I finally caved and bought a satellite communicator for the Wind River Range

For years I thought they were a pricey toy for people who couldn't read a map. Then, on a solo trip last September, I took a bad slip crossing a creek and wrenched my knee pretty good. I was still 15 miles from the trailhead. That $350 Garmin inReach Mini let me text my wife that I'd be a day late and get a weather update showing a storm was coming. It didn't magically fix my knee, but it took the panic out of the situation. Anyone have a favorite piece of gear that went from 'unnecessary' to 'never leaving without it'?

3 comments

3 Comments

claire_ramirez221mo agoTop Commenter

Actually, they're not just for people who can't read a map.

jesse_barnes375d ago

My buddy Dave got his GPS to find a hidden trailhead in the Smokies last fall.

thead441mo ago

Wasn't there a study about how GPS messes with your brain's natural sense of direction? Like it stops you from building a mental map. I read that somewhere. So maybe using one all the time makes you worse at finding your way without it. Kind of a weird trade off. Makes you rely on the tech instead of your own skills.