Rejoice, adventurers and wilderness wanderers! The Garmin inReach Messenger measures 7.9 cm x 6.4 cm / 3.1 in x 2.5 in, and weighs just 114g / 4oz – the ideal size to fit snugly in the palm of your hand, the pocket of a waterproof jacket or hiking backpack.
Aside from global two-way texting, the inReach Messenger allows for location sharing and sending S.O.S. messages. A highly versatile device, the inReach Messenger can be used as a stand-alone emergency beacon, or paired with one of 80 compatible devices such as several smartwatches and handheld GPS devices for extra functionality.
According to Garmin, you can trigger an interactive S.O.S. alert when encountering dangers while out on a backcountry adventure, or even if you’re far beyond the reach of any network coverage. This feature allows you and your recipient to communicate, follow up for help on the way, and let your family and friends back home know how things are going.
With a dedicated SOS button that’s easy to find and press in an emergency, the inReach Messenger will send a distress message to the Garmin International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC), a 24/7 Garmin-staffed professional emergency response coordination center. From there, the team will coordinate a rescue response and continuously monitor the incident until it’s resolved. During this time, the IERCC will stay in touch with you reassuring that help is on its way, and reaching out to your designated emergency contacts.
When the inReach Messenger syncs to the Garmin Messenger companion app for smartphones, it taps into all available methods of connectivity to facilitate two-way texting and group messaging even in super remote locations. The Messenger companion app ensures each message is sent by automatically selecting between Wi-Fi, cellular or satellite connectivity based on earliest availability.
Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of global consumer sales, says “Garmin inReach devices are trusted by hundreds of thousands of users globally for communication and peace of mind”.
“The all-new inReach Messenger is no exception, but with its multiple communication networks, ease-of-use, and smartphone compatibility, it’s a handy device for those who want to easily keep in touch even when out of normal cell coverage. Like all inReach devices, inReach Messenger sends an SOS message to the Garmin IERCC, which has responded to almost 10,000 inReach SOS incidents”, Dan added.
Messages sent to GEOS, the Garmin International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC), during an SOS aren’t charged. However, for messages to anyone other than GEOS during an SOS, standard messaging charges will be applied based on your plan.
The InReach Messenger is tough, impact-resistant, has a waterproof rating of IPX7 and can be submerged in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. Also, it has a battery life of 28 days when set to default settings. With Garmin’s latest ‘Safety Charging’ feature, you can connect your smartphone to the inReach Messenger to get enough charge to send out custom text messages from the Garmin Messenger app.
It’s predecessor, the classic 2016 Garmin inReach Explorer Plus comes with a screen for texting on the go. The Garmin inReach Messenger is available at $299.99 on Garmin’s official website in the US, and £249.99 in the UK.