InReach Mini as GPS? Let's find out!

[@shaazy]

What satellite network would this be using in this mode? Iridium or something else?

[@searchingfor6thgear44]

I don't know what system Garmin uses to share the location data between the InReach and the tablet. I believe Iridium but not sure.

[@jaredwhite489]

All depends on your “send interval” on when it updates on Earthmate from what I understand

[@searchingfor6thgear44]

That's the tradeoff. I don't recommend this as your primary GPS because when you increase the send interval you decrease battery life. You have the potential to lose the whole purpose of having an InReach on your person (Satellite Communications) by killing your battery. I did this more to prove to myself, when connected, it's the InReach's GPS that was showing on the app, not the tablet's.

[@antics562]

Great video and great experiment As a backpacker who has been looking into the Garmin and especially its accuracy in an emergency, this gives me peace of mind Thank you!

[@neverendingjourneys6780]

Great to know, totally understand that its power should be kept for emergencies. :)

[@gerykis]

Hi . Great review ! My only concern is how long a battery would last if it would send a location every 1sec ? Did you tried it ?

[@searchingfor6thgear44]

I did not do a battery endurance test. I was more interested in proving that the GPS location in the Garmin app was coming from the InReach and not the tablet. 👍

[@kurteuropa8813]

This is a very good review. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this video. I was planning to buy one for one of my hikes but I think the inReach explorer is the way to go.

[@Oleksandr-smile]

Good day! Please tell me, I want to buy this device, but I can not find information that interests me anywhere. In this video, you showed the real-time movement display. Tell me please, is it possible to display in real time if there is no Internet connection on the tablet or phone through which you are browsing? Will the map be loaded on a device that is not connected to the Internet?

[@searchingfor6thgear44]

Sadly, this is purely an emergency signaling device. I would not use it for navigation except under duress. The other InReach options are better for real-time navigation. The question I was trying to answer is, does the Earthmate software update your location based on the tablet's GPS input or on the InReach input. It was gratifying to see that the tablet's Earthmate app uses the InReach over the tablet's own GPS antenna. I have not tested the InReach map on this tablet, absent of WiFi (a good question). It's been a while, but you download maps from Garmin for the areas you are planning on traveling prior to leaving, so you only need an internet connection when trip planning or you can hot-spot your phone to download more, when needed. For navigation, I rely on the tablet's GPS antenna and GAIA GPS or, if on roads, Google Maps. The tablet is WiFi only, so I need to download maps ahead of time, regardless of which service I use.

[@michaelcunniff5873]

Great Video!! Thanks

[@deathb4dishonor516]

Thanks for taking the time to make this great video! You have helped me "Seal the deal"... Your emphasis on the fact that it's "Main" use is for Emergency speaks volumes! I will now get the 66i, as my main function will be to find trails, water sources etc. #SALUTE!... from #B1Bushcraft

[@bobbystodel1408]

I am planning to have my Garmin Inreach Mini in my vehicle as I do a 43 day trip in Africa in my 4x4. Do you know if I start tracking on Day 1 and stop tracking on Day 43 and sync every few days will I get my total trip on my MapShare even if I have more total tracking points than can be contained on my Mini?

[@searchingfor6thgear44]

Bobby, I'm no InReach expert but, unless I deliberately delete a track, the Garmin explore page holds all tracks. If you are traveling by vehicle and can keep it charged, then you can reduce the tracking interval for more fidelity (as I did in this video). I'm normally riding a motorcycle so the InReach is on my body and I recharge at night, so I use the standard 10 min. tracking interval, which leaves a jagged route, not really a track.

[@paginini]

Great video

[@sipapito]

Thanks for making this video,good back up to habe or use never forgetting to recharge it.

[@kristahikes125]

How do you pair the inreach with gaia maps?

[@searchingfor6thgear44]

I don't have any idea how to pair the InReach with Gaia, unfortunately. I wish I did. I have had times when the phone or tablet isn't updating locations fast enough (when driving) that I end up overshooting a turn. Not often, but it happens. I was using the earthmate ap for the map in this video.

[@kristahikes125]

@@searchingfor6thgear44 OK, thank you. Great video!

[@chodkowski01]

I wonder in snow country if during a snow storm your car slides off the road and you need help could this device transmit a signal to get help?

[@searchingfor6thgear44]

Chad, its primary function is a satellite communicator. Absolutely YES! It can either send a message to friends or send an SOS 🆘 to emergency management when cell coverage fails.

[@westsenkovec]

Your location is revealed in the video.

[@ACiDGRiM]

Pair this with an eink android screen for the perfect long battery hiking maps system

[@BMWLDRider]

Very good to know. I'll be changing my setting per your advice. And I concur on keeping the Mini on your person at all times!

[@abyields7831]

Awesome video Sir, thank you for taking the time to share with us.

[@peterkunka2694]

Okay, this opens up a lot of questions I haven't thought of before. When I go camping I send my loved ones the link and password so they can follow me. I have my inReach mini tracking at 10 minute intervals. If I change it to 1 second, will my loved ones tracking me get more updated location information too? I haven't tried logging in and following myself to see how that works (they tell me it's great and appreciate it). My inReach is plugged into my Jeep while driving, so I'm not concerned about battery consumption while using it all day (I'm an off-road trail explorer and stay with the vehicle). If I were to leave the Jeep and go hiking, I could reduce the tracking to 1, 2, or 5 minute intervals, depending on how long/far away I would be from the Jeep to keep it powered up. Very interesting video, and thank you for any input you (others) may have. Peace. Pete

[@searchingfor6thgear44]

Peter, the tracks on the map at 10 min. intervals look just like that, zigs and zags between points on the map. It doesn't display a smooth route. The higher frequency of reporting, the "smoother" the line on the map will look. It comes down to how you want to present your information or how urgent you feel they need to know where you are "right now." For the most part, I'm going to stick with the 10 min intervals as my wife also has "Find my iPhone" so she can locate me in near-real-time on that in most places. To me, the key of this experiment was proving that the InReach updated the location on the Earthmate app and not the tablet's internal GPS. I wanted to "see" that so I could better understand what was going on when riding (the tablet is my GPS on my motorcycle).

[@peterkunka2694]

@@searchingfor6thgear44 I understand completely. Very good experiment (I think you got the results you were looking for) and I will have to do the same for myself. Thanks for your time and explanation.

[@clumsy1333]

How far does the bluetooth work?

[@searchingfor6thgear44]

Ann, I only tested it out to about 100m, line of sight.

[@clumsy1333]

@@searchingfor6thgear44 That's not bad.

[@robbabcock_]

That's pretty sweet!

[@TheWanderingGeezer]

How is this news?

[@searchingfor6thgear44]

Good question. I searched the internet and could not find anything. When I start the Earthmate app up with the tablet, but have not connected the InReach, the tablet's GPS runs everything. What I couldn't find any information on was if the InReach "took over" GPS responsibilities from the tablet, once connected AND if the InReach could be used to provide near-real-time location updates on the Earthmate app. Since I couldn't find the information (granted I don't spend a lot of time on Reddit), I decided to create this experiment. It may not be "news" but it's data I couldn't find anywhere else. Hope that helps answer your question?

[@Michael-s2p3p]

Useful information for me and something I didn’t think of doing. This little dynamo has indeed changed to be my primary GPS, my backup is the Garmin 64st, or my cell when I have a signal. The Topo interface on my phone is a much better display than a handheld GPS and done without a cell signal! Thanks for you video.