Device to contact S&R

What devices do y’all use to contact search&rescue when in the backcountry? I’m looking for one that has enough battery to last multiple days without charge.  

Zoleo

Inreach Mini

Used both.  Both work well.  

Get a device that enables you to communicate with SAR and others via text.  Inreach Mini is a good and popular device.  When you push the SOS button the Garmin folks put you in touch with the appropriate agency.  Works best with a cell phone running the Earthmate app. The app gives you access to your phone contact list, so, in the event of a problem, instead of punching he SOS button, you can notify friends or family that you need some help. 

I use a zoleo after being disappointed by an inreach mini.  

If you're going to the effort to carry a satellite emergency widget, you might as well get one that can communicate. It will make the rescue go better for you and the rescuers. And it will give you a number of nice perks, like letting people who worry about you know you're gong to be late, getting real time thunderstorm updates from your buddies at home/work on the internet, and being able to coordinate with others in the backcountry & other areas outside the reach of cell reception.

Another vote for inReach. Have used an original model inReach in an emergency, and currently have an inReach mini that I upgraded to last year, been quite happy with it. 

climber pat wrote:

I use a zoleo after being disappointed by an inreach mini.  

I’m unfamiliar with the Zoleo (I just browsed the webpage). Can you elaborate on why you like it better than the Inreach?

Bob Harrington wrote:

I’m unfamiliar with the Zoleo (I just browsed the webpage). Can you elaborate on why you like it better than the Inreach?

My inreach mini had a 3 day battery life even after replacing the battery, the Zoleo has a 6 day battery life.  The sort battery life of the mini meant I had to turn if off every day and pick up messages only at camp while backpacking.  With the Zoleo I can keep the device on all the time and receive message more promptly. 

Message go through quicker and more reliably with the Zoleo.  

Zoleo's ability to send message through the internet is nice.  With the Zoleo I get messages on the way home after I have turned off the device whereas I get the message next time I turn on the inreach, maybe weeks later.  

The Garmin software was buggy and often did not notify me of a new message.  I reported something like 7 bugs to Garmin which they never fixed.  Perhaps the mini 2 is better?

Garmin lets you send preconfigured messages for free, Zoleo just added letting you send check-in message for free so using a garmin can be cheaper.  

Garmin provides a mapping on their software.  With Zoleo you need a separate mapping software.  I think Zoleo provides some discount for gaiagps which I use even previous to owning a Zoleo.  Garmin's mapping software is adequate but not state of the art like gaiagps or caltopo.

Pat

Bob Harrington wrote:

I’m unfamiliar with the Zoleo (I just browsed the webpage). Can you elaborate on why you like it better than the Inreach?

I have owned and used both.

Zoleo has a better feature set when it's connected to your phone via bluetooth.  It's easier to compose long messages on your phone and then send them via Zoleo.  With Zoleo, you need your phone to compose a custom message.  There's no way to create a new message if your phone is not connected.  (You can send SOS and pre-created messages without a phone.)

InReach is a bit smaller, and you don't need a phone to compose messages.  It works like an old-school phone or blackberry, where you move a cursor around to pick letters.  It's slower than typing in a message on your phone screen, but it works, and allows you to make custom messages without your phone.

If you are creating a lot of custom messages, then Zoleo is more convenient.  If you aren't doing many custom messages, then InReach is better.  

I use the device solely for checking in with family and for the possibility of contacting SAR.  Once in a while, I create a custom message telling family where/when to come and get me.

For my needs, the InReach mini is better.  

If I were posting a bunch to social media or otherwise creating a bunch of custom messages, then I would prefer the Zoleo.  

Kai Larson wrote:

I have owned and used both.

Zoleo has a better feature set when it's connected to your phone via bluetooth.  It's easier to compose long messages on your phone and then send them via Zoleo.  With Zoleo, you need your phone to compose a custom message.  There's no way to create a new message if your phone is not connected.  (You can send SOS and pre-created messages without a phone.)

InReach is a bit smaller, and you don't need a phone to compose messages.  It works like an old-school phone or blackberry, where you move a cursor around to pick letters.  It's slower than typing in a message on your phone screen, but it works, and allows you to make custom messages without your phone.

If you are creating a lot of custom messages, then Zoleo is more convenient.  If you aren't doing many custom messages, then InReach is better.  

I use the device solely for checking in with family and for the possibility of contacting SAR.  Once in a while, I create a custom message telling family where/when to come and get me.

For my needs, the InReach mini is better.  

If I were posting a bunch to social media or otherwise creating a bunch of custom messages, then I would prefer the Zoleo.  

