You don’t need to be standing on a treeless prairie, but slot canyons and heavy tree cover can block signals.

Garmin works with the Iridium global satellite network so the Mini can be used anywhere on earth, provided you have decent access to open skies. You can also suspend service for months at a time if you don’t expect to use the device regularly.Īll of that in a waterproof 3.4-ounce package measuring roughly four inches long, two inches wide, by one inch thick. You need a monthly subscription to use any of these features, but they can be had for as little as $15/month depending on messages sent and tracking intervals. It will communicate with nearby Garmin devices. It will send location updates to friends and family back home. It will drop digital breadcrumbs and track location. It can dependably send SOS messages and your location to emergency personnel. But there’s little reason to purchase the larger, more expensive versions when the Mini is so capable. The inReach Mini is a tiny, stripped-down version of the larger inReach SE+ and Explorer+ devices. If you carry a smartphone with you, the inReach Mini is simply the best backcountry communication tool out there. It’s pint-sized, easy to use, boasts great battery life, and is dead-bang reliable when it comes to sending and receiving messages. And it’s awfully hard to imagine any satellite communication gizmo besting the new Garmin inReach Mini. Until that day arrives, however (as terrifying as it might be), if you want to communicate with loved ones or SAR teams in the backcountry you’ll need a satellite communication device. Or a day in which cell service is beamed so thoroughly around the world every square inch of earth is in cell range. Surely there will come a day in a not-too-distant decade when cell phones are able to communicate directly with satellites, no cell towers required.

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