![]() Some have a keyboard function so you can essentially text when you’re out in the field (though because it must go through satellites, there is some lag time). There are several other, higher-end InReach units that have a functional screen and come with preloaded topo maps so the unit can also serve as a GPS. Data from your trips are stored here, so you can easily access the maps and routes from your previous trips to review where you’ve been and where you have yet to explore. The hub for the inReach unit is the Garmin portal, a personalized online headquarters that gives users access to maps, weather reports, data from previous trips, and a contact list of people who will receive your messages when you’re out in the field. Before you take off on a trip into the woods, you simply load up your unit with customized messages, such as “Need tacos,” “Call work let them I’ll be out for another week,” and when you’re out in the field, you can send these to those who you select to be on your list.Īll inReach products also provide basic weather reports for your location or another location you choose, with more detailed weather reports available for an additional charge. They have functions that allow your friends and family to track your progress and get updates on your status. Having the ability to reach out to emergency services is invaluable, but there is a lot more to these little units. ![]() This is particularly helpful in an emergency, as you can communicate with emergency responders about the nature of your situation and you don’t have to second guess whether or not someone picked up your distress call. With two-way messaging, it also notifies you when your message is received. The most basic model, the inReach Mini, works by allowing you to send out status updates, via a GPS signal routed via the Iridium system of 66 satellites, which gives you global coverage. While several manufacturers make these locator units, Garmin’s inReach products have emerged as leaders in the field, both for the variety of models and for reliability. These small handheld devices were affordable and gave everyone the ability to tell worried family members at home that they were okay and, if an emergency came up, allowed travelers to connect with local search and rescue teams. ![]() When consumer-grade satellite messengers came on the scene over a decade ago, they were nothing short of revolutionary. Let’s take a look at the general lay of the land. ![]() Today’s sophisticated GPS-enabled devices link into a system of satellites and allow you to quickly send messages to the outside world. Gone are the days of two-way radios or finding the right frequency to try to get an emergency message out to the world. Perhaps the biggest game changer between how people once traveled in the Boundary Waters versus how they do today has to do with communications. It’s just too big of a topic! However, if you want to know what five essential camera accessories you need to bring into the BWCA, check out this blog from Northshore photographer, Bryan Hansel.Īlso, I’m not going to discuss ridiculous things like USB-heated smart mugs. Without taking a stand on this issue (you’re more than welcome to do this in the comments section) let’s take a look at some of the essential electronics people are packing with them. Wherever you land on this issue, the fact is that nowadays, electronics are a reality of wilderness travel, and in many ways, have changed how people experience the BWCA. The issue of electronics in the Boundary Waters is controversial, to say the least. After all, don’t we plan trips in the Boundary Waters to get away from all the distractions of our hyper-connected world? To experience a more simple, pared-down way of living, if even for a few days?
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