Delorme has announced their long-awaited two-way satellite messaging device, the inReach. Unlike Delorme’s first SEND, which was a SPOT product that utilizes the Globalstar satellite system one-way messaging capability, inReach works on the Iridium system that provides full two-way communication, with obvious benefits. Get a firsat look at this new and exciting product that may change wilderness communications forever.

http://www.equipped.org/blog/?p=356

Great to hear. Maybe the SPOT company's most meaningful contribution to the market will be motivating the competition to do a better job than SPOT. And I say that as a SPOT-2 owner.

BTW the link on the ETS blog page is malformed.

Actually, the face of wilderness communications apparently is already changing forever. This is an interesting take: [url=http://http://blog.oplopanax.ca/2011/05/why-you-shouldnt-use-smart-phones-for.html][/url].

Certainly one of her main points, that the pattern of calling for assistance has changed due to cell phone usage, seems to be quite valid. I have read of several instances where confused hikers were asked to take a picture of their surroundings, thereby identifying the locality to searchers. This we could definitely not do in the old days.

Of course, cell phone coverage is not uniform and may indeed by spotty in wilderness. Well, the glass is either half empty or half full. I have been surprised at the places where my phone has worked. It will probably work even more consistently in the future. I just hope they get even better at disguising cell phone towers as trees.

As I get dragged kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century, dragging knuckles and all, I admit somewhat reluctantly that my phone is becoming part of my EDC, both in town and in the woods. After all, I go to the wilderness to seek solitude. What would Natty Bumpo or Nessmuk say?

Want.

I see an Android in my smartphone future...

Is it anything like the geopro?

http://www.geoprosolutions.com/geopro-messenger/


Or the nanopack

http://www.gmpcs-us.com/IRIDIUM/Nano-Pack-comprising-Handset-w-TracPlus.htm

The Geopro runs $700, the Nanopack $1200. They're aimed at corporate users and I suspect have a more expensive subscription cost as well.

One of the single most important steps (IMHO) in making cellphones more ubiquitous is the inclusion of a decent camera. I never carry my Nikon digital camera anymore, and I shoot a lot more pictures than I ever did. If they included a decent camera in that Delorme thing, I think it wouldn't be a bad marketing move.

My one and only question is are the batteries standard and changable?

While I think a device with the communication features is a step forward, I still have a hard time excepting the prices of such devices. Example is the excellent McMurdough PLB, reasonable price for the device and no subscription. However a battery pack is almost as much as the original cost of the device. I'd buy one if it were not for that aspect. The cost of ownership needs to be something near to reasonable. I don't see a pack of small batteries being worth $175!!

So, if you are listening manufacturers...get the cost of ownership down!

Here's what they say in the comments section of http://blog.delorme.com/2011/06/03/delorme-inreach-two-way-satellite-communication/: