Satellite Messenger!

[nastygunz]

Being a modern day mountain man, and in NH and VT, many if not most, places do not have cell service. This causes concern amongst  the family if something should happen to me and no way to let anybody know.  I have been doing some research on satellite messenger devices and have settled on and ordered the one below. I think it will work well for me to keep the family updated on my whereabouts and if I have an emergency situation.  Of course I would always suggest letting somebody know where you plan on going and for how long but things often change on a day out in the field.

https://www.zoleo.com/en-us/

[Okanagan]

Looks good.  Looks like it costs a little more per month than my old DeLorme now Garmin system, but it has more features.  Looks like you have to pair a phone with it rather than it working on its own, but I may not understand how it works.  These satelite communicators are an amazing advance in wilderness communication and safety.  You will love it.

[nastygunz]

Yessir, a good balance on price and function, I Hope!  I always get grief from everybody about hunting and fishing and telling everybody where I'm at it's hard to find anybody that still hunts and fishes these days.  Being frugal (cheap) I hate to pay for it and then pay for a monthly service and I'll probably never use it but it does give some peace of mind if I get stuck somewhere.  It does pair with your phone which seems like a good system. It has a 4.7 out of 5 rating on Amazon with 800+ reviews.

[Hawks Feather]

That looks like something that would be good to have - especially if you are hunting in some of the territories like you have. 

[nastygunz]

 Next thing you know I'll be buying some of that fancy Gore-Tex and everyone will mistake me for a flatlander 

[Hawks Feather]

Next thing you know I'll be buying some of that fancy Gore-Tex and everyone will mistake me for a flatlander 

I think that since you have one leg longer than the other from walking hills you will never be mistaken for a flatlander.   

[nastygunz]

Speaking of flatlanders,  theres a wholeeeeeee bunch of them here for the long weekend!

[coyote101]

It's a good idea, especially if you routinely go, to places with poor, or no cell service.
I used a first generation SPOT for many years. It went with me canoe fishing in Canada ten times, moose hunting in Alaska twice, and elk hunting in Idaho. It was great peace of mind for family members at home who worried when we were in the wilderness, and out of touch for many days at a time. I hunt a lot by myself, and kept it in my backpack all the time, even when hunting locally.
The down side of the early SPOT is that is was one way messaging only, and that was a preset message. I pushed the button, and hoped the message got through. Your device will allow two way communication, and that is a huge advantage over the old SPOT.
I hope you enjoy it, and that you'll update us on its pros and cons as you use it.

Pat

[KySongDog]

I use the ACR ResQLink which connects to the government satellites rather than commercial sats.  It doesn't do two way SMS texts and is only for dire emergencies. Like Pat, I hunt alone a lot and it gives some peace of mind.  Hope I never need it.

This is a newer version of what I have.

ResQLink

[FinsnFur]

Thats pretty sweet.
Does it let you post to the forums?

[nastygunz]

 No but I'm going to suggest that to them it's a great idea!