If you've read my work on RideApart, you likely know how a Garmin inReach Mini 2 once saved my life. If you haven't, go read the story here. But even before the little satellite communicator helped me stave off frozen death, it was part of my essential gear. I never left the safe confines of civilization without it strapped to my pack.
Since then, however, I've become a dedicated apostle, spreading the good word whenever and wherever I can, telling people of the good it can do, and how it can keep you from an early grave. And that's without Garmin ever giving me a dime to promote the technology.
Though we'll take it if Garmin ever wants to partner with us, hint, hint, cough, cough.
Whether you're off-roading in a side-by-side, dirt biking across Moab, rafting or hunting, camping or out for a long fishing trip, an inReach device is one of those things you should always have with you. It's like a knife, i.e., it's essential gear. And in its quest to showcase just how valuable a piece of life-saving technology it is, each year, Garmin releases its inReach SOS Data Report, compiling who, what, where, and why folks pressed that SOS button on the side of the device. It's a veritable cornucopia of reasons why you should get one right now.
Let's take a look.
Garmin states that the company saw more than 3,000 inReach SOS messages last year, and the most common reason for those "Oh no!" situations was hiking and backpacking. Those were only second to driving and motorcycle incidents, which makes sense, as you're more likely to have an inReach if you're exploring the backwoods and away from a trail. Cars and motorcycles tend to stick near roads and/or off-road trails, which tend to have more traffic to help rescue you. Obviously, that's not always the case, though.
What Garmin did note was that the company saw an increase in "incidents during water activities, like boating and sailing, with more boating issues reported than in previous years." Now, what the company doesn't know is what sort of boats were involved, where they occurred, or by who, but it's an interesting note, as while I never thought about taking an inReach with me when I ride a PWC, I probably should.
As for why folks hit the panic button, Garmin says, "Injuries were once again the top cause for SOS messages, followed by motor vehicle accidents, and medical issues like altitude sickness and heart problems." Again, not surprising as someone who frequents the woods. When I was butchering my elk last year, I definitely put a knife almost through my thumb. Thankfully, I didn't, as my nail stopped it part of the way down, but that could've easily become a bad situation. And that sort of thing happens a lot, as well as minor falls off trail, trips, or other broken bones.
Likewise, almost no one is truly prepared for the woods these days, and you'll often find folks taking stock of their life decisions midway up a mountain. What is interesting, however, is that Garmin's Response Center was able to help folks self-rescue about 12% of the time they got calls. That means helping them navigate out of a bad situation or assisting with figuring out how to bandage themselves up, which also cuts the need for Search and Rescue, and likely large bills.
Again, I'm a big proponent and cheerleader of this tech. I've got it built into my watch, and I never go into the woods without my inReach Mini 2—there's now an inReach Mini 3, though. I think anyone who goes exploring, off-roading, riding, or anything else should have one strapped to them in case something happens. It's peace of mind, not just for you, but for your families, as well. And the numbers above speak for themselves.
Garmin saves lives.
