If you're not a professor or a professional trainer/teacher then you are missing your calling. This was absolutely the best explanation of somewhat complicated material. Thank you so very much for putting the time and effort into helping your fellow humans' decision making so much easier. My intentions are strictly to stay in touch with my two sons if and when the grid and cell phone service goes down. Much appreciation.
the most expensive part of my thru hike was my monthly garmin in reach bill. i really didn't understand the plans or how to use the mini. tracking and messages cost me the most. i sent messages over one week ....that really killed me.
I’m watching this as of September 1, 2024 and this is exactly what I needed. I am just starting my adventures in scuba diving and will be going several times a month to different places. God willing other countries I think the annual safety plan will be the best one because I would still have my cell phone obviously not in the middle of the ocean with unlimited messages. And Seems like the best plan and it’s 11.95 now. and if you have divers alert, Work, you’ll have search and rescue so you don’t need to get any of their extra insurance is for Garmin. This is the video I needed thank you.
excellent analysis Dan. I am going to follow your advice and go with the annual Freedom plan. I would add the non-math/money factor that if you have the annual plan you never have to think about whether to skip months, you never go without coverage if you have skipped a month and decide to go out into a non-cell covered area. And peace of mind is worth something.
This was a very good video! I honestly usually just buy the largest plans to always be covered but with your break down I am purchasing the annual recreation plan as I don’t feel I will go over the break even point of it ! Thank you for taking the time to make this !
Very useful video. Well done and thank you ! There is something else, in my opinion, that should be added (but has nothing to do about money): with the annual plan, you have absolutely no risk to forget to activate you plan. You know the plan is always ON. Go whenever you want and don't even think about the plan, the activation or whatever... This might be different with the monthly plan, especially for someone like me who forgets things very easily ! :)
thanks for the great explanation of the plans as I was just about to purchase mini 2 device but the features is way more expensive than I expected. I was put off by sat phone plan expenses but I just might put it back on the table. Great video thanks for the info.
Great review. One thing I think should have been mentioned is the SOS functionality and its cost. yes, SOS is included in the iridiun plans, but depending on where you are you may need extra SOS 'insurance'/memberships to cover the actual costs of rescue. Or in other words. the Iridium plan lets you can for the cavallery when needed, but you may end up paying them yourself with many $$$ if you have not made plans for that (or live in a place where that is in fact free)
What a fantastic report.Thank you. If I do the same as you (safety plan on yearly subscription) can I upgrade for just 2 months to recreation or expedition for a big and remote trip?
Is there a way to pay for a year upfront? My wife and I are RV’ers. We travel often. We do a little hiking, but nothing beyond my limited physical limitations. I’m concerned about safety when we have no cell service, which does happen a few times a year. I’m also a bit of a prepper, always concerned about being prepared for anything. I carry a GMRS radio but it’s not as robust as sat commissions. I’m going with the inreach2. It sounds perfect for our needs.
Thanks for this video, it cleared up some questions I had. One thing I am wondering though, Garmin states ALL plans are subject to a $29.95 activation fee and if you're on the Freedom plan you also have a $34.95 annual fee you have to pay on top of the $14.95 a month plan. So if you decide to activate the unit the first month after you bought your GPS, you're looking to pay $79.85 for your first month? Then lets say if you cancel the following month or two and then reactivate it,are you then subject to pay another $29.95 activation fee again?
Actually, it says "All ANNUAL plans" are subject to the activation fee, so with Freedom you only pay the $34.95 annual fee, not an activation fee. And no, there is no extra fee for reactivating your Freedom plan, unless you completely delete your Garmin account then add it again, but I don't think anyone would do that.
@@DanGoesHiking Ok Thanks for clearing that up. I was just curious about this because some companies actually do that with their services if you don't keep it consistent with them; recharge you an activation fee.
Outstanding explanation! All I would need is the "Safety" plan but wold only use it when I travel which is about twice a year max. What would you recommend? I would think the Freedom plan is best. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.
good video, concise and well presented. i've not read all the exisiting comments so hopefully this hasn't already been asked. i was looking the answer from Garmin websites FAQ's but couldn't see the answer there, which is what drew me to your video. But glad i watched your video anyway for some other info. I had decided already to go with the annual plans but i was actually looking for the answer to the question: 'if i choose the safety plan, can i upgrade to recreation plan (or expedition) during the year before the anniversary if i find my usage of tracking points or messages is going to be over the break even amounts; and conversely can i down grade back from recreation to safety, or from expedition to safety.
