I've often opined about my love and adoration for one piece of backcountry gear that I don't ever leave home without: a Garmin inReach. Whether I'm out for a rip on a snowmobile, dirt bike, or side-by-side, or chasing critters around the country, there's always an inReach in my loadout.
And over the years, I've used the brand's inReach Messenger, GPS Maps, and even the new fenix 8 watch to report back to my wife that either I'm all good or, well, that I'm most absolutely not. But the one device I've come back to almost every single time after testing all the new hotness is my inReach Mini 2, as it's just the perfect size and companion for what I want to do, and the escapades I get up to.
That inReach Mini 2, however, is getting long in the tooth in the technology world, having debuted a number of years ago. The world has moved on, but the call of the backcountry hasn't, and neither has everyone's love for the compact nature of the Mini 2, which is why Garmin's just given the device a whole new makeover, including adding new features available on the bigger devices, a color screen, and a way better battery.
Say hello to the Garmin inReach Mini 3.
So let's talk turkey. First and foremost, it's not going to cost you that much more than the current inReach Mini 2, as the new Mini 3 will start at $499.99. But what that price increase does net you is all the things that Garmin's introduced on its other inReach products over the last year, along with some other items that those don't get, while still being tough as nails.
Of the new features for the Mini 3 platform, customers get voice and photo messaging, which was introduced in the Messenger Plus model, and which I've used a bunch while out hunting, including a "BBD" text to some hunting friends. Voicemail messages are up to 30 seconds long, and you'll also get voice transcripts if they either can't come through or you need to be quiet hunting for rascally rabbits. The photos, however, are pretty neat as they'll come through on the device's new, larger color touchscreen.
So while the Garmin Messenger app will also show your threads, you can also just look at the device itself.
The new Garmin inReach Mini 3 also has a bigger battery than before, with a total battery life of up to 330 hours when you put it into 10-minute track mode. That said, I've run mine for days and days on end in minimal battery mode, and have yet to have the Mini 2 die on me. So long as you charge it up before you head out into the woods or onto an adventure, you'll have more than enough for whatever you get up to. Likewise, it's IP67 waterproof and impact resistant, which is what I absolutely need whenever I go out, cause folks, I fall. A lot.
"We understand just how important it is to stay connected during both short and long adventures, and that’s why we are excited to bring even more communication tools to the inReach Mini 3 Plus," says Susan Lyman, Garmin's VP of Consumer Sales and Marketing, adding, "Tell friends and family that they’re missed, show them the amazing view while standing at the summit and more—all from this compact and rugged device that can be clipped to a pack."
