Garmin 010-01879-00 InReach Mini, Lightweight and Compact Satellite Communicator, Orange

I purchased the Garmin Mini InReach to replace a competitor’s product that in this review shall be called Sx. Sx did not perform well in ‘suburban’ testing over three days and never made it to field tests. I had been a user of the Sx’s previous generation of products for over a decade, so I am somewhat well versed in the abilities of it’s system. The InReach Mini exceeded those benchmarks in every way. The InReach Mini passed the same suburban tests without issue in a few hours, moved to field tests where it performed flawlessly and is now just part of the normal gear.

Item was great as expected!

Used this on a bikepacking trip on the Colorado trail and mostly loved it. You can get a cheaper by the month subscription after you pay an annual fee so the up front cost is worth it vs. the spot. Also the ability to send text messages is a big bonus. It is crazy small and light so you wont notice bringing it along.

Its not really about the stars (but Ive given it 5 so folk will read this and be aware), its about what, exactly, this device does and does not do. This as an impressively compact, light and undoubtedly super-handy device and I confess to believing Id found the perfect fit for my north of scotland rambles. Yes, there is a huge but coming . . . which is this device cannot be used for uk location-fixing or navigation as the datum and coordinates options do not allow OS grid reference coordinates. The best options in setup are UTM/UPS coordinates and WGS84 datum - this cannot be related to an OS GB grid ref map. If you want a device to alert the rescue services +/or msg/email your location to friends/family and dont begrudge the HIDDEN additional expense of £24.99 per year on top of the monthly subscription of £14.99 just to use the device, have at it. If you want a device to do that plus simply display your location for position fix or navigating to a location etc this is definitely not it. I had to phone Garmin GB to confirm this is the case. Hopefully they will be cool about returning my already paid £39.88 (see above) to activate the handset. Hopefully. The Explorer is significantly more expensive and seems to offer GB grid refs but all I can say is do your research on that device too. Cheers.

Me gusta viajar en motocicleta y siempre he traído uno conmigo, me siento más seguro para un caso de emergencia y sobre todo si no hay señal de celular. Además en casa saben en donde ando. Requiere suscripción de servicio.

I use this for just in case, but I am able to continue to send and receive messages anywhere I go. so I assume if I needed SOS they would get my message and be able to communicate with me to get me help.

Updated to add: it just doesn’t work at all. Garmin is no help. I will never buy a Garmin product in the future.

I was able to communicate via text message when 30 miles offshore using the Earthmate app on my iphone. Easy to setup, easy to use.

I love this little device. We love hiking off the grid, and needed something to keep in touch as well as call someone in an emergency. This device fit the bill. I feel so much safer.

size is compact