Exellent break down. I did much the same although I depend more on custom messages because I include hiking partner spouses and I don't want to put them on the presets. This year was going to have lots of hikes. Go figure.
I wonder how the $10 extra for Freedom plans affects this analysis. Also I wish Dan would do analysis of Zoleo plans the same way. This was awesome info!
Great review. Unfortunately I'll no longer be using any Garmin products. Their customer service is the worst I've ever encountered. They are all about 💰 💰 💰 and could care less about customers. Makes it easy for me to throw away my inreach mini and start the search for something else for my back country saftey.
Could use more information on the tracking … how many tracking points do you use on a typical hike? I’m using this for soaring and I can cover quite a bit of ground
It all depends how long you're hiking and what tracking interval you choose. I personally think 30 or even 60 minute intervals are perfectly fine if you're just using it so people back home can see where you've been. So if you're hiking for 8 hours with 30 minute intervals, that's 16 tracking points.
@@DanGoesHiking I see, thanks. My usage is for soaring, I can cover hundreds of miles in an afternoon. Using the smaller tracking interval could mean the difference in getting rescued or not.
UPDATE ON PRESET MESSAGES: You CANNOT edit these 'Check-In' (new name) messages. Garmin changed this in Sept 2022. Boo. There are now 3 preset messages than cannot be edited.
Yes, kind of. If all you want is SOS than a personal locator beacon (PLB) is a good option. You only need to register the device (which is free), and then there are no monthly charges. However, once the battery eventually dies you need to either pay for it to be replaced or buy a new device. This usually takes 5+ years, but you'll still need to factor that into the cost of ownership.
So I watched a video where I gotta go to geos and purchase a seperate plan to not get billed in the case of if i do get rescued for i wont be billed, this true? or by just getting the inreach plan my rescue will be covered?
I assume you're talking about the optional rescue insurance you can buy? I don't know how that works, so I'm not sure if you "won't get billed" as you said. You'd have to dive into the details to see what the insurance covers.
But waypoint navigation, do you mean finding where you are on a map? If so, no it doesn't charge for that because the earthmate app uses your phone's gps for that.
@@DanGoesHiking yeah you can plan your route online and then navigate via waypoints on the inreach. Does it need to be connected to the to work? If so I might as well use my phone 😅
Yeah if that's what you're looking to do then you're phone and a good gps app would work better. Think of the inreach more as a messaging device rather than navigation
How many different users can you set up to the one device? I’m thinking about sharing within the households...different phones? Also, when a text is sent, does the person on the other end know it’s sent from the Inreach or does it show up as your telephone number? I’m thinking how can they tell not to respond. I guess you could say ‘this is my phone, it’s fine to reply with nonsense’. I’m thinking of trips where you are in and out of cell reception.
You can't really create different "users" for the InReach, but you can use the same login on multiple phones for the Earthmate app. My wife and I share the device and each have Earthmate on our phones, so we're able to share the InReach between us if one of us goes on a solo trip. Messages come in from a phone number that is not the same as your cell phone number. The number is kinda random from what I can tell, but it's at least the same number every time you send a message. Also, if you have the option turned on to include a link to a map with your location every time you send a message then it's pretty obvious to the receiver that the message came from your InReach.
I have an annual recreation plan, which gives me an "excuse" to get away at least once a month. "Honey I HAVE to go out this weekend or I'm throwing money away on my In Reach" .
You should have the safety plan and always keep you inreach (no pun indeed , inreach) it does you no go with out the monthly plan that makes it active all year round
The annual program fee has gone up $10 to $34.95. The activation fee for the annual subscriptions is up to $29.95. You need to be deactivated for at least 5 months for Freedom Safety or Recreation to be cheaper than the annual plan.
I started with the safety plan, but almost immediately upgraded to recreation. If I lose my Inreach mini 2 I want tracking turned on all the time so I can easily find it.
I'm in your target audience, thinking about getting a Montana 700i. I go motorcycling, but am rarely out of cell coverage, so I'm pretty sure the Freedom / Safety plan would be best. Thanks especially for clarifying that with the Freedom plan, the user can turn it on and off at monthly intervals. So if I thought I'd be going in a remote area, I'd activate it for that month. I wish there was an "Emergency" option that has really low (or no) monthly fee, but a perhaps significant charge for even a single SOS.
