Walking Equipment and Accessories

Garmin inReach Messenger | Review

A necessary and dependable bit of kit for the backcountry

If you’ve ever found yourself halfway up a ridge wondering what would happen if you twisted an ankle or your phone died, you’ll understand why this thing matters. It’s not flashy, and it’s not choc-o-bloc full of features, but it’s very dependable, and that’s exactly what you want in a device designed for emergencies.

The Top Line

The first thing that stood out to me was how small and simple it is. It’s sort of the “no-nonsense” member of the Garmin family. It doesn’t try to be a GPS navigator or a miniature smartphone – it’s basically a communication lifeline, wrapped in a rugged little shell.

Related: Best GPS Watches

It’s about the size of a deck of cards, lightweight enough that I forget it’s there, and durable enough that I don’t worry when it swings around on my pack or gets splattered with mud. I’ve never been gentle with my outdoor gear, and this thing hasn’t complained once.

Pros: very useful, rugged build, good battery life
Cons: small screen size, subscription fees

Buy the Garmin inReach Messenger: £220 at Blacks.co.uk

What It’s Best Suited To

If you’re a backpacker, hiker, solo traveler, or anyone who finds themselves out of phone service for long stretches on the trail, I’d say the Garmin inReach Messenger, or something similar, is a must-have investment. You really never know when you might find yourself in a tough spot with no way of contacting the right people for help.

What Does It Do?

The inReach Messenger is essentially a no-fuss satellite communicator that provides messaging services and safety features when you’re outside of phone service.

It works as a standalone messaging device or can be paired with an app for smartphones called Garmin Messenger. The latter uses Wi-Fi, cellular and satellite connectivity for two-way and group messaging when your phone has no service. There’s also stop and start tracking so you can send regular location updates to your loved ones for those who enjoy following you along your travels.

Crucially, in the event of an emergency, the inReach Messenger and Messenger App can also send an SOS message to the 24/7 staffed Garmin International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC). The IERCC can communicate with the inReach Messenger user in addition to notifying the applicable search and rescue organisation or other resources. The IERCC will deliver a confirmation that help is on the way and provide updates on the status of the response effort.

It's safe to say this thing is very weatherproof. All photos: Dave MacFarlane.

Other Features

Don’t go into this expecting a full mapping computer – the Messenger is not a navigation device. There’s no onboard map, and the screen is very small: monochrome, MIP (memory-in-pixel), just about 160 x 68 pixels in resolution.

That being said, the Messenger does support TracBack, a feature that lets you navigate back along the route you came. It’s not super sophisticated, but it’s still handy for basic retracing.

It also has a weather feature where you can request weather forecasts for your current location or waypoints along the way.

Battery Life

In low-frequency tracking – say, when sending a location every 30 minutes – they say you can get up to 46 days of battery life in ideal conditions. In more frequent tracking (every 10 minutes), it’s supposed to go up to 28 days, assuming there’s a clear sky.

In practice, my real-world experience was more modest, but still impressive. Definitely a hell of a lot more effective compared to the battery drain on a smartphone. If you want the full 46 days though, I imagine you’d need a really open sky and a clever use of settings.

Buy the Garmin inReach Messenger: £220 at Blacks.co.uk

Another clever touch: the Messenger supports reverse charging, so you can use its battery to give your smartphone a small top-up. It’s not a huge amount of power, but when your phone’s dead and you’re relying on it to read or reply to messages, that little boost can be a life saver.

Design

The inReach Messenger has a reassuring build for backcountry trips. The casing is tough, impact-resistant, and the device is rated IPX7, meaning it can survive being submerged in about a metre of water for 30 minutes.

The overall size – roughly 7.8 x 6.4 x 2.3cm – makes it portable but not pocket-sized, so I tend to strap it on externally where it has a clear view of the sky. At 114g, it’s light enough not to be a burden too.

The Downsides

There are a few limitations worth mentioning though. Firstly, you can’t use it without a satellite plan, and Garmin’s pricing isn’t exactly cheap. Setting up and understanding the subscription plans can also be quite a confusing process. Still, the peace of mind is hard to beat, and it’s not like other satellite messengers are much cheaper.

The screen is also on the small side. I’ve found that this can be a bit of a pain when you’re trying to get quick info on-the-move, and sometimes means you need to unclip it from your shoulder straps to read the screen.

Verdict

I’ve found the inReach Messenger to be a very valuable piece of kit. There’s not heaps and heaps of big no-service zones here in the UK, but if I’m heading into more remote territories, particularly in mountain valleys, it gives me great peace of mind. I think there’s a few kinks to be worked out, but for its core purpose – communication and safety – I think it’s a great little device.

It’s also worth mentioning that Garmin have just released the inReach Mini 3. This is a more elaborate version of the inReach Messenger, combined with the look and some of the features from the inReach Mini 2. The screen’s a lot bigger, it has a touchscreen display, and you can do voice messaging and photo sharing, amongst other things.

Price: £189
Weight: 114g
Best for: backpacking, thru-hiking, backcountry hikers

Buy the Garmin inReach Messenger: £189 at Blacks.co.uk