Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

So, this is a nifty little device, be it for serious hiking, for travel to rural areas, or for emergency preparedness. But first, let me briefly go over what's *not* included in the purchase: you need a subscription from Garmin to even boot this thing up. They have annual plans that (as of this writing) start from $144 a year, as well as more flexible "freedom" subscriptions - a bit more costly, but with the ability to suspend service during off-season months. Even at the lowest tier, you can define up to three predefined messages (e.g., "I'm OK", "doing fine but going to be late", or "please come and pick me up") and keep sending them for free to an e-mail addresses, a cell phone number, or another inReach device of your choice. This is actually more useful than it sounds, because each message automatically includes your precise location (which can be viewed on a map), as well as some other details about your trip. The only caveat is that you can't change the predefined messages or the recipients in the field - you need to log onto their website for that. But if all you really need is to periodically let your friends or family know where you are, this is a pretty good deal. Of course, free-form two-way texting is also available (again, supporting e-mail, text messages, and other inReach devices), but you only get 10 of these every month before you're charged $0.50 a pop. The limit is marginally higher for the $300 plan, but if you want unlimited free-form messaging, you better have some serious disposable income: that plan is currently about $600 a year. You can also have the device publish your location at regular intervals; the price is $0.10 per data point at the lowest tier, making this a pretty expensive deal - but you get unlimited tracking with the $300 plan. For people who do a lot of high-risk travel, this may be a good choice. You get a couple other satellite-related features, such as the ability to request weather forecasts for your location (at normal messaging rates) or to locate any device associated with your account via the web app. Finally, you can request emergency help. This service is operated by GEOS, a third-party firm; they get your location, the details of the incident, call the authorities, and keep you updated on the progress. GEOS also offers some optional SAR / medevac benefits, but you need to pay separately for that. All in all, while it's certainly not a drop-in replacement for your mobile phone, inReach is fairly affordable if you can stay within the constraints of the platform - and it is dramatically cheaper than any other satellite phone subscription out there. The costs are comparable to SPOT GEN3, but this only gives you one-way messaging. As for the device itself: the satellite bits aside, it has all the features you'd expect in a hiking GPS. The higher-end (orange) device has topo maps and several extra sensors, so it can show you more accurate compass data without requiring you to walk in a straight line for a while. Both can plot your route, capture all the usual trip stats, etc. You can also define routes and waypoints via the web app and sync them to the device. Assuming you're turning it for the night and not making a heavy use of tracking features, the battery should probably last a week without recharging. The unit seems pretty rugged; basically no different from any other Garmin GPS. It is not particularly small, in part because of its thick rubberized shell. I think it's actually a bit bigger than the previous (DeLorme-branded) model, but it is very lightweight. It also has a nice color screen and the UI is very responsive and easy to figure out. Typing is relatively cumbersome, since you need to navigate an on-screen keyboard using arrow keys - but it ain't too bad. There are several other small annoyances; for example, if you add a waypoint on the device and then attempt to turn it off before syncing to a PC, you get a warning saying that your waypoints will be lost. You also need to go through some extra hops if you have multiple devices tied to a single billing account and way to update preset messages or waypoints on both. But again, not a big deal. The Iridium network works globally, although you'd be lucky to get reception indoors (especially in multi-story buildings). Also keep in mind that transmission rates are fairly slow, and the device only checks with the satellite every 10 minutes or so. This is configurable and an extra check can be forced manually, but if you're longing for low-latency chats, be sure to also carry your phone.