I had this same debate and went with the mini over the Montana. My final decision was based on what happens if I get separated from the bike. I want the sos button on my person. A garmin zumo xt and inreach mini is roughly the same price as the montana
Dan, Just got my 66i today. Your video was EXACTLY what I needed. Thanks so much. BTW as a full time performer, I want to congratulate you on your articulate and clear speech. you are awesome!!
I use both the Safety Plan & Expedition Plan When I go MTB, kayaking & hiking, I use the Garmin inReach Mini with the safety plan And when I go backpacking I use the Garmin... I forgot the name of the device but I use the Expedition Plan
Thank you. Love all your content but this is especially valuable as I am a new owner of about 2 weeks. Totally intimated by the choosing a plan. Clear now.
I have not been so happy with a tutorial video in some time. This is the first video I have watched of Dan's; I hope his others are as good. Great delivery and personality! Thanks for the great video Dan!
I have had mine for over a year and I pay for expedition on the freedom plan. The most expensive way to go. I did not know that you could just pay overage charges for extra text messages $.50 and extra tracking points $.10. Awesome video thanks!
The commercial team who invented these plans are just evil. Having people decide whether they want to risk dying more or less than 4.1 months a year...
I wish that even on an annual plan, you could bump it up from Safety to Recreational for one month, when you want the extra messages and location pings just for that month.
Thanks Dan - that was just the info I was looking for! Thanks for hammering out the math for us, and giving us your take on what we might need to fit our needs. 👍
Excellent thought put into this - Breakeven analysis is a tool I should use more often. A great tool when looking at many purchases such as refinancing a home. Thank you. One item not to overlook with the Recreation Plan vs the Safety Plan, you get unlimited 10 minute tracking which is nice for my wife to know where I am. I can set it and forget it. I dont have to send a tracking point to her manually. Helpful on the mountain bike where my hands are occupied.
A dot a dash and a space? Great thinking. You could arrange it so that a single instance of any one of them means exactly what is in the message but after that ... ... morse it is
Do you think the 67i would be a more complete system not requiring another potential failure link and no need to pair with iPhone / possible iPhone battery burnout and iPhone lack of ruggedized construction. REI has 67i on sale for $470 down from $600. I like redundancy and carry a ACR ResQLink, backup battery brick for iPhone and Spot 2 which I am considering replacing with 67i. Thanks! Very remote at times.
I bought an inreach 4 months ago. The battery doesn't even last 18 hours on standby. No tracking, no messaging. Nothing. It's consumer junk. I wouldn't waste my money. Take flares
For the freedom plans, do you pay the activation fee once per year, or each time you activate? Does it make more sense to keep it active for a consecutive series of months, vs say 2 months active, deactivate 2 months, then 2 more months active?
Very comprehensive!!! I really appreciate the way you did the comparisons between plan options! My brain was about to explode trying to figure it out on my own. You made it easy to choose AND get the best deal for my specific needs. Thank You!
Do you have to buy a plan for each in reach device you own ie handheld GPS with in reach and in reach mini or does it work as subscription for the person and you can add your devices to it?
You can add multiple devices to the same account, but you need to pay for each plan and only one device can be active at a time. Here's their support page with more info: support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=SychyF0fSz0v8LzzvGURP8
So for Tracking points (if the math is correct) the break-even point between Safety and Recreation is if you're going to be out using+tracking on the device for (approximately) 21 hours a month under the Annual plan, or 33.5 hours under the Freedom plan...assuming 10-minute intervals Edit: clarifying word
After you turn the service off under the Freedom plan, do you have to overtly notify Garmin in every subsequent month if you want it to stay off? The wording on their material makes me think it will be automatically started (& billed) each month that you don’t tell them (in advance) that you want the service to stay Off. Thanks.
If you're not a professor or a professional trainer/teacher then you are missing your calling. This was absolutely the best explanation of somewhat complicated material. Thank you so very much for putting the time and effort into helping your fellow humans' decision making so much easier. My intentions are strictly to stay in touch with my two sons if and when the grid and cell phone service goes down. Much appreciation.
the most expensive part of my thru hike was my monthly garmin in reach bill. i really didn't understand the plans or how to use the mini. tracking and messages cost me the most. i sent messages over one week ....that really killed me.
