Spent $300 on a satellite messenger and it felt like a waste until the storm hit

I did the Teton Crest Trail last fall and everyone said a Garmin InReach was a must-have. I bought the Mini 2, plus the $35 monthly plan, thinking it was just a fancy toy for people who worry too much. For the first three days, it sat in my pack and I felt like a sucker. Then on the fourth afternoon, a thunderstorm rolled in faster than anyone expected near Hurricane Pass. The trail turned into a slick, foggy mess and two people in our loose group got separated. That little device let us send a simple 'we're okay but off trail' text to the ranger station and get a GPS pin for a safe bailout route. Without it, we would have had a very long, cold night. Has anyone else had a piece of gear they thought was pointless save a trip?

3 comments

3 Comments

danielr941mo ago

Always worth it when you actually need it.

simonp471mo ago

But man, it just sits there most of the time...

paigep201mo ago

Yeah, and that's the whole point. My power drill lives in a drawer for months. Then a shelf falls and it saves the day. Same with my jumper cables. Buried in the trunk until someone's battery dies. You don't need it often, but when you do, you really need it.