Bob
Trailmaster
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2013
- Messages
- 4,271
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Looks like it's something that uses your existing phone....I agree with @Jackson - more competition in this space is needed.
I love my Garmin inReach mini, but there are plenty of areas it could be improved.
Just briefly looking at their site, I couldn't tell if there's any new innovation or lowered
cost that the SatPaq is bringing to the table.
For tracking maps are way cheaperIt appears to be messaging only? No tracking capabilities, etc.
I like the no subscription fact, but the tracking capabilities of my inReach Mini help out a great deal. In fact, my last hike I tried out Gaia for tracking and my phone was nearly dead after the six hours or so. The inReach is much better in that regards. In canyon country where it's easy to mistake a fork, the tracking capabilities are even more important IMO.
Nonetheless, the more the merrier, and the cheaper for the consumer.
Well, you can still buy a lot of $11.99 Trails Illustrated maps for the price of one $20,000 chopper rideEven cheaper if you don't even buy a map!
In fact, my last hike I tried out Gaia for tracking and my phone was nearly dead after the six hours or so. The inReach is much better in that regards. In canyon country where it's easy to mistake a fork, the tracking capabilities are even more important IMO.
gotta say I've come to really love a smartphone in the backcountry. switch it into airplane mode or power it down as soon as the truck is turned off, and then use it for reading books at night, checking position or marking points occasionally using OSMand, take pics, use the flashlight if headlamp is dead or inconvenient, maybe even listen to tunes while cooking dinner if I feel like it.To me, this looks like a competitor to the Bivystick. I think that smartphone attachments are probably the way of the future, as opposed to standalone devices like the InReach. Just seems like a lot of duplicate hardware, given that nearly everybody in the first world carries a smartphone anyhow.
I don't have a smartphone cause they're smarter than I am, for reals.To me, this looks like a competitor to the Bivystick. I think that smartphone attachments are probably the way of the future, as opposed to standalone devices like the InReach. Just seems like a lot of duplicate hardware, given that nearly everybody in the first world carries a smartphone anyhow.
@Rockskipper Do you count yourself as being in the "first world"?I don't have a smartphone cause they're smarter than I am, for reals.
I'm borderline a product of the digital generation, and I'm honestly not a huge fan of having my phone in the backcountry. It's definitely useful, as you mentioned, but just as an aesthetic preference, I prefer my backcountry experience to be analog. I first got a smartphone in 2013 in preparation for the AT. It got wet and died during a tropical storm in Massachusetts, and I went back to a "dumb phone" until 2016 or 2017. Perhaps I should put "bring a nice camera and leave the phone at home" on my to-do list for 2021!gotta say I've come to really love a smartphone in the backcountry. switch it into airplane mode or power it down as soon as the truck is turned off, and then use it for reading books at night, checking position or marking points occasionally using OSMand, take pics, use the flashlight if headlamp is dead or inconvenient, maybe even listen to tunes while cooking dinner if I feel like it.
I like the idea of doing that a lot and am tempted by it. I can't bring myself to do it though because my phone takes really good pictures and is smaller and lighter than probably most good cameras, and it hooks up to my InReach and makes using the InReach significantly easier. Both of those are pretty much non-negotiable since I like taking pictures and my wife likes to get periodic information on whether I am alive and well. Haha.Perhaps I should put "bring a nice camera and leave the phone at home" on my to-do list for 2021!
Perhaps if you go on a trip together, you can accidentally leave the phone at home. Oops!I like the idea of doing that a lot and am tempted by it. I can't bring myself to do it though because my phone takes really good pictures and is smaller and lighter than probably most good cameras, and it hooks up to my InReach and makes using the InReach significantly easier. Both of those are pretty much non-negotiable since I like taking pictures and my wife likes to get periodic information on whether I am alive and well. Haha.
She'll eventually get over that.my wife likes to get periodic information on whether I am alive and well.