Garmin 010-01879-00 InReach Mini, Lightweight and Compact Satellite Communicator, Orange

The acquisition of the Iridium network seems weak. A light canopy or small hills seem to obstruct uploading tracking data

I purchased this item to take offshore with me in the place of an EPIRB. I figured I would find comfort in the user face allowing me to text back and forth with GEOSS. What the product lacks to mention is the heavy subscription you must carry to use the item. Most importantly, god forbid you miss a payment or in my situation I had fraud on my account, the item is shut off completely. On the spot. The SOS button is disabled too. Let that sink in. Garmin will let you die over a monthly subscription. Oh! After learning this I was forced to pay 185$ to cancel my subscription with the device or it would be permanently locked. Moral of the story, garmin is more worried about 15$ a month then your life. The second you realize this too and go to cancel you’re paying for that also. Never buy garmin again.

Review for InReach Mini

It works as it should, got it cheaper than what REI was selling it for

la seguridad que da este producto al usarlo, ayuda mucho. es un producto robusto, ligero y muy potente. lo recomiendo ampliamente

Lets face it, this little sucker isnt cheap. I rationalized the purchase with the usual buy once, cry once type of internal monologue. Since purchasing it, Ive used it for tracking my off-the-grid motorcycle rides in North America. The device tracks sufficiently well in the US but shut-off all tracking and communication features as soon as I entered Canada. Hmmm, not so inReach up there, apparently. Also, the customer-facing messaging app is so poorly designed, its almost worthless. The technology in the inReach Mini is more akin to a Tamagotchi (remember those?...I bought one for my daughter about 25 years ago) than a bona fide GPS tracking and messaging device. Seriously, use one - youll see what mean; they even make the same sounds.

I have owned my in reach mini for over 2 years. I chose the garmin unit for size, ease of use with phone earth mate app, two way communication, and lifetime cost savings (the ability to turn off monthly service fee during months we do not use meant equal cost at 18 months…lower cost every month after compared to competitor). I use it primarily for backpacking but also for motorcycle riding. I bought it for the sos feature which thankfully I have never had to use. I have used it for tons of other reasons…checked weather on a thru hike (80% chance of rain at one lake, 20% on the other side of the mountain where we comfortably WATCHED the storm), checked fire report when we awoke to smoke so thick we couldn’t see the lake we were camped at (no fire nearby, just blowing in from CA and WA), alerted family to change in plans, used usgs map function to find a lake in fire damaged area where the trail was completely undetectable (in reach knows where I am, the 1970s usgs map knows where the trail USED to be), scouted route when we got off trail in an area that was more downed trees than actual trail, messaged food drop support to alert to arrival time, messaged dog sitter to get dog off the trail when he was struggling with the heat, set waypoint to mark where we parked or set up camp when wandering off trail….and lots more. It holds a charge for 5 days of hiking as I use it (ping every 10 mins, message home when arrive at camp, turn off until we hit trail next day). When I’ve been overdue or decided to ride straight thru without break … my family can pop onto tracking and see where I am. I know 2 people who HAVE used the sos function ( mountaineering rescue and a motorcycle crash in remote Idaho)… both had great response time for aid. It’s been a game changer for my backpacking and I wouldn’t leave home without it.

Great update to the previous tracker.

Hopefully I answered the question for you if you questioned picking up the inReach mini. I planned to purchase the se+ but when I found out about the mini I knew I could carry it in my EDC pouch. I tested it out on a hike up bear mountain and I was able to send and receive messages once I was able to get a decent view of the sky through the trees.

Purchased this device at REI.