Outdoor Recreation

Five Reasons You Need a Garmin inReach on Your Next Adventure

September 14, 2023

Sometimes you need four-wheel drive.  

The places we love to explore are many things. They’re beautiful, exciting, mysterious and wonderful. They capture our hearts and our minds and often leave an indelible mark on our lives.

However, on a different day those same places can be dangerous and lonely, and they don’t always play by the rules. That’s not to be an alarmist. It’s meant to be honest, which is the best thing you can do when you discuss your place in the outdoors.

Garmin has been in the outdoor business for 30+ years, helping people navigate in some of the most remote places on Earth. With satellite communication and SOS services increasingly ending up in people’s pockets, we’re glad, because as people push boundaries, venturing off the beaten path and making the world smaller, we hope everyone — regardless of the device they use — makes it back home to loved ones.

Not all satellite communicators are created equally, though. Here are several reasons why inReach® satellite communicators1 serve a critical need for your next adventure.

1. Trust

When building your outdoor kit, there is no room for outdoor products that don’t do their job. Over time, you whittle down the products you take to those you know you can depend on. In short, you take the products you can trust.

Part of Garmin’s mission is to create “superior products … that are an essential part of our customers’ lives.” This is why you continually see Garmin inReach devices being used at the highest levels of recreation on land, air and sea. They’re products people – you – can trust and depend on. This trust has been earned through countless hours spent outdoors by individuals throughout the world.

As a witness to this trust, in December 2022, Garmin inReach reached the milestone of assisting with more than 10,000 SOS incidents thanks to its two-way communication and SOS functionality.

Learn who uses inReach devices and why SOS incidents are declared.

2. Purpose Built

If you work on cars, it’s nice to keep a multitool around. They’re handy, and they’re a good average of the tool you need for simple tasks. Really, it’s better than nothing. But sometimes you need a wrench because the multitool pliers aren’t going to get around that bolt when you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere.

In short, sometimes you need the right tool for the job, and for those who venture off the beaten path, inReach is that tool.

inReach devices have many functions and can do many different jobs, so in a sense they are multi-faceted, but inReach is a tool that has been honed following feedback from countless customers and more than a decade of in-field experience. Every feature is an expert in what it does.

All Garmin inReach devices have core feature pillars – two-way global messaging, SOS through

Garmin Response℠, tracking, location sharing and the ability to be used without a cellphone. After this, you start seeing how inReach devices are purpose-built for different use cases/audiences and why someone would buy a particular device.

Garmin’s full lineup of handheld satellite communicators deliver a lot of powerful features and functionalities from almost anywhere in the world. Find out which device is right for you based on your favorite activities.

Whichever inReach device you choose, know that it is going to be a device that can stand up to nearly anything you throw at it, because they are built to handle the extremes. They have to operate on Denali the same way they would in Denver, as proven by this recent SOS rescue story.

Because like you, the outdoors is its home and where it’s most comfortable.

3. Battery Life

There are few things more disheartening than starting a trip out, looking down and seeing you’re on a quarter tank of gas. It’s the same with battery life on your electronic devices, which is why Garmin has increasingly dedicated engineering resources to the longevity of battery life on its outdoor products.

For example, inReach Messenger has up to 28 days in battery life in default 10-minute tracking mode, and even longer if you change the update rate. If I can get my phone to last more than a day, I’m lucky.  

Nobody wakes up in the morning thinking they’ll have an emergency in the afternoon. That’s the problem: you never know when you’ll need inReach, so you need it all the time. Thanks to the robust battery life, it’ll be ready.

Other battery life (in standard tracking) statistics:

4. Anytime, Two-way Communication

Two-way communication is a core feature on all inReach products and thanks to the device’s use of the Iridium network, this communication extends globally. Positioned in the sky to provide stronger signals and faster connections, the Iridium® network2 allows inReach satellite communicators to relay messages, get weather forecasts, and navigate and trigger SOS alerts — even when you and your device are well out of range of cellphone towers or line-of-sight radio communications.

No matter the time, no matter the situation.

Because Garmin inReach devices offer two-way communication, in emergencies, you can be confident in knowing you won’t be alone. However, we hope you never have to use an inReach for an emergency. We just prefer you send a text telling the kids goodnight, updating friends on the progress of your trip or just reaching out to chat at the end of a long day. With inReach’s anytime, two-way communication, you can bring your whole family along on your trip, even when you’re alone.

Two-way communication on Garmin inReach is there both when you want it and when you need it. For added connectivity, pair your inReach device with compatible Garmin devices including watches, cycling computers and chartplotters.

5. Garmin Response

Based in Montgomery, Texas, the 24/7 Garmin Response team maintains a global database of local first responders, enabling them to quickly reach out to the most appropriate rescue service or other resources in time-critical emergency situations. Through your account, you can save emergency contacts and notes that might be helpful for an emergency response, such as a trip itinerary, medical conditions, allergies, etc. In the event of an SOS, Garmin Response will be able to view this information and reach out to your emergency contacts to inform them of your situation. You can count on the Garmin Response staff to use their experience to your advantage — and offer support in multiple languages — if you’re ever in need of emergency assistance.

Learn what happens when you press an SOS

1Active satellite subscription required. Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit the use of satellite communication devices. It is the responsibility of the user to know and follow all applicable laws in the jurisdictions where the device is intended to be used. 

2To access the Iridium satellite network for live tracking and messaging, including SOS capabilities, an active satellite subscription is required