequency too close to Iridium to allow the unit to deal with both. But the reviews say that the 66i gets position very quickly, so apparently just GPS plus Galileo does just fine.

The box indicates that you get the 35 hour battery life in "default mode", but you can get a 200 hour battery life in "expedition mode". The Garmin page describes the latter as using 30 minute tracking intervals and "power save" mode. It seems clear to me that this is much more of a power hog than the Explorer+, but that you can manage that using the expedition mode. It is all about tradeoffs -- you get a bigger screen and better maps on the screen, but pay for it in battery life.

I got mine for $450 at the REI anniversary sale in May of 2021. I really wanted the Explorer+, but they were out of stock, and for $100 more, I was able get this. A selling point is that this comes preloaded with 24K resolution maps for the entire US, which would cost me $100 for the Explorer+ if I wanted to get them.

Here is an extensive and top notch review:

One fellow says the following about battery life:
With regard to 66i battery life, I've done a little bit of testing with what it calls "expedition mode". Although I can't confirm the life Garmin claims (220 hours or something that?), it does yield considerably better battery life. Expedition mode disables the screen, BT and ANT+ radios. It does not limit the send interval, although I am sure you will get better life with longer intervals. (Can't remember, but I think the 200+ hour claim was with 30 minute send interval?). The logged points (the recorded "activity" in 66i terms) are saved at considerably longer intervals - but the resulting track is still quite usable. You can't actively use the device for navigation because the screen is off. However, you can take the device out of expedition mode, use it as normal for a while, then put it back in expedition mode.
Note that you can use Bluetooth to link to your phone and do many things. However this drains both the device and phone batteries. A good bet is to leave bluetooth off to save the battery, but if you end up in an SOS situation, set up the phone link so you can type more efficiently.

There are a bewildering variety of GPSMAP 66 units -- 66sr, 66st, etc. -- but without Inreach capability to talk to the Iridium satellite network.

The device has an IPX7 rating. This means it can be submerged in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. IP is short for "ingress protection". The "X" indicates dust and dirt, where "X" indicates this was not formally tested. The "7" indicates water, where 7 is taken from 1-7. It is also rated "MIL STD 810G", which involves 24 areas of testing that you can go research if you care to, but indicates sufficient ruggedness to satisfy the military for outdoor electronics.

GPSMap 65sr

This looks to sort of be the 66i without the inreach capability. This is an 8.2 ounce device with a x color screen (240x400 pixel). 160 x 240 Price is $500. Battery life is 36 hours. It would not suit my primary purpose, which is the InReach capability to initiate a rescue.

Mini versus Explorer+ versus GPSMap 66i

There is no clear choice among the three. It really depends on what your priorities are and what tradeoffs you are willing to accept.

If low weight is your priority, go with the mini. But consider that it is just a mildly enhanced "send only" SPOT device without a smart phone. Also consider that the mini plus smart phone combination is not as reliable as the Explorer by a long shot. Smart phones are not rugged outdoor devices.

The Explorer+ gives you quality SOS capability in a rugged package and with twice the battery life as the mini. If you are really serious about a reliable rescue device, this is the way to go. It is self contained with no smart phone as an Achilles heel. As a navigation device, it is distinctly second rate.

If you want a top tier GPS navigation device along with the ability to intiate a rescue, the 66i is the way to go. This is currently the flagship GPS device from Garmin with Inreach capability added. The main sacrifice is battery life and added cost. You do get what you pay for.

The 66i is a first class GPS device, with Inreach functionality added.
The Explorer+ is an SOS device with limited GPS functionality

About messages

The inreach link can communicate via text, email, or with another Inreach unit. Apart from the 3 "free" preset messages, you can set up any number of "quick messages" as long as you do it in advance before you head out and sync them to the unit. These cost the same as regular messages, but allow you to avoid awkward typing.

GEOS

This is a private company that handles the SOS business. You will interact with them if you trigger an SOS. You can fill out a Bio in advance that will be sent to them with your trigger. They have a database of every known first responder and will decide which to contact and how your problem should be handled. Note that not all emergencies require evacuation or a rescue team. They claim to have organized rescues in over 140 countries. A typical rescue is said to involve a 6 hour wait. My view is that in a real emergency, if I get rescued at all, it is a big win.

GPSMap 64sc

My son has one of these, and I include it for comparison purposes. This is an obsolete item, though still available as a refurbished unit for $250 or so. It was released in January of 2014. It weighs 8.1 ounces. It has an 160x240 pixel color screen, 1.4 by 2.1 inches. Full retail price was $400. It gets data from GPS as well as GLONASS (but not Galileo). It runs from 2 AA batteries, NiMH or Lithium recommened, with a reported 16 hour battery life. It includes an 8 megapixel camera, which is peculiar. It has a 4G internal memory, can store 5000 waypoints, 300 routes, 10,000 logged points, 200 saved tracks.

It is interesting to try using this after getting used to the 66i:

The claim of a 16 hour battery life seems "optimistic", at least with the garmin supplied NiMH pack. People report significantly better results with Eneloop batteries, which are now available with a 2550 mah rating. I have calibrated the Garmin supplied pack, and my fancy charger tells me that those cells will provide a bit over 2000 mah, which is fine.

The trick with using Eneloop batteries is that you will not be able to charge them in the unit unless you defeat the little switch in the battery compartment. It is no doubt there to avoid nitwits trying to charge lithium or alkaline primary cells, which could yield unfortunate results.

Plans

Once you own one of these things, you need to purchase a subscription plan to use the InReach capability. There are lots of options and details.

First off, there are 4 tiers, and the following is the basic monthly charge for each with an annual contract:

In each tier you also have the option of going "month by month" in what they call a "freedom" plan. There is a $35 basic annual charge for being on the "freedom" plan and the monthly cost is greater ($15 per month for the Safety tier). (The annual freedom fee used to be $25) You can do the math to decide how many months per year the plan needs to be suspended to save you money. The answer is 5 months. The annual fee for safety would be $144. The fee for 7 months of safety/freedom is 35 + 8*15 = 140.

There is a $30 activation fee for the annual plan, apparently paid just once after you buy the unit. If you are not on a freedom plan, you can move up a tier for free, but moving down a tier will cost you $25.

If you are on a Freedom plan, you can suspend your plan on a monthly basis at no charge. As near as I can tell, if you do this, there is no fee when you decide to reactivate it, but billing does occur on a monthly basis, i.e. you never pay for partial months.

The Safety Plan

All plans offer unlimited use of 3 preset messages. Messages are limited to 160 characters. Safety gives you 10 text messages (per month apparently, and they do not roll over). After those 10, you pay 50 cents per message. Basic weather counts as one of your text messages. Premium weather costs you $1.00. Basic weather is a 48 hour forecast; Premium is a 7 day forecast.

Now consider that at 50 cents per message, you can pay for up to 26 extra messages before wishing you were on the Recreation plan rather than Safety.

You pay 10 cents when someone does a location request. This is reasonable. This is triggered by a button on your "map share" page, which also displays your location postings as discussed below.

You also pay 10 cents when you send a location (send or track points). This would be unlimited on the next plan up (Recreation). What this means really is that if you turn on location tracking, you may want to be on a Recreation plan. Consider 10 cents per point and a 10 minute tracking interval. That is 60 cents per hour, or $4.80 over an 8 hour day. The danger of course is that you turn on tracking and forget ...

Have any comments? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's backpacking pages / tom@mmto.org