I’m watching this as of September 1, 2024 and this is exactly what I needed. I am just starting my adventures in scuba diving and will be going several times a month to different places. God willing other countries I think the annual safety plan will be the best one because I would still have my cell phone obviously not in the middle of the ocean with unlimited messages. And Seems like the best plan and it’s 11.95 now. and if you have divers alert, Work, you’ll have search and rescue so you don’t need to get any of their extra insurance is for Garmin. This is the video I needed thank you.
This was really helpful! You convinced me that the annual Safety plan, even with potential overages is much better for me! Thanks!
excellent analysis Dan. I am going to follow your advice and go with the annual Freedom plan. I would add the non-math/money factor that if you have the annual plan you never have to think about whether to skip months, you never go without coverage if you have skipped a month and decide to go out into a non-cell covered area. And peace of mind is worth something.
This was a very good video! I honestly usually just buy the largest plans to always be covered but with your break down I am purchasing the annual recreation plan as I don’t feel I will go over the break even point of it ! Thank you for taking the time to make this !
Amazing amount of detail and mathematics involved. Thank you very much for putting this together! I’ve both liked and subscribed.
Very useful video. Well done and thank you !
There is something else, in my opinion, that should be added (but has nothing to do about money): with the annual plan, you have absolutely no risk to forget to activate you plan. You know the plan is always ON. Go whenever you want and don't even think about the plan, the activation or whatever... This might be different with the monthly plan, especially for someone like me who forgets things very easily ! :)
Very good point!
thanks for the great explanation of the plans as I was just about to purchase mini 2 device but the features is way more expensive than I expected. I was put off by sat phone plan expenses but I just might put it back on the table. Great video thanks for the info.
Great review. One thing I think should have been mentioned is the SOS functionality and its cost. yes, SOS is included in the iridiun plans, but depending on where you are you may need extra SOS 'insurance'/memberships to cover the actual costs of rescue. Or in other words. the Iridium plan lets you can
for the cavallery when needed, but you may end up paying them yourself with many $$$ if you have not made plans for that (or live in a place where that is in fact free)
Early 2021 activation prices changed to: 29.95 to activate the annual plan, 34.95 to activate freedom plan.
Noooooo!!! Why'd they have to ruin my math!?
Terrific! Thank you so much. I totally missed that replies were counted. Even so, the lowest plan will be more than enough for us.
This was exactly the information I was looking for. Thank you for such a comprehensive breakdown.
Thanks. Very clear and concise assessment that made it much simpler for me to decide which plan to opt for. Much appreciated.
thank you Dan !! this is super helpful !!
What a fantastic report.Thank you. If I do the same as you (safety plan on yearly subscription) can I upgrade for just 2 months to recreation or expedition for a big and remote trip?
Thanks! And yes, you can switch plans at any time, even on the annual plan.
This was super helpful. Thank you for taking time to put this together. I for sure know what I want to go with now.
best analysis ever! helped me a lot
Thanks Dan. This is an exemplary review of the subscription options.
Super helpful and thorough analysis, thank you so much.
Outstanding analysis! Thanks!
TY this answered all my questions!
Is there a way to pay for a year upfront? My wife and I are RV’ers. We travel often. We do a little hiking, but nothing beyond my limited physical limitations. I’m concerned about safety when we have no cell service, which does happen a few times a year. I’m also a bit of a prepper, always concerned about being prepared for anything. I carry a GMRS radio but it’s not as robust as sat commissions. I’m going with the inreach2. It sounds perfect for our needs.
You can choose the annual plan. It still charges your card monthly, but you're locked in to paying for it for a year.
thanks, and thank you for your very informative video! I wish I could pay for the year upfront!
Thanks for this video, it cleared up some questions I had. One thing I am wondering though, Garmin states ALL plans are subject to a $29.95 activation fee and if you're on the Freedom plan you also have a $34.95 annual fee you have to pay on top of the $14.95 a month plan. So if you decide to activate the unit the first month after you bought your GPS, you're looking to pay $79.85 for your first month? Then lets say if you cancel the following month or two and then reactivate it,are you then subject to pay another $29.95 activation fee again?
Actually, it says "All ANNUAL plans" are subject to the activation fee, so with Freedom you only pay the $34.95 annual fee, not an activation fee. And no, there is no extra fee for reactivating your Freedom plan, unless you completely delete your Garmin account then add it again, but I don't think anyone would do that.
