Just an FYI... if you're looking to purchase a Garmin InReach Explorer+, they will be on sale starting this weekend at Cabelas and REI. Both will have the unit for $350. Normally they're $450. Thought you'd like to know. :)

Garmin on sale at REI

Garmin (and SPOT) on sale at Cabelas

Thank you for this.

Wow that’s almost like getting a year of the service plan for free.

Updated with links above.

Thank you!

Garmin's site have then on sale as well.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/c16841-p1.html

Jackfish: "Just an FYI... if you're looking to purchase a Garmin InReach Explorer+, they will be on sale starting this weekend at Cabelas and REI. Both will have the unit for $350. Normally they're $450. Thought you'd like to know. :)

A HREF="https://www.rei.com/search?q=Garmin+inreach" TARGET="_blank">Garmin on sale at REI

Garmin (and SPOT) on sale at Cabelas "

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but I have a SPOT Gen 3. Is the InReach Explorer+ worth it if all I want is the text capability? SPOT cost is $150 per year.

PineKnot: "Don't mean to hijack this thread, but I have a SPOT Gen 3. Is the InReach Explorer+ worth it if all I want is the text capability? SPOT cost is $150 per year."

I currently have a SPOT. Sends the same preset message home every time you send it to the same set of recipients. And although I've never required the SOS signal to be used, I presume that works fine, too. For me, it has worked perfectly for sending my family an "I'm ok" message and they're always glad it.
The SPOT is not a device where messages can be sent back and forth like with a Smart Phone. It cannot be used for texting.

I'm trying to decide if the on-sale cost of the InReach ($350) or the 66i ($500) - plus activation plan - is worth the added texting capabilities and other features that they have.

Of course they are on sale. I just bought one $450 two days ago.
REI price adjustment request coming up

“I'm trying to decide if the on-sale cost of the InReach ($350) or the 66i ($500) - plus activation plan - is worth the added texting capabilities and other features that they have."

This has always been my situation also.

deerfoot: "“I'm trying to decide if the on-sale cost of the InReach ($350) or the 66i ($500) - plus activation plan - is worth the added texting capabilities and other features that they have."

This has always been my situation also."

Bought my InReach a couple of years back and happy I did. Typically, I'm as disconnected from tech as possible, but a couple of times it's been nice to send specific texts instead of the preset ones.

Spent some time camping in Alaska and wasn't as familiar with local vegetation so I asked a friend to look up poison vs. edible plants. Didn't need to survive on those plants so it was a luxury message, but it made the pine tea & morning berries less of a concern.

Bought the 66i this week from REI at the sale price.
With a baby on the way in June, my wife and I thought it would be a good idea if we could keep communication on future trips.

Something we have been watching for some time and finally pulled the trigger last night on the Mini from Cabela's. Noticed last night they had one of their Tuesday deals of 10% off your order if you use your rewards credit card. With the additional 10%, the rewards points and gift cards from Christmas only cost me $50 out of pocket!

Purchased the InReach Mini on sale. Arrives at my mailbox tomorrow.

deerfoot: "“I'm trying to decide if the on-sale cost of the InReach ($350) or the 66i ($500) - plus activation plan - is worth the added texting capabilities and other features that they have."

This has always been my situation also."

I have the inReach Explorer+. Although it has a nice topo map, it's primarily a communication device with GPS-lite functionality. The waypoints have no ability to accept comments. The routes and tracking features seem to be less intuitive. If you have another dedicated GPS, you may find that you'll want to bring both on a trip. Plus this is really a Delorme product that hasn't been fully integrated into the Garmin ecosystem. It does not function with Basecamp but a new, separate cloud-based facility.

The GPS Map 66i - is (I believe) the first fully integrated inReach device into the Garmin family. It's a full-on GPS as well as a satellite communicator. The only downside I have been able to find with this unit compared to the Explorer+ (apart from price) is battery life. It is significantly shorter than the Explorer+ but the latter has tremendous life. That stands to reason as the 66i is a much more robust GPS unit with a larger screen. They employ non-removable lithium-ion batteries about the same capacity as your smart-phone battery. But smartphones draw way more power so don't get the idea that these devices require daily charging. A power pack would likely be a necessary companion for these devices.

