HikeArizona.COM

I am think about buying the delorme inreach. Anybody have? I would like to get some input on it. I know it's not a gps. I am looking at it as a safety device.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=hikearizona ... ikearizona

@ljcygnet
I believe the mini does the same thing and it connects to your phone via Bluetooth. I have just ordered the Somewear which will be here next month.
Right now I have the spot3 which has served me well. I hike some much with just Rowdy and if something happened stop me I want him rescued.

RowdyandMe wrote: ↑Jul 05 2018 11:29 am Anybody using the Somewear?

KBKB wrote: ↑Jul 08 2018 9:34 am

RowdyandMe wrote:Anybody using the Somewear?

First I've heard of it...

The_Eagle wrote: ↑Jul 08 2018 10:14 am Nobody is using it yet. They are still trying to raise funding for it.

RowdyandMe wrote: ↑Jul 08 2018 7:42 pm @The_Eagle
I ordered my and it will be here next month.

did you get it?

@joebartels
No it is not going to be delivered until the end of September.

I used my inReach on my hikes over the past two weekends. My wife likes being able to keep track of where I am.

As noted earlier, I don't think that the inReach sends out track points when it's sleeping, though it's possible that there's some setting that I'm missing which would make it do this. That said, it seems to work okay when paired with my phone and the Earthmate app is running. When I used it on Sunday, I didn't open the app until well into my hike. From what I saw on the map, I don't think that any of the points for the four or so miles that I had already hiked had been sent yet. As I was using it, those points suddenly appeared.

I'd really feel better about this device if I had some certainty that track points were being sent out. My wife knows that if my location hasn't changed in the course of about half an hour then something is probably wrong.

@KBKB
With the Spot 3 I had I always checked in at the trailhead that way they know where my car is.
Now does your inreach give you weather reports?.

KBKB wrote:My wife likes being able to keep track of where I am.

Ouch.

RowdyandMe wrote:Now does your inreach give you weather reports?.

Don't know. I haven't used that feature yet.

InReach will give weather reports, it’s pretty awesome. Costs “1 message”, iirc, from your plan.

My one experience with the weather reports that inreach provides was less than impressive. Unlike a NWS pinpoint forecast (like you can get on the HAZ map), inreach gives the forecast for the nearest town/city rather than where you actually are.

So, when you're backpacking in the Sierra Nevada, you get the forecast for Sacramento or Bishop or whatever. Which is, of course, completely useless.

I haven't researched this further, only having encountered a group with an inreach that was providing a forecast that was wildly inaccurate. The inreach owner was at least aware that the forecast they were receiving was from a nearby city rather than where we were.

@chumley :shrug: I’ve used it twice now w good results, both times were based on my lat/long. So maybe usage difference? Dunno.

@jacobemerick
You have the inreach+ right?

@RowdyandMe Explorer+, yes. That may also be the difference.

@jacobemerick
I am getting a somewear at the end of next month. It also uses the indruim satellite system.
I am really looking forward to getting it.
After that maybe a new phone I am looking at the black view bv9500 pro.

RowdyandMe wrote: ↑Aug 29 2018 2:55 pm I am getting a somewear at the end of next month. It also uses the indruim satellite system.
I am really looking forward to getting it.
After that maybe a new phone I am looking at the black view bv9500 pro.

Did you get the Somewear Global Hotspot or hang on to the Spot 3?

@joebartels
I do have the Somewear device now.

@joebartels
Of note, a Spot device which has two-way texting option was in use by my friend on our recent 340-mile kayak trip down the lower Colorado River. After more than a week of use it developed a problem: it would no longer charge up. It also had to be duct-taped against places where it was going to leak water. The company overnighted a replacement, but we had no tracking device for a few days, between Lake Havasu and Blythe. My friend said he will use the device until the contract is up, and then get a Delorme.

@azbackpackr
Do you mean a Garmin InReach? As far as I know, Spot's don't have two-way communication, though there may be a Sat phone model.

@rcorfman
Yes there is a new one out. It's a Spot. I can find out the model name if you like.

@azbackpackr
It's a Spot X I believe.

@RowdyandMe
@rcorfman
Yes. I just now heard back from my friend.