[pct-l] InReach or Out of Reach?

[Eric Martinot]

I've used the InReach on about 800 miles of the PCT over the past two
years with mixed results. Overall, I've been able to send and receive
messages almost all the times I try, probably about 8 times out of 10,
although not without some hassles or delays.  It's proved a useful
companion on the trail given the lack of (AT&T) cell coverage in most
places.  Especially to arrange pick-ups with support people at the next
road.  (I set two of the three canned messages to "will be there in 24
hours" and "will be there in 2 hours" just in case the phone stops
working to write custom messages, you can still send the canned messages
without the phone.)  Also to get weather updates on long sections, and
of course share daily joys and frustrations.  I've never used the maps
features.

Delorme went through a steep learning curve from when they introduced
it, in terms of getting the bugs out, customer service, improved
documentation, adjusting the meanings of the various lights and patterns
of lights on the device, etc.  It's all much better now than it was at
the beginning of 2012, but still a bit finicky.  First were problems
with bluetooth pairing, was probably my (Android) phone's fault too, but
the connection between the InReach and the phone kept breaking, leaving
outgoing messages in limbo.  That was mostly fixed with some new
firmware updates to the InReach earlier this year, but the bluetooth
connection still hangs sometimes and everything has to be unpaired and
turned off and restarted and re-paired to get it to work again.  

Satellite reception is what causes delays.  Sometimes it will take 5-10
minutes for me to get an acknowledgement that a message is sent, as I
vary the position of the device or move to a different location locally.
Usually I'm sending at night from my tent and I set it down on the
ground outside the tent, sometimes it works, other times just elevating
above the tent gets the "message sent" acknowledgement to go on.  One
time I had to go out into the middle of the stream on rocks to get a
clear view of the sky when camped in a wooded valley (carrying phone
too), then it worked.  Even out in the open in daylight, it seems
sensitive to one particular direction being obscured, like a ridge or
outcrop in the distance in one direction.  So its not like GPS where it
can connect in multiple directions--if the proper direction isn't
available, it won't work right away, takes some waiting until a
satellite moves beyond the obstacle, it seems.

Delays in receiving messages is a different issue.  According to their
documentation, it only checks for incoming messages every 10 minutes or
so, unless you send a message, in which case it pulls incoming messages
in right away. So sometimes if I want to check for incoming messages
immediately, I send a dummy message just to get the system to send my
incoming messages.

Overall, I'm reasonably satisfied, because of the two-way communication
and positive verification of outgoing messages, both for logistics and
for safety if I'm out solo on a very remote section with no one passing
by for days (especially off-season solo in snow).  It's a bit heavy, so
I don't use it on every section, just where logistics or safety are a
particular issue.

At $10/month year-round for the 10-message plan, and monthly rates much
higher for more messages during hiking season (and then a hefty fee to
downgrade your plan for the off-season), its not cheap. But I justify
the $10/month fee year-round because I live in earthquake country, and
figure the emergency communications capability via my (solar charged)
phone and the InReach, in case all phones and internet are down during a
major earthquake, is worth the price.  (It's the first real consumer
alternative to a solar- or generator-powered ham radio for
emergency/disaster communications.)