Usually, I dread long review videos. Borning, drawn-out, and uninformed. You were a breath of fresh air. No gimmicks, no crazy audio or visuals. Just straight to the point, with a well-thought-out and perfectly shown demonstration of the features. You definitely earned a subscriber today and helped me make my purchase choice.
This is hands down the best review of the mini I have seen. All my questions answered . Thank you so much. Garmin should post this on the In reach web sight .
Tugboat captain here. I frequently lose cell phone signal while on offshore tows. This will work perfect for me to just send (or receive) short messages home or to the office. Thanks for the great review.
Just received my mini, 6.29.20 Your video is helpful. So many functions to learn. Basically purchased for a SOS purpose if I'm injured. I'll was this video again to learn more.
My kids want me to buy one of these for when I'm solo motorcycle touring/camping. I HATE COMPUTERS, and don't want any devices other than my phone & the ECU in my car (and if I lost both of them, I wouldn't shed a tear). But since you don't have crappy background music, I'll watch this. I'll try to get back later after I watch your vid. EDIT: This is a very good educational video! I like the feature of sending occasional msgs to my family, and the SOS button. None of the other features interest me. I wish it was simpler and easier to use.
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I am off to cross Dartmoor North to South with an over nighter and due to my age my other half wants to keep an eye on me!!! You just cannot getaway!
Great review, I love when a reviewer actually goes through how to use the product they're reviewing. Probably going to snag one of these soon based off this review.
Thank you for all of the satellite communicator reviews, Chris. I think I watched them all, then settled on the IR Mini - used your link to purchase of course!
I heard about this device earlier today on the Cleared Hot podcast. I didn't know anything about it and just started researching it. Really appreciate the amount of detail you shared in the review.
Bought one based on your fantastic review. Still haven't been able to figure out how to get better hiking trail maps for Earthmate. All I'm seeing those require the Garmin explorer.
Thank you for honestly reviewing gears and I am going to pore over your website and click as many referral links as possible. Hope to trace your footsteps in the coming years.
Wow, thank you so much, I appreciate your support and your taking the time to do that. Hopefully will have many more guides up on the site for you in the next few months.
Thanks for the very thorough review! It definitely helped me make the decision to purchase one today thru REI (using your link, of course). My daughter starts the PCT in a few weeks so it will give me some peace of mind for her to have this with her.
Thank you 🙏 and yes, this is perfect for the situation you are describing. Just get the lowest plan and ask her to send you a preset message once a day when she camps and it will be great. You can know where she is and if she gets in a bind, she can text you or SOS. I would do the same if my kid was out there.
Smart watch, smartphone, dedicated GPS to navigate, if those die go to inReach Mini. As a old man who was navigating before any of these devices, I find a map and compass to be the most reliable and useful.
Awesome review thanks so much. I use mine as an iridium module for my marine systems on my boat for over the horizon communications. Connected to power, ANT+ on, no battery concerns, function everything through the big screen chart plotter. I keep the float lanyard attached so if the worst were to happen I can grab the mini and tread water waiting for rescue.
Yea, that's great to know. I used to sail quite a bit and my best buddy uses his when cruising in the PNW. Really versatile tool. I met a pilot who also carried his in his bag with him all the time. Never know when could come in handy.
Great review - very thorough - and I say that having sold Sat Phones, GPS, and PLB's into the marine industry. Mine just arrived today. Setup and tested in about 25 mins. Easy!
Bought the mini. There are two main menus from the home screen. One you start by hitting the down arrow from main screen. The other is hitting the OK button from the main screen. Had to come back to this video to find that out ! Thanks tons. Main screen has the date, time and battery indicator upper right.
I just bought one of these and am getting used to all the features. Your video is better than the manual, by far! Thank you so much for the work on this.
Thank you! This was very well done. I am hiking the Wonderland trail next week and just got this to test out early. You helped me out a lot with better understanding this device.
