Anyone with Garmin InReach Mini experience?

[TooTall]

Giving thought to upgrading my Spot Gen 2 locator to a Garmin InReach Mini.  Anyone here with personal experience with one in the Hills?  I've read numerous reviews on this and the Spot X; the InReach seems to be preferred.  Best price appears to be on Amazon.  Input?  Thoughts?

Looking forward to getting back on some single track.  Enjoying "self quarantining" on dual sport rides currently.

[Wacked]

I picked one up 1.5 years ago after an "impromptu camp-out" in Victoria Lake area.

So, before that, I'd had a Spot the last 3-4 years.  No issues on how it performed and I had it on me that night.   I issue came in that my wife had to interpret what I was telling her between the 2 buttons that I would randomly push.  Each button had a preset message that I had plugged in 2-3 months prior.   Sue was trying to guess how and if she should help out and/or rally the troops.  (some of the troops she tried to rally wanted to stay snuggled in their warm, comfy bed and not answer the phone...... ).  Ultimately she got the impression that I was not in dire "send-out-the-Guard!" kinda trouble.

For $2-3 bucks more a month, the In-Reach
  - provided detailed back and forth communication
  - better satellite coverage network

Its a little more techy to use.  You need to interface with your cell phone to communicate unless you blow it up to SOS status.

Hope that helps

[TooTall]

Brad, does the Garmin InReach make contact with satalittes better than your previous Spot?   My Spot Gen 2 really struggles within the trees here in the BH.

[tannerc]

I have an InReach, but its the bigger 60csx sized one. It works great, pair it to your phone and send texts msgs easy, plus the app works like having an extra gps with. A friend and myself used them quite a bit while we were out in Idaho riding.  Garmin has a new unit with it all combined into one unit and that would be the way to go if you can swing the cost I thought it was like 899 or something.

[Wacked]

Ron -

I'm not sure how to answer the tree question - I don't know if its the trees being a problem or the number of satellites buzzing around over your head. 

Can't remember when I was digging into it, but there was something like 3-1 satellite coverage with the In-Reach network.  That equates to less gaps/holes in the sky and better connection.

Haven't experienced connection issues with either

[TooTall]

Thanks for the input Wacked and Tannerc.  Planning to pick up an inReach this spring.