Remote Communications

Throughout some of our trips we've been in some isolated areas with no cell service, wifi or other means of communication.  Recently, we saw a handheld device that uses satellites for two way text communications and decided to give a try, mostly for potential emergencies.  It's a Delorme Inreach (model SE) and costs about $250, plus service subscription.  The plans range from about $14/mo to $100/mo depending on features.

Our unit works as advertised and purportedly has 100% global coverage.  It even worked in the house.

It has an SOS button which sends a verified message directly to Search and Rescue, syncs with your mobile devices, sends messages to multiple email addresses or phone numbers, allows others to 'ping' your location, has a trip mapping feature, topographic map capability and optional route guidance.

When we are on the road we usually blog daily and if family or friends don't see the blog posting they tend to get a bit concerned.  This device would allow us to send out a message to them all at once saying that we are out of cell/wifi service range.

For us it looks like it will be worth it for the peace of mind of the SOS feature.  Thought others might want to know that such a device is out there....especially all you hikers.

    - Mike

We have the DeLorme Inreach as well.  We often find ourselves in remote back country in our Jeep without cell service and having a way to summon help for a medical emergency is comforting - especially as we are approaching our 70s.

There is also a less expensive unit called "Spot", they both send your GPS coordinates to a central dispatch center when you press the SOS button, but the Inreach allows for two-way communication via texting on the device confirming receipt and to describe your emergency, whereas the "Spot" is one way only and you hope they have received your SOS.

As Mike mentioned, it is also fun to send messages to family or friends from some remote location, they get an email with a link that brings up a satellite image of where you are - not real time as you are there but some earlier image.

Bob

We have friends off the grid in Alaska and they use Spot on all their dogsledding tours. They are permanently out of cell phone range and use a satellite link for the computer in their cabin. They were very happy with the reassurance Spot gave them and their customers. They may have upgraded to this other one by now.

I'll have to check this out when we go back on the road. That ping thing might not work for me though. I don't necessarily want people to know where I am. I read somewhere (maybe here) that someone's adult kids had the ability to track their parent's cell phone and would call to ask why they were stopping at a rest area for the third time in a short while. I seriously do not want that level of oversight to be in anyone's hands. The safety aspect sounds good though.

Thanks for the heads up Mike!