Garmin 010-02602-00 Inreach Mini 2, Lightweight And Compact Satellite Communicator, Hiking Handheld,
Garmin 010-02602-00 inReach Mini 2, Lightweight and Compact Satellite Communicator, Hiking Handheld, Orange
- Compact, lightweight satellite communicator enables two-way messaging and interactive SOS globally (Active satellite subscription required. Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit the use of satellite communication devices.).Special Feature:Bluetooth.Water Resistant: Yes
- Navigate back to where you started by using TracBack routing
- Share your location with loved ones back home at any time (active satellite subscription required) by using your MapShare page or with your coordinates embedded in your messages
- Get accurate heading information using the digital compass — even when you’re not moving
- Sync with the Garmin Explore app and website on your compatible smartphone for trip planning and topographical mapping, and create waypoints, courses, activities and collections you can sync to your device
- Pair with Garmin devices, such as wearables and handhelds, and use them to send and receive messages and trigger an SOS (active satellite subscription required)
- Battery life: up to 14 days in 10-minute tracking mode
Brand : Garmin
Category : Electronics,GPS, Finders & Accessories,Sports & Handheld GPS,Handheld GPS Units
Rating : 4.6
Price : US $389.99
Review Count : 445
ChildASIN : B09PSSSFPF,B0BFJ7TG8S,B09PSKG7C3
Garmin 010-02602-00 inReach Mini 2, Lightweight and Compact Satellite Communicator, Hiking Handheld, Orange
- This is old-school performance on high-tech equipment. I bought this for outdoor adventures in areas that have no cell coverage. It is functional, but you have to imagine that you are living in the 20th century to meet performance expectiations.First, the setup and activation took nearly 2 days. Yes, 2 days. I set up my account, put the InReach outdoors with full view of the sky, and then waited... and waited... finally after numerous power cycles, and more waiting, it activated. The instructions said that the long activation time is not an indication of normal performance. Yeah, right.Then I went camping in a remote area for a week. I sent a preset message, had InReach in full view of the sky, sitting on a small table. I waited... finally the message showed as Sent after 20 minutes. Not impressed. Other messages took anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes to send; judging the replies was more difficult, but the quickest reply from a friend was about 30 minutes (this could have been due to the friend taking time to respond). Despite the slow performance, it never failed to send or receive a message.The subscription plans have Gotchas that are not advertised. The Freedom plan, aka \"pay as you go\" does not offer much Freedom. First, you have to pay $35 for each year you use the plan; so if you only use it one month every year, then it isn\'t $15, it\'s $50. And, contrary to what\'s advertised on the Garmin site, you DO get charged for the months that you do NOT use it (as of June 2022), I believe $5/mo. For those reasons, I just did the Annual plan. The short of it: For ONE month, you pay $105 over the course of a year - that\'s $105 for ONE MONTH of usage. For the Annual plan, you pay $178 over the year, which is $14.86 per month.For the type and amount of service you get, InReach can seem like a total rip-off. You need to decide for yourself if having \'service anywhere\' justifies the cost. For me, it is, and it fits my budget.There are a few strong points of the Garmin InReach2 over other platforms. First, it is small. I mean tiny. It\'s easy to pack and carry, and you do not need anything else - no phone pairing required. Battery life is good, and it uses a built-in rechargeble battery. The phone app is decent, and you don\'t need service / internet to use it or pair it. Of course you need to have already downloaded the app, but that\'s obvious. The screen is small but easy to read, unless you have poor eye sight. Still, let\'s say you are older or farsighted and lose your reading glasses, the SOS button can be found and operated by feel, so there\'s always that.Some downsides: Preset messages require setup on a computer via the InReach portal. The rechargeable battery means that you can\'t use common batteries in a pinch, like AAAs or similar; and you need to have access to a USB-C charger.Complaints aside, if I knew all this before I bought it, I probably would have still bought it, mostly because I\'m an electronics nerd.
- I love traveling/hiking light and was constantly dreading bringing my bulky Explorer+ which I only used for SMS, SOS and almost never for navigation.This device is incredibly small, light, and the battery lasts way more than the Explorer+. You just pair it with your phone over Bluetooth, put it at a far away place that sees clear skies, and start texting from your tent using your phone. Incredibly convenient!
- Very impressed so far...
- I do like the size and battery life of the mini 2 over my current GPSMAP 66i. Am anxious to use it with the Explore app it works with. I chose the mini 2 over the messenger due to the ability to text on without the need for another device/phone.
- I love camping. I wish I could have done more of it in the past, but trying to get friends or family together for one is a P.I.A. I never solo camped because the places I like are National Forests that will normally have no cell reception so being alone and running into an emergency isn\'t a great incentive to be adventurous.Pros:The unit is easy to set up. Fairly easy top register and get an account. The subscription can be suspended at any time without penalty and reinstated when needed. Great for us fair season campers that will have these tucked away in our camping bins for the winter. Insurance is affordable. BUY THE RESCUE INSURANCE IN CASE YOU EVER NEED TO BE RESCUED. Battery lasts the entire weekend for me. I can send receive messages and leave breadcrumbs for my family to track. The list goes on and on, but most of all, I have peace of mind to get out on adventures by myself and get to camp more.Cons:Monthly subscription can be a little pricy if you want to be able to send more messages and send location data of your trip in real-time. You will need separate usage plan and rescue insurance. You can forgo the insurance but I don\'t recommend it. All it takes is one incident and you\'ll wish you bought at least the basic insurance. You can\'t switch between cellular data and satellite in the app. It\'ll always use satellite even if you have cellular coverage.I highly recommend this IF you love exploring areas outside of cellular service areas. It\'s a great tool to let your family know you\'re safe and peace of mind if something catastrophic happens. I hope I never need the SOS function but I can feel better when I venture out solo.
- I use this when I go on solo road trips and solo hikes in the back country, mostly the rocky mountain region. My family is able to track my location, and see if I\'m moving during the day. This provides them a sense of security, and they will be able to infer that I\'m still alive, and that I could call for help if able and needed. I\'ve been checking my tracks when I return, and they seem pretty accurate. I haven\'t noticed any dead zones in my travels. I do not use this to send messages back and forth, although I have a couple preset messages and contacts set up, just in case. It looks tedious to create a messages from the device itself. The screen is really small, so there are only a few words that are visible at a time. But, if you have it paired with your smart phone, and if your smart phone has power, it would probably be a lot easier to use as a messaging device. (But, you would have to make sure you have enough power for your smart phone.) I have also taken this with me on my friend\'s boat. I\'ve never had to use it to call for help, thankfully.
- Now I don\'t worry about my wife in the woods on her horse with no cell service.
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