@@DanGoesHiking Ok Thanks for clearing that up. I was just curious about this because some companies actually do that with their services if you don't keep it consistent with them; recharge you an activation fee.
Outstanding explanation! All I would need is the "Safety" plan but wold only use it when I travel which is about twice a year max. What would you recommend? I would think the Freedom plan is best. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.
Thanks! I would agree. Freedom plan seems best if you'll only use it twice per year.
This is a really great review.
Thanks for explaining it so well.
What happens if i don't want buy any plan? Can I use the gps whitout subscription?
It's useless without a plan. You can use gps on your phone.
good video, concise and well presented. i've not read all the exisiting comments so hopefully this hasn't already been asked. i was looking the answer from Garmin websites FAQ's but couldn't see the answer there, which is what drew me to your video. But glad i watched your video anyway for some other info. I had decided already to go with the annual plans but i was actually looking for the answer to the question: 'if i choose the safety plan, can i upgrade to recreation plan (or expedition) during the year before the anniversary if i find my usage of tracking points or messages is going to be over the break even amounts; and conversely can i down grade back from recreation to safety, or from expedition to safety.
its ok . the question is answered when to sign up. it says you can change for free on annual plans
Thanks for confirming!
Exellent break down. I did much the same although I depend more on custom messages because I include hiking partner spouses and I don't want to put them on the presets. This year was going to have lots of hikes. Go figure.
Yeah, the freedom plan should be renamed the "pandemic" plan
I wonder how the $10 extra for Freedom plans affects this analysis. Also I wish Dan would do analysis of Zoleo plans the same way. This was awesome info!
Very good explanation…loved it !!
🤝 thank you so much
Really good job buddy!, thanks a lot!
Very beneficial video. Thank you for helping in my decision making!
Lots of good information there Dan.
Great review. Unfortunately I'll no longer be using any Garmin products. Their customer service is the worst I've ever encountered. They are all about 💰 💰 💰 and could care less about customers. Makes it easy for me to throw away my inreach mini and start the search for something else for my back country saftey.
Great info. Thanks!
A very detailed well thought out description of advice.Thanks.JHB-SA.
Could use more information on the tracking … how many tracking points do you use on a typical hike? I’m using this for soaring and I can cover quite a bit of ground
It all depends how long you're hiking and what tracking interval you choose. I personally think 30 or even 60 minute intervals are perfectly fine if you're just using it so people back home can see where you've been. So if you're hiking for 8 hours with 30 minute intervals, that's 16 tracking points.
@@DanGoesHiking I see, thanks. My usage is for soaring, I can cover hundreds of miles in an afternoon. Using the smaller tracking interval could mean the difference in getting rescued or not.
Ceteris paribus
Pricing in €-countries is hardcore. Set your VPN to Latvia to get the sweet, sweet US pricing scheme while still getting EU consumer protection ;-).
UPDATE ON PRESET MESSAGES: You CANNOT edit these 'Check-In' (new name) messages. Garmin changed this in Sept 2022. Boo. There are now 3 preset messages than cannot be edited.
If I have the freedom plan and forget to re-activate it before my trip, can I re-activate it straight from the inreach mini while out in the bush?
No, you need to do it online before you leave.
This is very expensive for what you're getting. If all one needs is piece of mind with SOS is there a cheaper alternative?
Yes, kind of. If all you want is SOS than a personal locator beacon (PLB) is a good option. You only need to register the device (which is free), and then there are no monthly charges. However, once the battery eventually dies you need to either pay for it to be replaced or buy a new device. This usually takes 5+ years, but you'll still need to factor that into the cost of ownership.
So I watched a video where I gotta go to geos and purchase a seperate plan to not get billed in the case of if i do get rescued for i wont be billed, this true? or by just getting the inreach plan my rescue will be covered?
I assume you're talking about the optional rescue insurance you can buy? I don't know how that works, so I'm not sure if you "won't get billed" as you said. You'd have to dive into the details to see what the insurance covers.
So the location request has nothing to do with the waypoint navigation right? You dont pay everytime you want to know where your next waypoint is
But waypoint navigation, do you mean finding where you are on a map? If so, no it doesn't charge for that because the earthmate app uses your phone's gps for that.
@@DanGoesHiking yeah you can plan your route online and then navigate via waypoints on the inreach. Does it need to be connected to the to work? If so I might as well use my phone 😅
Yeah if that's what you're looking to do then you're phone and a good gps app would work better. Think of the inreach more as a messaging device rather than navigation
wow, you are mazing !!!
