Garmin inReach® Messenger Plus, SOS Satellite Communicator with Photo, Text & Voice Messaging Without Cell Service, Long Battery Life, Durable, Temperature-Resistant, Water-Resistant (IPX7) Design

I used this for a couple of weeks in the mountains of AZ and CO. In CO my friend's Zoleo wasn't working but my inReach worked great. And I love the option to send my location with my message so my other buddy could easily find us. I chose the Messenger Plus so I could send pictures and it worked flawlessly!

Upgraded my satellite communicator from a SPOT to this and have been impressed with its functionality and reliability. Battery life has been great. It is awesome being able to send pictures from the backcountry. The subscription price is reasonable. Highly recommend to anyone that enjoys spending time in remote areas and wants to stay in touch with friends and family.

I bought this when I got my motorcycle and it was a good thing that I did. I went on a fire road and went over the side and thankfully I wasn't injured. However, I was 8 miles from the nearest road and without cellular service. The in which messenger did what it was supposed to do and contacted search and rescue.

I needed offshore communication and satellite tracking so family on land could confirm my location; this device is perfect and works perfectly... I distribute the tracking page to the families of friends on my long trips so they have peace of mind.. very happy

Bought his to upgrade my communication during my annual September canoe trip in Algonquin Park. The phone interface worked perfectly as did connection with the satellite. Simple texts went quickly and smoothly as did replies. Sending photos to multiple people took considerable time. One evening it took almost 2 and a half hours to send 8 texts with 6 photos.

I go hiking quite a bit and I am planning to do some bigger backpacking trips this year. I bought the agar in Inreach Messenger Plus after doing extensive research on if I should get the mini or messenger. I really was looking for an SOS device I could message my family periodic updates. I didn't plan to use it as a map. I still plan to use my phone and an external charger for maps, which is one of the reasons I love this little device can also charge my phone if needed. I hope I never have to use it as an SOS device, but I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. I do wish it had a way to strap it to the strap of my bag, but I don't mind leaving it in the pockets and pulling it out when needed, or using my phone through it.

I picked up the Garmin inReach Messenger Plus specifically for international travel, and honestly it's become one of those things I can't imagine leaving home without. The big draw for me was knowing that no matter where I ended up — sketchy cell coverage, remote countryside, middle of the ocean — I could still get a message out or call for help if things went sideways. That two-way satellite messaging works everywhere, and it actually works. No hunting for local SIM cards, no praying your roaming plan covers this particular mountain range. The form factor is great too. It's small enough to toss in a day bag or jacket pocket without thinking about it, and the battery life holds up well even over longer trips. The Garmin Messenger app pairs with it cleanly, so you can type messages from your phone rather than pecking away on the device itself — a small thing that makes a big difference day to day. If you travel internationally with any regularity, especially to places where cell service is spotty or expensive, this thing pays for itself in confidence alone. Highly recommend.

Like 99..9% of people who buy something like this I have not needed it so this review doesn't cover the most important feature and benefit of carrying it. The setup was documented clearly enough and wasn't too frustrating. Testing the satellite texting is also easy enough, but testing the non-emergency messaging was not. The manual doesn't include a clearly demarcated and easy to follow section on non-sos use. The scenario I have found myself in is being outside of cell phone coverage when experiencing an accident or mechanical breakdown (bicycling). I can't make a normal phone call, but I am within several hours by car as long as I can communicate to friends that I need help and can tell them exactly where I am. I finally figured it out after learning that when messaging the location data is NOT sent by default as the manual suggests. You must select it my clicking on a small icon that in no way seems indicative of location. I have not yet tested to see how it works without the phone app and so far the manual is NOT making that easy. I graduated from college a long time ago, which might either explain why I find the manual frustrating or why ithink it needs improvement. Emergency devices should NOT be this difficult to use.

The instructions to navigate and use Messenger Plus are not detailed...I have had to call Garmin twice so resolve problems. Once it is set up it works fine, but the battery life is less than I expected, and syncing to a different phone is not straight forward. The feutures a great, especially tracking and the weather reports.

I used the messenger on a backcountry trip. It was very difficult to show people how to track my progress. It appears to be a robust build and I hope it would work for SOS. Text checkin messages don't seem to go anywhere. The same thing with regular messages . Probably it will be great after we figure out how to use it. Very difficult for me to figure it out. I have another trip planned for Bears Ears in Utah next month, so still trying to figure it out.