3:56 FYI - the spine adapter is no longer included in the new version (Mini 2). So you have to buy it separately if you want to use the Mini 2 with a backpack tether. It can be hard to find. Garmin sent me one for free, because their local customer service wasn’t aware of this matter at my initial inquiry.
best review I found and really deep going information especially on your website with all these really usefull screenshots showing for example how writing sms in the inReach works. Thanx a lot
I have friends that have been using this mini and trying to convince me of getting one for my solo backpacking trips. Even on my solo day hikes or mine explorations, I thought of having one helps my family at ease. Having said that, I am now considering getting the mini after this great detailed review. Thanks and hope to cross path with you someday.
Cool, thanks and glad the review was helpful. It's an added expense but I've found that it's worth it for the peace of mind that my family gets and also the peace of mind that I have in case something goes wrong and I have to hit SOS. Have fun out there!
Haven’t read all comments but this thing is small because it doesn’t waste room with battery space. I had trouble keeping a charge because I messaged each day which drains the battery. The bigger ones hold a charge for a week. Any size savings will be lost in needing a solar panel or battery storage.
Yea, the Explore definitely has a bigger battery / longer life. I just turn my Mini on and off to send messages and it lasts forever. Can't really find much benefit in keeping it on if I'm not tracking / using the GPS.
Thank you for this. I was going back and forth on which device to buy and this has definitely made up my mind. It would be purely an emergency device for me too, so this looks like the best device out there for that specific purpose. I don't need bells and whistles, I just need to stay safe.
Thanks for this indebth review. Even since your release of your video I still feel the IR mini is one of the best sat-com devices out there. I just got one as my hikes are taking me further into the back country for longer. It will provide great peace of mind for communication & potential emergency use. Your content reassures me that I made a good decision & helps me to better understand & use it's many features. Thanks & best wishes! Bob V
Thank you for the note! And glad that the video was helpful. And yea, it's still a solid choice. I'm a bit surprised there hasn't been an upsell model out there yet. Cool with me!
Awesome review! I'm in the planning stages of a spring 2021 CDT hike and I've been looking at these types of devices for a while now. This is a pretty thorough review, thorough enough to base a decision on which device to purchase. This has definitely swayed my decision to the inReach mini, not to mention it's $100 off at REI right now sooooo, done! Thanks!
Chris, Great review and very complete and nice to have someone get to the important facts about the reviewed product without a bunch of extra chat! Thanks for the good job!
Decent review, thanks. I live in the UK. We don’t quite have the same wildernesses as you guys, but there are still some pretty remote places, and I’ve been toying with the idea of one these devices for a while. I think your review confirmed it was the right choice over the other contenders. Thanks! Ed
$50 off currently through REI and directly through Garmin. However Garmin giving a 3-5 week shipping estimate. Picking mine up this afternoon at REI! Great review, look forward to having this on my Cali national park loop at the end of July! Thanks!
Nice yea, this is a great REI sale, good move going with them. And everyone is having major supply problems because of the year that disappeared from COVID lockdowns, so if you can find it, get it.
Thanks for your advice earlier. I neglected to say I”ll be traveling by suv on those backroads in remote areas with an older friend, so am taking extra precautions. As mentioned, we aren’t planning on any hiking. Only my phone is navigation capable. The Garmin Mini - phone combo sounds good, but I’d like to have a rugged backup navigation device in case my phone fails. I decided to order the Montana 700i thru your REI link . It’ll give me the essential inReach functionality, and a larger screen which I’m thinking will make it easier to use with the suv. It also includes the City Navigator maps which i think are $100. extra with the 66i (?).
Usually, I dread long review videos. Borning, drawn-out, and uninformed. You were a breath of fresh air. No gimmicks, no crazy audio or visuals. Just straight to the point, with a well-thought-out and perfectly shown demonstration of the features. You definitely earned a subscriber today and helped me make my purchase choice.
