The best GPS communicator to buy for your next adventure

The number one rule for off-network adventures is: "Come back alive." This is a very good rule, but there are other important ones, including: "Do not let your friends and family worry you, "" Don. do not lose yourself ", and other well roasted chestnuts. Fortunately, there is a family of gadgets to help you comply with all these rules.

Unlike the phone you use every day, GPS communicators do not need a cellular signal to work. Instead, they are connected to the global satellite network of the Global Positioning System (GPS). They can not only be used to track your location, but also to send and receive small pieces of data. We are talking about 140 characters, like at the very beginning of SMS messaging. It may not sound like much, but it's enough to tell your loved ones where you are (or to find out if you're late), to get medical advice, and even to download an up-to-date weather report. Some even allow you to update social media to keep your loved fans informed of your adventures in near real time if you wish. It can also search and rescue virtually anywhere if the world goes wrong.

For this piece, I've tested the five most promising GPS communicators from Garmin, Spot, Bivy and Somewear. I will not be drugged: none of these devices are flawless. That said, some easily outperform others.

Honestly, it was not even close. The inReach Explorer Plus is above the best option. Let's start with the large, easy-to-read color screen. It gets the most out of it with preloaded Delorme topographic maps. Although all other tested communicators require the use of the screen on a paired smartphone to see where you are on a map, the Explorer Plus is unquestionably the most autonomous unit. complete. It's easy to add waypoints, get back to where you started and expand the details.

The on-screen menu is very intuitive and is a potentially critical feature. If you find yourself in a survival situation, you will not want (or even can not even do it) to recall a series of confusing commands or to release an instruction manual. You may not be able to even take out your phone. Everything is very visual and, again, all you need is directly on the device itself. Just tap the Weather icon to get a super detailed weather forecast. You do not know which side you are on? There is a digital compass. Want to follow a route you have planned before leaving or update your Facebook or Twitter page? Everything is feasible from the device itself, no phone required.

That said, your phone is compatible with your phone, which greatly enhances the texting experience. On the device, you must use the four-way directional pad to select one letter at a time (or choose predefined answers), which is slow and laborious. It's not that great, but it's much easier to compose the text on your phone, and then let the Explorer Plus get to the skies. The app also provides a large amount of detail about your activities, including distance, maximum speed, average speed of movement.

As mentioned, however, it's not perfect. The inReach Explorer Plus is large and bulbous, it measures 6.5 x 2.7 x 1.5 inches and weighs around half a pound. Ultralight hikers who really count every ounce will probably think twice. The screen is scratched easier than I would like too. The greatest pain is the loading of roads and crossing points. It would be great if you could just download a .GPX file from a hiking site and send it to the device via your phone's app. Unfortunately, the way you do it is extremely unintuitive. (I could tell you how to do this, but it would make this section of several paragraphs longer than necessary.) You must read three separate support documents to decipher it.)

Aside from these flaws, the device is reliable, accurate and intuitive to use. Unfortunately, it's also the most expensive unit we've tested. The device itself costs almost as much as many smartphones, not counting the service plan. If you plan to make many trips throughout the year, you can get an annual contract package starting at $ 12 / month for 10 SMS per month, and prices going up for more data. If you are only traveling here and there or at certain seasons, you can choose a Freedom Plan, which is monthly, starting at $ 15 and up to $ 100. Package prices are about the same as those of the competition, and while the device is more expensive, we believe that its standalone capabilities, integrated TOPO cards and intuitive feel are worth it.

Although the inReach Explorer Plus includes just about anything you could wish for, it is rather bulky. For people like trail runners, ultralight hikers, snowboarders and other people who generally wish to reduce their weight and weight, the inReach Mini is a very good option. This is the little brother of our first choice, and it comes in 4 x 2 x 1 inches and only 3.5 ounces, but it retains many identical features. E-mail is always bidirectional, although its input is even more painful than on Explorer Plus, so you can opt for a pre-defined message when you can. That said, you can pair it with a phone and it's easy to send SMS again.

There is a dedicated SOS button, tracking and weather directly on the device. It does not have a color screen or a built-in card, but when you connect it to your phone, you have it all there. It can also be paired with some Garmin watches, such as the Fenix ​​5S Plus, which even the Explorer can not. If you are lucky, you only have half of the battery life. It's probably better for shorter adventures, but it's so small that you can keep it in a trouser pocket just in case. The device costs about a hundred dollars less than the Explorer Plus and has the same options for service plans. The Explorer Plus is without a doubt the best camera, but if the size and weight are limited, the inReach Mini is your best choice.

The group's remaining options were not as robust as Garmin's, although some are closer than others. The Bivystick is distinguished by a well-designed application that already knows thousands of routes (for hiking, biking, canoeing, skiing, etc.), but you will need to charge them while you are still in cellular service. It's also a USB backup battery, which is good because you really can not do anything without a paired phone. Unfortunately, it's bulky and it does not have a dedicated SOS button like the others.

Somewear has a drop-shaped design and a very clean application, but unfortunately it is not as complete as the others. There is currently no way to load a route or waypoints; you can only follow what you have been. If you want to share your position or ask people to follow you, you need to sign up for a Somewear account, which is pretty boring. Even simple texts are cluttered with a call to register to create an account. I had high hopes for the Spot X, which has a BlackBerry-style keyboard, but unfortunately, the keys are flat and stiff, and it will not fit with a phone, so you can not really use it for mapping. Its user interface is extremely unintuitive, which is the last thing you want to fight in the woods. It's a shame, because the device and the service are the cheapest of the lot.

Photograph of Brent Rose for The Verge

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