GarmininReach Mini 2, Lightweight and Compact Satellite Communicator, Hiking Handheld, Orange - 010-02602-00

I bought this for my son who is out trecking in the mountains a lot and to ease my worrying about him. It’s a very good product. It shows a clear thick blue line on his tracking route and shows a blue dot when it’s updated his location every fifteen minutes or so. It gives time, speed of walking and latitude/longitude. So far it’s been very reliable. occasionally if my internet has a poor signal then it won’t show up. it seems to be able to cope with remote locations. I would recommend.

Used this while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro what an absolute game changer this was.I was the only person in my group, including guides that could get up-to-date weather reports as and when needed. The map share function was absolutely spot on and being able to send and receive satellite messages to friends and family back home, was a much needed morale boost. I really can’t emphasise enough just how great this thing is! The only slight downside is the activation subscription cost. You need to pay to activate then you need to pay a monthly subscription upfront.

Essential device if you're going to spend any time in the wilderness out of phone range.

If you're looking at this product then you most likely know all about it so no point in me repeating all of its features. When I purchased mine, the most basic monthly subscription service cost about £13. A few months later it was reduced to around £8 per month which I feel is more reasonable. I take this with me every time I'm out on the hills and it provides a reassuring level of peace of mind. It is possible to stop and start the subscription when you think you won't be needing it, but I always forget to do so.

I bought this because for £50 more than the Messenger it provided navigation features and since I don;t have a GPS device(other than my phone) I thought it would provide an extra level of safety. In practice the navigation features were so awkward to use that I just stuck with my phone, so I wish I'd just got the Messenger and saved my money.As a messenger it performed near faultlessly - one check-in message did go missing but all others reached my wife. About 50% of them had no location data because the mini couldn't get a fix. I. used both the Mini and the Garmin messenger app to send (and receive one) messages and the switch between phone and Mini was seamless. And the transmission switch using the phone from cell to satellite also worked as advertised.The software UI is awful. It's completely non-logical with navigation and tracking features randomly scattered around the menus. I'm sure you get used to it eventually but for a beginner it is dreadful. Also, there is no clear indication of whether a message is being sent/has been sent/failed. You press the button and just wait and trust that it will go through. The Garmin Explore navigation app is the worst I've used and made worse by the strange mix of terms used - tracks, routes, courses... Some work with some devices but not others. It's confusing and surely unnecessary. In the end, it was easiest to use (any) other app and export a GPX file and then import it to the Mini.I didn't have to use the SOS, and hopefully never will, but it was reassuring to know it was there.I also bought a cheap holder/attachment for my rucksack strap that helped with usage on trail. Having it dangle via the supplied karabiner didn't feel safe.EDIT: After 6 months of use I have figured out the explore app and it is usable. The actual navigation on the in reach works well most of the time and I have used it on several trails now. I still treat it as a backup to the phone app which obviously has a bigger screen and so shows more context. But the in reach has been useful confirmation of which side of a fork to take for example. Enough that I am now glad I paid extra for the mini over the messenger.

It is a great source of comfort knowing you can contact an emergency service if need be and checking the weather report is very helpful too!

The inreach mini 2 is an essential piece of my expedition kit. Once set up and subscribed to, it’s great for tracking waypoint and sharing back to family and friends. The option the send and receive messages is great too!

I'm really happy with the Garmin, it's nice and quick to establish a connection. I was able to sign up with a introductory offer and on a couple of walks I also tested the messaging feature when I didn't have any signal, was a great reassurance to know I can send a message without any signal even just for a check in point.