  

But with the InReach Mini you can still use your phone to compose messages if you wish. 

To me, the InReach Mini's ability to send any message without the use of my phone was the deciding factor. I'm out backcountry skiing with it a bunch and the cold hurts my phone battery, so didn't want to be in a situation where my phone was dead and needed to send out a custom message. 

InReach mini, when you use your phone to compose messages, you have a character limit and it doesn't automatically split it to multiple messages. If Zoleo or w/e else does, I'd strongly consider that... BUT such functionality could maybe just be a firmware update in the future, so...

The InReach Mini2 seems to have a longer battery life than the Zoleo (based on manufacturer's specs), and the lowest priced service plan for the InReach is a good bit lower ($11.95/mo) than the lowest cost plan for the Zoleo. The InReach Mini2 can send messages without being paired to a phone, but it's not an easy process. 

Chris Johnson wrote:

But with the InReach Mini you can still use your phone to compose messages if you wish. 

To me, the InReach Mini's ability to send any message without the use of my phone was the deciding factor. I'm out backcountry skiing with it a bunch and the cold hurts my phone battery, so didn't want to be in a situation where my phone was dead and needed to send out a custom message. 

Given the issues I had with the mini's app not working reliably I changed to zoleo because the zoleo software has to work whereas the Garmin engineers have the fallback to the device's screen, keys to avoid fixing anything. 

Both devices can issue rescue without a phone. 

Someone mentioned the mini 2 battery life being the same or better than zoleo by the specification.  The original mini was specd for similar battery life too but it did not perform as specd in real life.  I would be cautious until real users of the mini 2 report their experiences. 

Edit to add.  I was planning a multiday climb last summer.  The idea we came up with was one climber would carry the zoleo and the other the phone.  Then if there was an accident that separates us, each of us could initiate a rescue.  I did some testing and I could reliably connect the phone to the zoleo at 50 meters with clear line of sight. 

I use Somewhere Labs device.  It is very basic.  It has an SOS function and can link to your phone so I use that to send texts to my wife.  It’s perfect for my needs.  I think price is around $220 and $15 a month. 

Nothing. Maybe some arm waving, I suppose.

The newer inReach Mini 2 is awesome

https://9to5mac.com/2022/12/02/use-of-emergency-sos/

another new option

There was a long thread on this topic just recently: https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/123021908/satellite-smartphones-to-make-inreach-type-devices-obselete

abandon moderation wrote:

The battery is good for a minimum of 5 years.

I've had mine for 11 years, and it still passes the battery check and shows a full charge. The battery can be replaced for about $80.

abandon moderation wrote:

Mine's at 10 years and the self test still works fine. As far as I know mine has no way to show battery charge,

I have the FastFind 210, and you have the 220. Dunno about the 220, but on the 210, when you do the self check, it flashes n times, where the value of n tells you the amount of charge left.

abandon moderation wrote:

A basic PLB won't have messaging capability, but it won't have a monthly fee either.

I have the McMurdo Fast Find 220. At about $250, and no monthly fees, it's probably the cheapest way to call SAR.

The battery is good for a minimum of 5 years.

Obviously everyone's financial situation is different and there are people for who an Inreach-type device is prohibitively expensive but do have the money for a PLB. That being said, to echo Bob above, having two way communication is extremely useful for SAR to mobilize the appropriate resources and get to you quicker. With a fair number of accidental/non-emergency activations and generally overstretched SAR volunteers, the cavalry won't necessarily be coming out for a PLB activation. Meanwhile if you are able to communicate the nature of your emergency, you are more likely to get the right response. 

Helicopters don't grow on trees, neither do large groups of SAR volunteers to do an extended carryout. ;) 

Ben Horowitz wrote:

Obviously everyone's financial situation is different and there are people for who an Inreach-type device is prohibitively expensive but do have the money for a PLB. That being said, to echo Bob above, having two way communication is extremely useful for SAR to mobilize the appropriate resources and get to you quicker. With a fair number of accidental/non-emergency activations and generally overstretched SAR volunteers, the cavalry won't necessarily be coming out for a PLB activation. Meanwhile if you are able to communicate the nature of your emergency, you are more likely to get the right response. 

Helicopters don't grow on trees, neither do large groups of SAR volunteers to do an extended carryout. ;) 

Yes, this is something that we discussed extensively in the thread that I linked previously: https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/123021908/satellite-smartphones-to-make-inreach-type-devices-obselete

TL;DR: It's not an all-or-nothing trade-off, it's a matter of probabilities, cost-benefit, and multiple options for dealing with a situation. It also ties in with people's lifestyles and expectations about being connected, which is partly a generational thing.