When we think about remote adventures, we think about rolling hills, towering mountains, deep valleys, and getting away from it all. Some people yearn for this type of escapism, but in a lot of cases there are friends and family back home that will want to check in, make contact, or just have peace of mind that everything is OK when you go venturing beyond the realms of traditional mobile phone coverage.
We rely so much on our smartphones that it’s easy to assume everything will be okay when exploring the great outdoors. Our phones can do it all, but only to a certain extent.
Outdoor adventures, events, or challenges can vary dramatically, from solo hikes or group skiing trips to quad biking or travelling somewhere remote. Even something as simple as a dog walk can mean heading through areas with little to no signal.
For scenarios like that, a satellite communicator would keep you digitally visible because you can share your location on a map, send check-in messages to say you’re OK, or call for emergency assistance when you’ve got no phone signal. Whereas a short-range two-way radio would be much more fitting for group adventures as they cater for real-time voice communication at the push of a button in case the group gets separated.
For solo travellers, hill walkers, mountaineers, or anyone taking on a sporting challenge through an isolated region, staying in contact with home or event organisers provides critical reassurance. It might be as simple as letting someone know you’ve reached your overnight stop, sharing your progress during a long-distance challenge, or telling family you’re delayed but everything is OK.
Simple contact touchpoints like this become a lot harder when you venture beyond the reach of mobile coverage. However, satellite messengers provide a way to maintain connectivity, allowing loved ones to follow your progress, while check-ins can confirm that you’ve arrived somewhere safely. If plans change unexpectedly, you still have a way of communicating rather than leaving those back home in the dark.
This isn’t just about major expeditions either. You might take longer than expected on a remote hill walk, poor conditions might change a mountaineering route, or an injured dog several miles from the car could suddenly mean you need assistance. Having a way to communicate when there is no mobile signal can make these situations much easier to manage.
Two popular options are the Garmin inReach Mini 2 and SPOT Gen4 GPS Messenger, both offer SOS capabilities, although they treat off-grid messaging and communication differently. The SPOT Gen4 lets you send pre-defined Check-In or Custom messages to key contacts (each of which are decided before you head out), making it a straightforward way to let people know you’re okay or share your progress.
The inReach Mini 2 offers greater flexibility through two-way satellite messaging, using the global Iridium satellite network. Pair the Mini 2 with the Garmin Messenger app on your phone
and you can send and receive messages when your phone is out of signal, meaning you can have actual conversations rather than simply a one-way update.
Whichever approach suits the adventure, the principle is the same: heading off-grid doesn’t have to mean disappearing from contact altogether.
Summiting the highest peak or skiing the most extreme runs as a group can create some of the best shared memories, but moving as a group often means becoming spread out or separated by people not keeping the same pace. A person might stop, take a different trail, or disappear in low visibility. Two-way radios such as the Motorola T82 Extreme provide a simple way for the group to communicate without needing to reach for their smartphones. These radios are compact and lightweight, with six miles of communication range, making them ideal for any hiking, skiing, cycling, or climbing expedition. These are rugged radios as well as splashproof, so are well at home in craggy mountain approaches or vast swathes of open country.
Being able to communicate reliably is essential when you head off-grid, but for someone to be able to find you is equally important especially if plans change. Handheld GPS devices such as the Garmin eTrex 32x and Garmin GPSMAP 65s are built for easy-to-follow navigation without relying on mobile signal. The compact eTrex 32x offers GPS and GLONASS positioning with preloaded TopoActive Europe maps, while the GPSMAP 65s adds multi-GNSS support for more demanding terrain. Both provide a useful navigation backup for hill walking, mountaineering and exploring unfamiliar areas.
Tools like GPS handhelds to find your way, as well as radios and communicators to stay connected to those that matter, should be as important as packing waterproofs, food, and even the right footwear. Having that back-up reassurance in the form of global connectivity will help you check-in with family or find your way through unfamiliar territory should you reach an area where your phone signal drops off. Make staying connected part of your preparation before you head out by planning ahead, and choosing accordingly.