If all you want is a communicator - get the mini.
If you want lite GPS guidance features - get the Explorer+
If you want a communicator and you're a GPS "power-user" - get the 66i.

A nifty feature of these devices is that you are provided your own web page of a detailed map that you can share with whomever you want. With this you can have your inReach broadcast your route or location points in almost real time. Necessary? No. But it's also a safety feature particularly if you're travelling solo. If you don't check in or fail to return from your trip, they know your last reported position.

Another delightful feature is the ability to receive weather updates.

I am new to inReach and have tried to be accurate with this comparison. But I would encourage you to research these thoroughly before buying.


.

Great info from everyone. Pat, you just wrapped up all the information into one concise, easily understood, little package. Thank you.

Jackfish: "Great info from everyone. Pat, you just wrapped up all the information into one concise, easily understood, little package. Thank you."

I will agree. Thank you, Argo.

I own a DeLorme inReach SE for my communication device and pair that with a Garmin 64st for recording more accurate track and waypoint trip histories. Carrying both led me to believe that the Garmin 66i was the ticket to combining these functions into one.

However, being leery of the "all my eggs in one basket" approach, along with the 66i's move to a rechargeable battery makes me think that my next move will be to upgrade my 64st to the 66st -- with its removable AA batteries -- and continue to carry the inReach alongside it.

schweady: "

Jackfish: "Great info from everyone. Pat, you just wrapped up all the information into one concise, easily understood, little package. Thank you."

I will agree. Thank you, Argo.


I own a DeLorme inReach SE for my communication device and pair that with a Garmin 64st for recording more accurate track and waypoint trip histories. Carrying both led me to believe that the Garmin 66i was the ticket to combining these functions into one.


However, being leery of the "all my eggs in one basket" approach, along with the 66i's move to a rechargeable battery makes me think that my next move will be to upgrade my 64st to the 66st -- with its removable AA batteries -- and continue to carry the inReach alongside it.
"

Two things on which I'd like to elaborate:

1) Battery: While I have no experience with the 66i, the Explorer+ battery life would likely last me several days - maybe up to a week. My power pack is 20,000 mAh so it would likely recharge my unit as many as five times which is more than abundant for an average-length trip. Again the 66i uses more power. But from what I've seen so far, the battery drain statistics in the brochure for the Ex+ are fairly accurate. This would give me faith in the accuracy of the 66i's battery drain.

2) Daily Check-ins: I made the point earlier of having your real time location serving as a safety feature. But here's a question - What if you're checking in daily with a loved one and before your next check-in your unit becomes dysfunctional or you lose it? What's the protocol then in order to avoid alarm at home?

And one additional point: If you buy one of these units in the after market, make sure the previous owner has fully cancelled their inReach subscription. If this routine has not been settled, Garmin will not register the product to you.

Argo said it all pretty well. Having used a Garmin GPS for almost two decades (76 series and now 78 series), I got used to the power of a good GPS, especially tracking and the ability to load a number of tracts. I've used the 78s several times in the Everglades where I loaded a bunch of very detailed and accurate tracks to help navigate in the mangroves in places such as "The Nightmare".

I had a SPOT3 and a PLB for emergencies, but then I got an InReach for the 2-way texting ability. I want to know that things are good at home, too. So right after I bought it, the 66i came out. Damn.

I discovered the InReach doesn't support tracks. It hits its limit with 200 points per track. And the InReach doesn't "talk" to most computer interface programs such as Google Earth or EasyGPS, which work very well with my 78. So the InReach is an underpowered GPS but still awesome to communicate and get weather forecasts in the middle of nowhere.

I have the annual "activation fee" and just pay the subscription on the months I use it, so it is cheaper than the SPOT over the course of the year. Unless you call SPOT and try to cancel it, THEN they will offer you some very cheap annual plans, as low as $50.

Joe