Thank you! Hoping to create more of the same as new gear comes out.
16:22 As an S&R member, don’t hesitate to call. We jump at the chance to help.
This was one of the best reviews for any piece of equipment I have seen on TH-cam. Well done! Thank you so much for all the time you put into this!
That's great to hear, thanks for the feedback. The review took a ton of time so I'm glad that it's been helpful
I agree. Kudos to HikerGuy. DC Rainmaker reviews are very good too.
You’re the only reviewer who has demonstrated what the Mini does when you are navigating to a waypoint. Exactly what I needed to know. Many thanks.
Man, thank you for that and glad the video came in handy. That's exactly why I do these vids... enjoy your Mini
Years later, still the best explanation of the Garmin inReach mini anywhere on the internet.
Ha thank you! 👍
This is hands down the best review of the mini I have seen. All my questions answered . Thank you so much. Garmin should post this on the In reach web sight .
Ahhh, that's great to hear, thank you so much. I'm glad the guide came in handy and thanks for taking the time to let me know!
the audio on this is just outstanding. So easy to hear. And also clear understanding. Thank you.
Tugboat captain here. I frequently lose cell phone signal while on offshore tows. This will work perfect for me to just send (or receive) short messages home or to the office. Thanks for the great review.
Yea, this is perfect for that. I have a lot of sailing friends who use this unit and it's solid.
Just received my mini, 6.29.20
Your video is helpful.
So many functions to learn.
Basically purchased for a SOS purpose if I'm injured.
I'll was this video again to learn more.
Great video. I treat this as a satellite modem for my phone when cellular isn’t available. That makes a perfect match.
This is amazing. Clear, conscice and in-depth. Thank you for sharing.
Ahh music to my ears, thank you!
I second this statement. Absolutely amazing review. Well spoken, easy to follow, no annoying music. Thank you!!
This is an awesome review. Thank you for sharing your knowledge on these products! This has helped me with my decision tremendously.
This is the best video I've seen that explains the intact mini and setting it up. I think I can do it now. Thank you!
Excellent detail and demonstration - Thanks! Liked..
The montana 700i should arrive tomorrow.. yahoo!
I was going to contact Garmin with questions and you somehow answered them all. So so helpful, thank you!
Awesome, that's great, glad it was helpful!
My kids want me to buy one of these for when I'm solo motorcycle touring/camping.
I HATE COMPUTERS, and don't want any devices other than my phone & the ECU in my car (and if I lost both of them, I wouldn't shed a tear).
But since you don't have crappy background music, I'll watch this.
I'll try to get back later after I watch your vid.
EDIT: This is a very good educational video!
I like the feature of sending occasional msgs to my family, and the SOS button. None of the other features interest me.
I wish it was simpler and easier to use.
Just came back to watch this while waiting for the review of Mini2.
What an easy to follow, superb in depth tutorial. This is by far the best out there, Thank you
Thanks for the review man. We just got one and will use it with your helpful information in Death Valley and then Zion. Much appreciated!
Best Inreach mini video I've seen, Thank you, heading to you website now.
Awesome, thank you! 👍
Love hearing the crows in the background. I've been in Mexico for a year and miss crows.
Ha... well, I think the crows miss you too...
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I am off to cross Dartmoor North to South with an over nighter and due to my age my other half wants to keep an eye on me!!! You just cannot getaway!
Great review, I love when a reviewer actually goes through how to use the product they're reviewing. Probably going to snag one of these soon based off this review.
Thank you 👍👍
Great video my guy! Just got mine today and getting her all up to date. Your vid was maybe the best of all the ones I watched. Take care!
Thank you and congrats! Glad the vid was helpful, enjoy you Mini!
Thank you for your review. I’m just a day hiker, but I’m ready to buy.
Cool, thank you, and yea, it's a solid piece of gear to have, you won't be disappointed.
