Originally Posted By: Hobbes
Originally Posted By: John Sims
I have an older model InReach


I've never taken any electronics on my various solo trips over the years. As L Conn had expressed @ HST, he felt in more danger driving up to the E Sierra from LA than in the mountains. I almost always take the 395 from the 15, and I'm one of those guys way over straddling the right lane marker.

And, of course, I never run that stretch at night - especially when the drunks are out between midnight and 2-3am. So, if I take off from OC around 4am, I can hit that stretch @ 5am, and it's just me, some truckers and maybe a few early-bird RVs.

However, ever since the Heng incident on Langley, when I followed the same route up 2 days later, but then went down to Miter, then over Crabtree, and then to Whitney, my wife has become a little more "involved".

My last trip on the PCT was typically uneventful, but then the trip down from Whitney was a little more interesting. Then the recent SAR events off the main trail got me to finally read this thread, and here I am.

I like the bread crumbs feature - considering that most of the recent incidents have been falls (and in my case since I do moderate x-c, that would be my most likely accident), it doesn't seem like anyone would be in any condition to activate a PLB.

The SPOT device seems to continue having critics, so I read with interest about the InReach communicator. Bottom line, I am joining the dark side, so my question is: which model, the good 'ole SE or something else?

http://www.inreachdelorme.com/product-info/inreachse.php


The InReach Canada web site has a good comparison of the two current InReach models (Explorer, and SE): http://www.inreachcanada.com/compare-devices

For me, the extra features of the Explorer are not worth the extra money. The trip planning I would prefer to do on the computer, the compass/accelerometer function, detailed logging I have on my iPhone, and the others features do not seem important to me or are otherwise available with the iPhone. My Older unit (I call it the brick) does the same as the SE, except that there is no display, so that you really need the iPhone for it to have the maps and messaging function. If I were purchasing new I would just go with the SE.