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Initially I thought the same re: hiking, skiing etc. The only issue I see is that cellphone battery life is terrible compared to inReach like devices. Not sure I'd want to depend on it for longer than a few hours.

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schiffern 15 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Good news: people who pay more still get all those benefits.

And now, other people have some access (if non-optimal) to rescue services, despite the fact that they didn't (or couldn't afford to) pay more for inReach.

I see this as an unqualified win.

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blinded 18 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Same. Done a few trips to alaska and had to coordinate pickups and food drops via garmin inreach. Battery life on those is way better and more durable.

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Mashimo 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Modern smartphones can hold the battery for over a week with minimal usage. You could just turn data on when every few hours or so. It's not automated though.

At least my work S24 says ~16 days in airplane mode + power saver. Not tested.

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njarboe 18 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Yea. My inReach device stays charged for months when it is off.

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rcpt 11 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I take my inreach kite surfing and I don't have to worry about it getting wet.

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kortilla 17 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Turn off your phone?

	▲	jebarker 17 hours ago \| parent [-]
		With an inReach I have the option of periodically tracking my position and uploading that to a site my loved ones can check. Even whilst doing this I can leave the device on for a multi-day trip without worrying about battery drain. I'm not saying you couldn't do this with a cell phone, but the inReach is just a more robust solution for a safety critical application.

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nordsieck 18 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> The only issue I see is that cellphone battery life is terrible compared to inReach like devices. Not sure I'd want to depend on it for longer than a few hours.

I think it depends on the application you're using it for.

If you're constantly using the gps - yeah, I'd definitely agree with you.

But if you're using it purely for emergency communication, you can just turn off the cell phone, and it should be fine.

It's also possible to pursue a hybrid approach by bringing a battery to change the phone.

	▲	threeseed 15 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		> you can just turn off the cell phone, and it should be fine Cell phones are far more sensitive to temperature issues than dedicated devices. And when you do have an issue no external battery is going to help you because they are also sensitive.
	▲	PaulDavisThe1st 17 hours ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		> It's also possible to pursue a hybrid approach by bringing a battery to change the phone. Or, as I have done on multi-day trips, a solar panel and a battery.
	▲	greenie_beans 2 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		ah yes, let me just trust a glass screen with a cold sensitive battery during an emergency