Thank you for all of the satellite communicator reviews, Chris. I think I watched them all, then settled on the IR Mini - used your link to purchase of course!
Thank you !!!!!!
I heard about this device earlier today on the Cleared Hot podcast. I didn't know anything about it and just started researching it. Really appreciate the amount of detail you shared in the review.
Thanks & glad you found it helpful. These things are game-changers for the backcountry. I've been carrying mine every trip for years now.
Great summary. Thank you.
Thanks for this detail video. It is very helpful to me.
👍👍
Thank you. I'm sold!
Thank you so much for this review, so informative and clearly communicated. Very grateful for your time making this. Much appreciated, Michael
Thank you 👍👍👍
Thank you. I am looking at doing a section of the PCT next year and this exactly what I was looking for. Thanks again!
That's awesome, have fun on the PCT!
I watched this before buying to make sure the inreach mini was going to work for me. Very thorough, thank you!
Cool cool cool - glad it helped out!
Thanks for the fantastic review. Answered all the questions I had with this unit. Happy trails.
Awesome, glad it came in handy, thanks for the feedback!
Your review so helps me feel more confident about using this product, thank you!
Brilliant video, thank you!
Bought one based on your fantastic review. Still haven't been able to figure out how to get better hiking trail maps for Earthmate. All I'm seeing those require the Garmin explorer.
Thank you for your review and info. Just got my inReach Mini. Very happy with it.
You're welcome, glad it was helpful! Enjoy it, it's a great tool to have out there.
Excellent review of the product. Really helped me to understand the features and how to navigate unit.
Thanks for the excellent review. P.S I just bought one. I am absolutely gobsmacked at how small & light this is. Incredible!
Thank you for honestly reviewing gears and I am going to pore over your website and click as many referral links as possible. Hope to trace your footsteps in the coming years.
Wow, thank you so much, I appreciate your support and your taking the time to do that. Hopefully will have many more guides up on the site for you in the next few months.
Very informative video. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for the review. I'm sold.
Cool cool glad it was helpful
How could you dislike this video?? Awesome review man
ha thanks... glad it was helpful...
I love your reviews, very honest, clear and very knowledgeable, thank you so much!!!!🙋♂️
Thanks for the very thorough review! It definitely helped me make the decision to purchase one today thru REI (using your link, of course). My daughter starts the PCT in a few weeks so it will give me some peace of mind for her to have this with her.
Thank you 🙏 and yes, this is perfect for the situation you are describing. Just get the lowest plan and ask her to send you a preset message once a day when she camps and it will be great. You can know where she is and if she gets in a bind, she can text you or SOS. I would do the same if my kid was out there.
Amazing review, thanks for answering all my questions, ended up buying one after watching this - Cheers!
Thank you, enjoy it!
Excellent. The perfect video for when you first pick one up.
Thank you!
Thank you for the great walkthrough. Got one today based off your video for multi-day bike packing. Glad to have the backup.
Nice, yea, it's solid, you'll enjoy it.
Great review! Very comprehensive. I'll be using some of the features you have explained.
Great video.
Would be cool to see some real life examples of cover across different geographies and overhead cover.
Smart watch, smartphone, dedicated GPS to navigate, if those die go to inReach Mini. As a old man who was navigating before any of these devices, I find a map and compass to be the most reliable and useful.
Well that was the best review of anything I have ever watched 👍. Well presented.
Ha thanks so much! 🙏 Glad it was ussful!
Great video and very informative
Great review! Thanks!
Awesome review thanks so much. I use mine as an iridium module for my marine systems on my boat for over the horizon communications. Connected to power, ANT+ on, no battery concerns, function everything through the big screen chart plotter. I keep the float lanyard attached so if the worst were to happen I can grab the mini and tread water waiting for rescue.
Yea, that's great to know. I used to sail quite a bit and my best buddy uses his when cruising in the PNW. Really versatile tool. I met a pilot who also carried his in his bag with him all the time. Never know when could come in handy.
