We used to have a couple of Sat phones on my ranger district. The Teton Wilderness covers a bit under 600,000 acres and there are many dead spots where you cannot hit a radio repeater. As you put it, “emergency use” for wilderness crews, especially for medical emergency. Because of battery life, the phones were turned off until needed by those in the backcountry. For that reason, we couldn’t call them, even if we wanted to. Sometimes, we would establish a call time and the phone would be turned on in anticipation of a call from me.

Frankly, unless you are also going way-y-y off the beaten path, like into a true wilderness, I have difficulty imagining a real need for one in this 21st century world. I guess you know your needs though.

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
Another recommendation for the Garmin Inreach.
We’ve used ours on trips to Africa, the Middle East and Asia without fail.

Another recommendation for iNreach here. I’ve previously used both Iridium and GlobalStar phones. GlobalStar proved to be very finicky and unreliable. Iridium was reliable but bulky and sometimes slow to acquire a sat lock to make a call. The iNreach has been perfect for my needs which is primarily for backcountry travel. I take 5-6 week-ish long trips in NA a year where there is mostly no cell coverage. I have the older iNreach with the on device controls and also use it as a backup GPS. IMO it’s lighter and better than a sat phone. I’ve been able to send messages in a complete whiteout, from inside a tent, near a window in a ski hut, etc. You can pair it with your phone and the SOS feature goes directly to GEOS. I also have global rescue subscription and you can leave instructions with your GEOS profile. While it’s not a true replacement for a PLB, it’s pretty darn close. I’ve had it for 4 years now and while I’ve never used it for a true emergency, I have sent plenty of check-ins and route change updates to my wife. Pairing with your phone makes it quick/easy to send messages, and it usually just lives attached to the back of my pack while I keep my cell handy. I’ve also gotten updated weather reports through it which was extremely helpful at the time since the forecast had changed dramatically since I left a cell service area.

Very good info guys. It’s much appreciated. I admit the sat phone would be the most unlikely used piece of kit in a *true* emergency, but it could save a life in a pinch. I needed one years ago when I fractured my back on Mt. Hood. It would have been a game changer then. True I probably will never be in that type of situation again, but having gone through that experience plus having been a paramedic for a decade... I tend to be a bit paranoid.

quote:

Originally posted by dry-fly:
Very good info guys. It’s much appreciated. I admit the sat phone would be the most unlikely used piece of kit in a *true* emergency, but it could save a life in a pinch. I needed one years ago when I fractured my back on Mt. Hood. It would have been a game changer then. True I probably will never be in that type of situation again, but having gone through that experience plus having been a paramedic for a decade... I tend to be a bit paranoid.

Have you thought about a SPOT Satellite Messenger?

Kinda related. The Iridium satellites for Sat Phone are pretty bright. it's fun watching them while stargazing.