[Cyclopath]

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/793265 https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2022/09/garmin-inreach-messenger-satellite-communicator-hands-on-details.html https://bikepacking.com/news/garmin-inreach-messenger/

[Navy salad]

I just started looking into this device and it seems like a pretty good option. The cost for the device is $300. The battery is double the capacity of the Mini and supposedly good for 28 days with 10 minute tracking (one track point sent every 10') or 46 days with 30' tracking, assuming 8 hours use per day. It works without a cell phone, although it's much more convenient for typing messages when linked up with a cell phone via Bluetooth. You can do group messaging with it. You can also reverse charge your phone with it to a low level, but which could be very useful if there's an emergency and your phone battery is dead. You can also use it to request weather reports, even without a paired smartphone. It doesn't do pre-loaded route navigation. The pricing plans are a bit confusing, but I believe if you get the "Recreational plan" (recommended for hikers/backpackers) and just wanted to use it for a certain number of months per year, the cost would be $35/month. The price per month is cheaper if you purchase an annual plan. I believe all plans include unlimited SOS messaging via Garmin to trigger an emergency response. Next month there is supposed to be a side-by-side comparison with the Zoleo Satellite Communicator on Backpacking Light. There is a preliminary comparison here. Any other thoughts?

[Cyclopath]

[JimmyBob]

Looks to be very similar to Zoleo, where the messaging app will work on Cell/Wifi/Satellite.