Great review - very thorough - and I say that having sold Sat Phones, GPS, and PLB's into the marine industry. Mine just arrived today. Setup and tested in about 25 mins. Easy!
Nice, and yea, agree re:emergency beacon - I sailed for years and always had an EPRIB...
Bought the mini. There are two main menus from the home screen. One you start by hitting the down arrow from main screen. The other is hitting the OK button from the main screen. Had to come back to this video to find that out ! Thanks tons. Main screen has the date, time and battery indicator upper right.
Nice, congrats on the purchase. Glad the vid came in handy - enjoy it!
Thanks. Those crows are fussing at you for being there. Love that sound.
Ha yea, there were a bunch of cuts that didn't make it in because the crows were too loud.
I just bought one of these and am getting used to all the features. Your video is better than the manual, by far! Thank you so much for the work on this.
Thank you, that's great to hear! I appreciate the note and enjoy your Mini. 👍
Thank you! This was very well done. I am hiking the Wonderland trail next week and just got this to test out early. You helped me out a lot with better understanding this device.
Awesome, glad it helped and have fun on the hike! That one is on my list....
the best review of the garmin inreach mini, thanks
thank you! 🙏
Great review! Thanks for the in depth info!!
3:56 FYI - the spine adapter is no longer included in the new version (Mini 2). So you have to buy it separately if you want to use the Mini 2 with a backpack tether. It can be hard to find. Garmin sent me one for free, because their local customer service wasn’t aware of this matter at my initial inquiry.
Pretty awesome review. Thinking of getting one for my trip to Everest base camp and island peak!
best review I found and really deep going information especially on your website with all these really usefull screenshots showing for example how writing sms in the inReach works. Thanx a lot
Thank you, I really appreciate the note. These reviews take a ton of time so knowing that it's helpful is music to my ears.
Excellent in-depth review. Thank you very much for going through every feature on the in-reach mini
I have friends that have been using this mini and trying to convince me of getting one for my solo backpacking trips. Even on my solo day hikes or mine explorations, I thought of having one helps my family at ease. Having said that, I am now considering getting the mini after this great detailed review. Thanks and hope to cross path with you someday.
Cool, thanks and glad the review was helpful. It's an added expense but I've found that it's worth it for the peace of mind that my family gets and also the peace of mind that I have in case something goes wrong and I have to hit SOS. Have fun out there!
I used your link to purchase this at REI. Thank you
Thank you 🙏👍
Great video bud. I just bought one and will be activating it in the next few days. I’ll be watching this video a few times
Good luck getting up and running. With a little practice you can master it.
Great review. Very helpful and concise!
Best mini review I've seen, help me a lot.
Glad to hear it! 👍👍
Amazing review! Thanks. You've answered pretty much every question I had about the Mini.
Awesome, thank you, glad it helped!
Haven’t read all comments but this thing is small because it doesn’t waste room with battery space. I had trouble keeping a charge because I messaged each day which drains the battery. The bigger ones hold a charge for a week. Any size savings will be lost in needing a solar panel or battery storage.
Yea, the Explore definitely has a bigger battery / longer life. I just turn my Mini on and off to send messages and it lasts forever. Can't really find much benefit in keeping it on if I'm not tracking / using the GPS.
Great review. Loved being walked through the features. Thank you.
Thank you! 👍
Thank you for this. I was going back and forth on which device to buy and this has definitely made up my mind. It would be purely an emergency device for me too, so this looks like the best device out there for that specific purpose. I don't need bells and whistles, I just need to stay safe.
Yea, this is great for that. I use the Mini almost exclusively now, and it's great. You'll be solid.
Keep up the good work. Excellent review.