You're wearing a Star Wars T-shirt!🤣🤣
How many different users can you set up to the one device? I’m thinking about sharing within the households...different phones?
Also, when a text is sent, does the person on the other end know it’s sent from the Inreach or does it show up as your telephone number? I’m thinking how can they tell not to respond. I guess you could say ‘this is my phone, it’s fine to reply with nonsense’. I’m thinking of trips where you are in and out of cell reception.
You can't really create different "users" for the InReach, but you can use the same login on multiple phones for the Earthmate app. My wife and I share the device and each have Earthmate on our phones, so we're able to share the InReach between us if one of us goes on a solo trip. Messages come in from a phone number that is not the same as your cell phone number. The number is kinda random from what I can tell, but it's at least the same number every time you send a message. Also, if you have the option turned on to include a link to a map with your location every time you send a message then it's pretty obvious to the receiver that the message came from your InReach.
Thanks. Very helpful!
This is a great explanation of a ridiculously complicated pricing scheme. Thank You!
I have an annual recreation plan, which gives me an "excuse" to get away at least once a month. "Honey I HAVE to go out this weekend or I'm throwing money away on my In Reach" .
A valid argument
You should have the safety plan and always keep you inreach (no pun indeed , inreach) it does you no go with out the monthly plan that makes it active all year round
Aay , great idea!
Clear explanations and helpful breakdown! Thanks for sharing this, helps with my decision making tremendously!
A MUCH better analysis than other reviews of these plans. Saved me from doing all the brake even calculations.
The annual program fee has gone up $10 to $34.95. The activation fee for the annual subscriptions is up to $29.95. You need to be deactivated for at least 5 months for Freedom Safety or Recreation to be cheaper than the annual plan.
Yeah, and you're arguably not saving much until you cut it down to even less than that:
(7 months * 15) + 35 = 140
(12 months * 11) + 30 = 162
If I don't use it for a year why is there an annual fee being considered
@@z352kdaf8324 you can cancel your subscription instead of suspending it if you won't use it for more than a year. This will stop the annual fee.
Noob: how much detailed can you explain the plans?
Dan: yes
Just got my inReach mini and this explanation was exactly what I needed! Thank you! You’ve earned another subscriber too!
The breakdown I was looking for! Saved me some math and $
You think like me and you saved me at least an hour of math. Thanks a bunch!
Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tubeman!
Because of people like you all the rest of us are getting lazy.
You did all the analysis. Great info, thanks a lot.
@@borrago good for you, man.
This was VERY helpful and the best video on the subject I could find.
Thanks! Glad it helped!
I started with the safety plan, but almost immediately upgraded to recreation. If I lose my Inreach mini 2 I want tracking turned on all the time so I can easily find it.
I'm in your target audience, thinking about getting a Montana 700i. I go motorcycling, but am rarely out of cell coverage, so I'm pretty sure the Freedom / Safety plan would be best. Thanks especially for clarifying that with the Freedom plan, the user can turn it on and off at monthly intervals. So if I thought I'd be going in a remote area, I'd activate it for that month. I wish there was an "Emergency" option that has really low (or no) monthly fee, but a perhaps significant charge for even a single SOS.
I had this same debate and went with the mini over the Montana. My final decision was based on what happens if I get separated from the bike. I want the sos button on my person. A garmin zumo xt and inreach mini is roughly the same price as the montana
This was so informational thank you!
This is absolutely the clearest explanation of the super complicated topic! Kudos!
Dan, Just got my 66i today. Your video was EXACTLY what I needed. Thanks so much. BTW as a full time performer, I want to congratulate you on your articulate and clear speech. you are awesome!!
Thanks, Kevin!
I use both the Safety Plan & Expedition Plan
When I go MTB, kayaking & hiking, I use the Garmin inReach Mini with the safety plan
And when I go backpacking I use the Garmin... I forgot the name of the device but I use the Expedition Plan
Thank you. Love all your content but this is especially valuable as I am a new owner of about 2 weeks. Totally intimated by the choosing a plan. Clear now.
Glad it was helpful!
I have not been so happy with a tutorial video in some time. This is the first video I have watched of Dan's; I hope his others are as good. Great delivery and personality! Thanks for the great video Dan!
