Ipad & InReach - a 30 day field test of navigation and communications

[JRhetts]

.....I hope I'm not too old to figure things out, still have the desire to get out there and in good enough shape yet. If the Ipad and whatever map program is useful is more user friendly, I don't mind the expense, but my way of thinking is that you absolutely have to trust your maps and device. Bottom line, would I be better off to use an Ipad, for on the highway, offroad and reserve the Garmin for when I am hiking or ?

Gero

Gero

I'm 70 and use all this stuff, so it's possible. You have so many perfectly understandable questions that it's a bit cumbersome to go thru them all here on a public forum. If you'd like to contact me and perhaps spend some time on the phone to help you move forward, PM me and we'll work something out.

John

[nuclearmonkey]

Great write up Jeff! You sold me on the inReach. One question tho: I've been dragging my feet on picking up an iPad for quite some time now. If going with a setup where both the inReach and the iPad will be used together, is there any reason you've come up with where you felt the need to have a 3G iPad as opposed to a wifi only? i.e.. have you lost the connection ever & had to rely on the iPad's own gps? Do you think it's worth having the backup gps capability of a 3G iPad? I still might go with a cellular capable iPad for data anyway, but just wanted to weigh the options and get your take.

Thanks!!
-Aaron

[LanceNoell]

Thanks for the write up Jeff, you sold me.
My wife and I went to REI yesterday and with my dividend and the mail in rebate saved over $100 on it. Too bad they don't include GPS items in the 20% off sale going on, but at least my wife got a new back pack and so she's happy.
I got everything set up with coffee and the cat this morning (cat stepped on the keyboard halfway through registration and made everything red) and sent / received my test text while the inReach was sitting inside next to my desktop. No complaints so far!
The wife, cat, and I do a lot of BC camping and my wife has severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, if we ever get stranded it's me walking out and her and the cat staying at camp until I can reach help. Never the best solution. CB's won't help where we usually go. I've always felt that a HAM would be the answer, but never felt comfortable with my wife having to use it in case of an emergency [with me] in the back country. I saw the inReach at REI at christmas and have slowly been reading and comparing. For us, it's just the right answer to be able to feel secure that if we need help and she had to be the one to get it....it can now be done with ease.
I also really like that when I'm out scouting / exploring by myself or with buddies, I can always let her know when were running late. It's tough on her since she doesn't drive herself and this is just one extra plus in letting me out of the house.....LOL!!


Thanks again, I'm downloading maps now. BTW: I'll be using this with an Iphone5 and also using MotionX...."on the side".

Peace!
-Lance