On satellite beacons, rescue, and safety while elk hunting.

[blackpowderhunter]

I have a small Rescue Me PLB that I attach to my life vest when out fishing.  The nice thing is it is small and compact and super easy to use and no worry about batteries as it has a 7 year battery life unless activated.
Easy to clip onto a backpack strap in case of a fall where you cant get up to get your inreach or other out of your pack.
I also made my wife download onx and I send her my potential camping/hunting areas to have pinned on her phone.  I hunt with a group of friends but you never know...

[Caseyd]

I agree.

I carried a spot for ten years and got a InReach 2 years ago. I hunt alone and recreate over water and land a lot.

Some other things I do.

I run Rhinos. I leave one in my truck on. As I travel I key the mic which reports my potion to the truck rhino. My family knows this, and know to check my truck for a Rhino.

I carry a whistle
Survival cover
Fire making gear

And a battery operated single device, like electric road flares.

I send a InReach quick message from where I am hunting and when I get back to camp.

I always carry a hand gun. Because in a bad fall a rifle might be lost. I have had that fall.

Just a few ideas.

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Turn on tracking with your InReach and your wife can see where you are in real-time. No need for the rhinos.

[Smokepole]

I've been studying for a ham radio license, in case I'm injured or stranded many miles back.  I wouldn't want any tracking device on me.  I like the humble feeling of being completely off grid and isolated.  But I did break down and buy a handheld ham radio and programmed some repeaters for emergency communication. 

[tbrady]

I broke down and bought a zoleo a little bit more affordable than the garmin in reach. Cheap insurance policy if something goes wrong as long as your conscious to hit that SOS button.

How do you like the zoleo?  I haven't heard much about them.

My buddies and I started using Zoleo's this year and they work great.  We have them set on automatic location sharing so we can more easily locate each other.  I was also able to get a hold of my son to come help with a pack out when I was in the middle of BFE with no cell connection.

[yakimanoob]

I've been studying for a ham radio license, in case I'm injured or stranded many miles back.  I wouldn't want any tracking device on me.  I like the humble feeling of being completely off grid and isolated.  But I did break down and buy a handheld ham radio and programmed some repeaters for emergency communication.

Ham radios are awesome - and so so so much faster and more efficient than sat comms IF you can reach a repeater or nearby ham operator, but that's a big if. 

Yakima county has an incredible repeater network set up by folks from the local club and YSO SAR.  The repeaters are even networked together, so if you can hit one, anyone in reach of any of them can hear you.  Even so, we have trouble hitting repeaters on nearly every SAR mission.

A ham radio is better than nothing (assuming you have a good network of repeaters in your area AND you know how to connect with them), but it doesn't hold a candle to the security of an InReach etc. 

If you want to go off-grid, turn the device off.  You'll still be hard to find if you die instantly, but if you get into a normal emergency you can turn the device on and call for help. 

[Igor]

yakimanoob ------ in your opinion is the InReach a better option than the Zoleo ?

Just doing a little research on Christmas gifts for my sons.

[Stein]

Great advice.  Another thing I do is make a page or two of info that my wife has electronically.  Pics of my truck, license plate #, tent set up, pack, my ugly mug, rifle, the stuff I will have on me and help anyone looking for me.

I go back and forth between InReach and PLB, if I'm not needing to send text messages the PLB is easier to carry and doesn't require a subscription.  It does require someone to push the button though and the InReach automatically sending position updates is great insurance.

[KFhunter]

Wow, great advice Stein

I'm gonna steal a few of those.  I typically send a inreach message "truck is parked here" with the geotag link like inreach does.


All add another tidbit,  teach your rescuers how to save google maps before they leave service, or one text or glitch and they won't be able to pull the map up again

[pickardjw]

Igor - I went with the Zoleo because the monthly plans are little better price to message ratio wise. You also get free weather updates specific to your location. With the InReach weather updates count as one of your messages for the month.

However, with the Zoleo you have to have a smart phone to use the messaging functions. You can send your preset daily checkin message to your default contact and SOS without the phone with buttons on the device. The Zoleo is also a little cheaper up front. The InReach and InReach Mini both have screens so you can use their messaging features separate of your phone if it dies.

I went with the Zoleo because my phone is my map and always stays on me and charged. I don't really send custom messages much anyway. Both use the same satellite network and appear to perform equally in that aspect.

I would say pick whichever one would fit your son best based on that criteria.

[KFhunter]

I got the inreach mini before anyone heard of zoleo, but I'd sure check that out as an apple to apples competitor

[Igor]

Igor - I went with the Zoleo because the monthly plans are little better price to message ratio wise. You also get free weather updates specific to your location. With the InReach weather updates count as one of your messages for the month.

However, with the Zoleo you have to have a smart phone to use the messaging functions. You can send your preset daily checkin message to your default contact and SOS without the phone with buttons on the device. The Zoleo is also a little cheaper up front. The InReach and InReach Mini both have screens so you can use their messaging features separate of your phone if it dies.

I went with the Zoleo because my phone is my map and always stays on me and charged. I don't really send custom messages much anyway. Both use the same satellite network and appear to perform equally in that aspect.

I would say pick whichever one would fit your son best based on that criteria.

Thanks for the input.  They both carry smart phones, and since I'm looking at two of them, price is a consideration.

Do you have any idea if something called Life360 on a smart phone is comparable to Zoleo and InReach ?

[pickardjw]

I haven't heard of that, but looking at their webpage it appears to be something that would be limited to areas with cellular service. The InReach and Zoleo use a satellite connection to send messages so you don't need to have a cell signal to use them. All they need is unobstructed access to the sky. So they won't work inside your tent or in your backpack, but otherwise should connect to a sattelite from anywhere.

[kselkhunter]

InReach vs. Zoleo = InReach is Garmin now and will be much more likely to still be around long term.  Zoleo....make sure you have high confidence they'll still be around in 5 years before "saving" the pennies on using them over InReach.  Otherwise you'll still have to buy a Garmin or other device again in 5+ years if Zoleo goes out of business......


Also remember:  Over the next 5 years there will be over 30,000 LEO satellites in the sky offering internet service and other services for remote areas that will likely spawn an entire new fleet of handheld devices.  Garmin is better positioned to survive that competitive onslaught.  I'd bet good money that Zoleo devices will be collecting dust somewhere in 5+ years.


 

[yakimanoob]

Igor - I went with the Zoleo because the monthly plans are little better price to message ratio wise. You also get free weather updates specific to your location. With the InReach weather updates count as one of your messages for the month.

However, with the Zoleo you have to have a smart phone to use the messaging functions. You can send your preset daily checkin message to your default contact and SOS without the phone with buttons on the device. The Zoleo is also a little cheaper up front. The InReach and InReach Mini both have screens so you can use their messaging features separate of your phone if it dies.

I went with the Zoleo because my phone is my map and always stays on me and charged. I don't really send custom messages much anyway. Both use the same satellite network and appear to perform equally in that aspect.

I would say pick whichever one would fit your son best based on that criteria.

Thanks for the input.  They both carry smart phones, and since I'm looking at two of them, price is a consideration.

Do you have any idea if something called Life360 on a smart phone is comparable to Zoleo and InReach ?

I've only ever used the InReach so I can't really speak to the difference between them. 

There is no phone app that can turn your phone into a satelitte communicator. Cell phones don't have the hardware necessary to access the Iridium or any other sat networks, so you'll need a separate device. 

[Igor]

Thanks so much for all of the input and advice.  I'm basically illiterate when it comes to all of the newfangled communications stuff.  I only got rid of my Motorola flip phone because I had to.........
Sounds like the InReach will be what my two boys get from Santa.