Thank you very much. The way you break the plans down makes the decision much easier. I can't express how valuable this information is.
Glad it was helpful!
Great tips prior me to buying an inreach mini.
I have had mine for over a year and I pay for expedition on the freedom plan. The most expensive way to go. I did not know that you could just pay overage charges for extra text messages $.50 and extra tracking points $.10. Awesome video thanks!
The commercial team who invented these plans are just evil. Having people decide whether they want to risk dying more or less than 4.1 months a year...
I wish that even on an annual plan, you could bump it up from Safety to Recreational for one month, when you want the extra messages and location pings just for that month.
Thanks Dan - that was just the info I was looking for! Thanks for hammering out the math for us, and giving us your take on what we might need to fit our needs. 👍
Excellent thought put into this - Breakeven analysis is a tool I should use more often. A great tool when looking at many purchases such as refinancing a home. Thank you.
One item not to overlook with the Recreation Plan vs the Safety Plan, you get unlimited 10 minute tracking which is nice for my wife to know where I am. I can set it and forget it. I dont have to send a tracking point to her manually. Helpful on the mountain bike where my hands are occupied.
Use preset messages as Morse code symbols :P
A dot a dash and a space? Great thinking. You could arrange it so that a single instance of any one of them means exactly what is in the message but after that ... ... morse it is
Do you think the 67i would be a more complete system not requiring another potential failure link and no need to pair with iPhone / possible iPhone battery burnout and iPhone lack of ruggedized construction. REI has 67i on sale for $470 down from $600. I like redundancy and carry a ACR ResQLink, backup battery brick for iPhone and Spot 2 which I am considering replacing with 67i. Thanks! Very remote at times.
If you don't care about 2-way messaging and just want a "get me out of here" rescue device, you can skip subscription fees altogether by buying a PLB.
I bought an inreach 4 months ago. The battery doesn't even last 18 hours on standby. No tracking, no messaging. Nothing. It's consumer junk. I wouldn't waste my money. Take flares
Brilliant video! Loved how you broke everything down!
I think the weather messages are very poor… they should partner with a company like wind finder and give you a weather map in the Earthmate app.
Crazy hands
I just picked up the InReach Mini.
What timing with you posting this video out to help me with choosing a plan. 🙏🏼
Just came across this fantastic analysis. Does anyone know if this analysis still holds or if there is an updated one for 2024?
For the freedom plans, do you pay the activation fee once per year, or each time you activate? Does it make more sense to keep it active for a consecutive series of months, vs say 2 months active, deactivate 2 months, then 2 more months active?
Very comprehensive!!! I really appreciate the way you did the comparisons between plan options! My brain was about to explode trying to figure it out on my own. You made it easy to choose AND get the best deal for my specific needs. Thank You!
Yes, thanks for taking the time to break it all down, I've been needing to get this device for a while and now I know which plan to get
Very clear and thorough explanation with no unnecessary nonsense.
Thanks for posting this.
I'm guessing the commenters who are unhappy that fees are necessary for the device to work don't own cell phones.
Very informative video, but your arms and hands are making me dizzy.
I know this is 3 years old. But, can we have more than one phone on the same plan?
the cell phone program drained my cell battery so i took that of my phone.
Thanks. However, I had to watch this many times to decide. 🙂
excellent and informative. Garmin doesnt make it simple tho
When you press the SOS button it does not contact first responders.
Do you have to buy a plan for each in reach device you own ie handheld GPS with in reach and in reach mini or does it work as subscription for the person and you can add your devices to it?
You can add multiple devices to the same account, but you need to pay for each plan and only one device can be active at a time. Here's their support page with more info:
support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=SychyF0fSz0v8LzzvGURP8
So for Tracking points (if the math is correct) the break-even point between Safety and Recreation is if you're going to be out using+tracking on the device for (approximately) 21 hours a month under the Annual plan, or 33.5 hours under the Freedom plan...assuming 10-minute intervals
Edit: clarifying word
u r incredibly good at describing love your info ty so much
After you turn the service off under the Freedom plan, do you have to overtly notify Garmin in every subsequent month if you want it to stay off? The wording on their material makes me think it will be automatically started (& billed) each month that you don’t tell them (in advance) that you want the service to stay Off. Thanks.
No, once you pause the service it stays that way until you reactivate it.
Garmin can’t overcharge for maps anymore SO now there killing it on InReach