Remote riding - do you ride with supplementary communications?

Yup, the 90's called and want their text entry/keyboard interface back.

You don't want to be typing out long messages on this thing.

pair it with your phone and type using the app. also works well as a back up GPS.

Also note that both of these devices aren't fail safes and shouldn't be your primary mode of getting out of trouble.

Yep, batteries can fail. Or if you crash at the right angle could damage devices.

I make sure I text at least one person with my route and expected return time while within coverage. If I don't text back once I'm off the hill, they know where to start looking.

Goes back to the old pre tech advice.

BIG parts of BC have NO cell coverage.]

Hence my edit. If you're riding solo somewhere where there is no coverage, you definitely need a backup device. For me, I'm never far out of service, so texting the trails I am riding and ETA on return while in coverage works for me. And I know pretty much all the places I get coverage on Fromme, so I try to stick to those when riding solo.

if i'm going out for a ride alone, i tell my wife where i'm going and about when i expect to be back. i figure/hope that if i'm not back or haven't checked in within a reasonable timeframe, she'll send a banana cream pie after me

i also subscribe to the biggles philosophy of remote riding: dial it back!

Maps aside, Im "No Service" on 85% of Cypress even just above the highway with Bell and an iPhone 6. Im spotty service on the NS below the highway. I barely get service at my house in Caulfeild!

I wonder if there is an issue with your phone?

Bell's map says you should be getting coverage:

from:
http://www.bell.ca/Mobility/Our_network_coverage

Look at that donut hole on Cypress if you zoom in more. I feel that my "No Service" area is bigger than what they show but Im surprised that they have the resolution to show this no service area. There are a fair number of trials in that area.

And while they show coverage, its barely coverage on my phone. It will show LTE most of the time but then, boom, signal gone. Every call I have in the Caulfeild area will get dropped if Im on for more than a few minutes.

Anyways, Im just debating if it makes sense to carry an alternative given that my signal on Cypress is so poor, or non-existent, and Im alone. InReach looks like a nifty gadget. Hell, even a portable HAM walkie talkie could be a good idea if there is a repeater within reach.

Do it for Rogers but focus on my area a little more CraigH!

Do it for Rogers but focus on my area a little more CraigH!

I don't have the software on my home laptop to do quick little screen captures, you'll have to do your own zooming in:

http://www.rogers.com/consumer/wireless/network-coverage

I don't have the software on my home laptop to do quick little screen captures, you'll have to do your own zooming in:

http://www.rogers.com/consumer/wireless/network-coverage

:(

I think I need to head up Mt. Steele to see if I get better coverage there than at my place :lol:

Do it for Rogers but focus on my area a little more CraigH!

how was rogers even an option

What made you switch from Spot to Delorme?

It took me many posts on many different forums to finally get somebody with both to do side-by-side testing, and when they finally did, the Inreach dramatically out-performed the SPOT in terms of getting a satellite fix, and getting messages out from under heavy tree canopy or in steep terrain. That was what convinced me. The 2-way comm is nice-to-have, but ultimately as long as the outgoing SOS gets out, I didn't really care about that. However, once I was shown convincingly that the Inreach does actually transmit more reliably, it was a no-brainer.

Once I had both myself, I also did the side-by-side test and confirmed the same thing. Inreach is significantly better at transmitting positions under non-ideal conditions. In the middle of a glacier or the middle of a desert, either one works great. If you are curled up in a ball under a tree on the north side of a steep local mountain, the Inreach will have a much better chance of getting the word out.

Also, Inreach can actually be quite a bit cheaper for monthly plans if you are diligent about suspending it when you aren't using it. Takes 2 minutes - log into the website, hit the "suspend" button, then sync through USB. Cost is only $4.95/month when you aren't using it. I activate mine only when I plan to be out of cell coverage and end up paying the same or less as my old fixed-rate annual SPOT service.

Cheers
KF

Heads up Delorme InReach users:

We want to advise you of important upcoming changes to inReach subscription pricing, effective April 7, 2016.

As a result of sharp declines in the Canadian dollar, there will be a modest increase in the monthly fees associated with all plans. There is no change to allocated usage in each plan or to the cost of suspending service. Here’s more information on the new prices:

Safety Discover Trailblazer Unlimited
$19.95 $34.95 $54.95 $74.95*Click here for full details.

You will continue to be able to suspend your service when it isn’t needed, but we’ve introduced a fair use policy: you can downgrade or suspend your plan up to 12 times in a year. All subsequent changes will be subject to a $10 administration fee. Plan upgrades and unsuspensions won’t count towards the allotment.

Thank you for being a loyal user of inReach services. If you have any questions about how these changes affect you, please contact Customer Care.

The inReach Canada Team