So is the consensus that an InReach as reliable as a standard PLB in an emergency, assuming good batteries?

I have used the InReach quite a bit for communications, but not as a PLB. That is something you can't just go out and test, without getting into trouble. I would defer to Doug Ritter on how well it has performed in tests. It is great for communicating though.

Keep in mind the InReach is bulkier than the current generations of PLBs, and has a monthly subscription. To use it effectively, you pair it with another electronic device, so it is more complicated, and heavier overall.

Personally, I use the same approach as Celler. I have a FastFind as the primary device, and then have a InReach as a supplementary device.

If I could only have one device, it would be my GPS enabled FastFind (or similar ACR product).

-john

JohnN - Just curious - is the battery replaceable on your FastFind? Or do you just replace it every six years?

any chance of a no frills,one button SOS PLB in the works for under $100?..i would like a PLB that i can take on canoe trips that i can afford,no monthly fees,does not have all those "track me" send a message and so on add on's.just something i can carry on my belt so if my old 67YO body gives out i can flip open a cover and hit a big red button and a GPS gizmo will bring help.
there is no cell phone coverage,in fact it gives out just after you leave Orr Minnesota,which is fine with me.
renting a satellite phone would cost $11 a day,last time i checked with a outfitter so that's around a $150 for my normal two week trips plus if i,m down and in shock with a busted hip or pinned under a tree--that happens!!!--fooling around to get a satellite phone to connect would be the end of me--
so..any back room talk about a one big red button SOS PLB for under $100 and no fees???..

I have a 210. My understanding is you have to send it back to them for battery replacement.

-john

I don't know about mfg plans and $100 price points, but about $250 can get you that right now:

http://www.landfallnavigation.com/fastfind220.html
http://www.landfallnavigation.com/acr375plb.html

Personally, my guess is $100 is unlikely. In that price range you might be able to get an older, used model and then replace the battery.

-john

The non-user replaceable battery is part of the legal standard.

The current generation PLBs require them to be sent to a service center for battery replacement. Having said that, nobody is ever going to do that. New generations of PLBs are appearing every couple years. With each generation they get smaller, lighter and deliver better performance. Nobody is going to replace the battery after six years.

Sorry, but that is not correct. There are aspects of the standard that make it a bit of a challenge to have a user replaceable battery given how small the latest units are, but it could be done, technically. It would certainly add size and weight, and cost as well. The first generation McMurdo PLB, much larger than the current generation, had a user replaceable battery pack. No real reason, see my prior response, to do that today or going forward. Size and weight are king