Fantastic comprehensive review. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
Thanks for this indebth review. Even since your release of your video I still feel the IR mini is one of the best sat-com devices out there. I just got one as my hikes are taking me further into the back country for longer. It will provide great peace of mind for communication & potential emergency use. Your content reassures me that I made a good decision & helps me to better understand & use it's many features. Thanks & best wishes! Bob V
Thank you for the note! And glad that the video was helpful. And yea, it's still a solid choice. I'm a bit surprised there hasn't been an upsell model out there yet. Cool with me!
Awesome review! I'm in the planning stages of a spring 2021 CDT hike and I've been looking at these types of devices for a while now. This is a pretty thorough review, thorough enough to base a decision on which device to purchase. This has definitely swayed my decision to the inReach mini, not to mention it's $100 off at REI right now sooooo, done! Thanks!
The Mini is a solid choice, and I see a lot of PCT hikers with it, especially if you manly navigate with map and/or Guthook.
Chris, Great review and very complete and nice to have someone get to the important facts about the reviewed product without a bunch of extra chat! Thanks for the good job!
Awesome, that's my aim, no BS, just the practical rundown... thanks for the feedback!
Decent review, thanks. I live in the UK. We don’t quite have the same wildernesses as you guys, but there are still some pretty remote places, and I’ve been toying with the idea of one these devices for a while. I think your review confirmed it was the right choice over the other contenders. Thanks! Ed
Really thorough and helpful review. Thanks
Very good review! Thank you for your effort, that answered a lot of my questions. I want one for backcountry/adventure motorcycling
Thanks, glad it came in handy. Enjoy your Mini!
Great review. I appreciate your level of detail. Thank you!
Thank you! Glad it was helpful. 👍
Thanks a lot! This is a very informative and useful review.
👍👍👍 Glad it was helpful!
Great review! Much better advertising and info than Garmin provides. Thank you!
Awesome, thank you, yea, try to take it a step further than the manual so glad it was helpful.
$50 off currently through REI and directly through Garmin. However Garmin giving a 3-5 week shipping estimate. Picking mine up this afternoon at REI! Great review, look forward to having this on my Cali national park loop at the end of July! Thanks!
Nice yea, this is a great REI sale, good move going with them. And everyone is having major supply problems because of the year that disappeared from COVID lockdowns, so if you can find it, get it.
Excellent review, thank you.
Sweet, glad it was helpful
Thanks for the review! I was originally going to get a SPOT but this looks much better
Yea, good choice, this is a much better option.
how can you bluetooth it to your phone if your phone does not have data? does the Garmin hotspot it like cell phones?
@@allisonsly2130 You don’t need cellular service for Bluetooth. Bluetooth is devices in close proximity communicating directly to each other.
SPOT uses a crappy satellite network.
Great information! Thanks so much!
You're welcome!
Fantastic video!!!! Best informative video I've ever seen
Thank you!!!! 👍👍
Thank you very much for this clear and comprehensive review. Warm regards from the UK.
Thank you! Glad the guide was helpful.
Thank you so much for always providing super informative reviews!
No problem, glad it's helpful!
Thanks for your advice earlier. I neglected to say I”ll be traveling by suv on those backroads in remote areas with an older friend, so am taking extra precautions. As mentioned, we aren’t planning on any hiking. Only my phone is navigation capable. The Garmin Mini - phone combo sounds good, but I’d like to have a rugged backup navigation device in case my phone fails. I decided to order the Montana 700i thru your REI link . It’ll give me the essential inReach functionality, and a larger screen which I’m thinking will make it easier to use with the suv. It also includes the City Navigator maps which i think are $100. extra with the 66i (?).
Yea, the 700i is pricier but great for backcountry / regular driving, so think that's a great move - and thanks for using my link! 👍
As usual, Chris, solid review. Thanks
Terrific review and walk through. Feel confident that this will be the right unit for me. Off to read more on your site!
Thank you thank you, glad it came in handy!
great info, watched it and went out and bought one at REI. Thank you
no prob and thanks for the feedback!