6 minute read

inReach Mini 2 – Hands-on Review at Mt Superbus

16/03/2022

Testing the inReach Mini 2 – A bushwalk to Mt Superbus and a historical plane crash

On the 9^th of April 1955, an emergency RAAF flight was transporting a patient from Townsville to Brisbane. Flying low through cloud it crashed into the rugged terrain surrounding Mount Superbus and has remained largely undisturbed for the past 70 odd years, serving as a memorial to those who lost their lives.

Garmin have just released the inReach Mini 2, so I thought that this rugged terrain would be a good testing ground for this satellite communicator and GPS as mobile phone reception is patchy at best so being able to send and receive messages via the Iridium satellite network is essential for communication.

The inReach Mini 2 supersedes the original inReach Mini and keeps the lightweight compact form factor while adding several significant improvements such as an improved battery life, high resolution screen (with a new menu structure), a trackback screen and a digital electronic compass.

There are two main features of the inReach Mini 2 – satellite communication and basic GPS navigation. The satellite communication functions and emergency SOS require a subscription to use. I ended up getting the Recreation Freedom plan so I could have the tracking on all the time. This includes 40 messages and is $55 per month, but you can pause it anytime so you only pay for the months you are planning on using it. More information on the various plans here: https://discover.garmin.com/en-AU/inreach/personal/#subscriptions

Satellite communication and SOS

One of the most important features of the inReach Mini 2 is the SOS functionality. There is a dedicated button for this emergency feature, which is protected by a cover to prevent accidental activation. If you press this button it will notify the International Emergency Response Coordination Centre (IERCC) who will coordinate a rescue. This can only be used in a life threatening emergency, so thankfully I wasn’t able to test it out.

Garmin have a great video on how this process works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEaF2Atxo-s

A big advantage of the SOS feature on the inReach over a more traditional EPRIB or PLB is that you are in two-way communication with the emergency services so you know that they are coming to get you and how long you can expect to wait. It also helps provide more information about your emergency so they know what resources to deploy as part of the rescue.

The inReach Mini 2 can be controlled by your phone or various Garmin devices such as the Fenix/Epix(Gen 2) watches. This means you can leave the mini 2 in your backpack and still send messages and activate SOS.

The Emergency SOS can be activated via your phone or compatible Garmin device if you can’t reach the inReach.

The main feature of the inReach is the satellite communication. This has three main features – messages, tracking and weather.

The messages work very much like an SMS – they are limited to 160 characters but can also include your location. You can send these to a phone number or an email address. You will need to have sent someone a message or have them in your address book in order for them to be able to send you a message as it costs one message from your plan every time you send or receive a message. Being able to send messages without phone reception is very useful for keeping people up to date with your progress and letting people know if there are any issues. Great if you are going to be a little late and you don’t want people to send out a search party! You can type out messages directly on the device, but it is painfully slow. I recommend pairing it with your phone and using the Garmin Explore app, which is much faster.

Messages will show up on the device and your phone if you are running the Explore app.

With the tracking feature, your friends and family can follow your progress in real-time, your position will update every 10 minutes with the default settings. They can also request your position if you don’t have the tracking on, as there is a charge per tracking point on the basic plans. The higher plans include unlimited tracking points.

You can even link the inReach with your Facebook or Twitter if you want everybody to follow your trip progress!

Weather forecasts are also available, which is very handy for multiple-day trips with no phone reception. A standard forecast uses 1 message from your plan, more advanced forecasts are available for additional costs.

The GPS navigation is very basic, and for most people, this would be considered a backup to their mapping capable GPS, but this can be used for primary navigation. I downloaded a GPX file of the walk and loaded it onto the inReach. This gave me an arrow to follow and a very basic map page where I could see if I was still on the track. This ended up being very handy as despite being marked with tape in places, the track was hard to follow, and I ended up losing it often during the day.

With the default settings, battery life is advertised as up to 14 days with a full-sky view or 4 days with moderate tree cover. I had full tree cover for almost the whole hike and used about 30% battery during the 8 hour trek.

Overall the new features of the inReach Mini 2 wouldn’t make you rush out to get one if you already have the original inReach Mini. Still, the small form factor and extra battery life make it a winner if you don’t already have a satellite communicator.

If you’re looking to walk this trail as well, I’ve linked the GPX trail file here to download to your own handheld.

inReach Mini 2 vs inReach Mini Specs

	inReach Mini	inReach Mini 2
Dimension	2.04” x 3.90” x 1.03” (5.17 x 9.90 x 2.61 cm)	2.04″ x 3.90″ x 1.03″ (5.17 x 9.90 x 2.61 cm)
Display Size	0.9″ x 0.9″ (23 x 23 mm)	0.9″ x 0.9″ (23 x 23 mm)
Display Resolution	128 x 128 pixels	176 x 176 pixels
Display Type	sunlight-readable, monochrome, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP)	Sunlight-readable, monochrome, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP)
Weight	3.5 oz (100.0 g)	3.5 oz (100 g)
Battery type	Rechargeable internal lithium-ion	Rechargeable internal lithium-ion
Battery life	Up to 90 hours at 10-minute tracking (default)	Up to 14 days at 10-minute tracking send interval with standard activity recording with full sky view
	Up to 35 hours at 10-minute tracking with 1-second logging	Up to 4 days with moderate tree cover (default)
	Up to 24 days at 30-minute tracking power save mode	Up to 5 days at 10-minute tracking send interval with high detail activity recording with full sky view
	Up to 1 year when powered off	Up to 2 days with moderate tree cover
		Up to 30 days at 30-minute tracking send interval with standard activity recording with full sky view
		Up to 10 days with moderate tree cover
		Up to 1 year when powered off
Waterproof	IPX7	IPX7
Interface	micro USB	USB-C
Waypoints/favorites/locations	500	1000
Courses	N/A	100
Tracks	Single dynamic track	N/A
Navigation Track Log	Single auto overwrite track log	N/A
Activities	N/A	200
Navigation Routes	20, 500 points per route	N/A
High-sensitivity receiver	Yes	Yes
GPS	Yes	Yes
Galileo	No	Yes
QZSS	No	Yes
Compass	No	Yes
GPS compass (while moving)	Yes	Yes
Weather	Yes	Yes
Point-to-point navigation	Yes	Yes
Interactive SOS	Yes	Yes
Send and receive text messages to SMS and email	Yes	Yes
Send and receive text messages to other inReach device	Yes	Yes
Exchange locations with other inReach device	Yes	Yes
MapShare compatible with tracking	Yes	Yes
Virtual keyboard for custom messaging	Yes	Yes
Send waypoints to MapShare during trip	No	Yes
Send route selection to MapShare during trip	No	Yes
inReach remote compatible	Yes	Yes
Compatible with Earthmate	Yes	No
Compatible with Garmin Explore™ app	No	Yes
Garmin Explore website compatible	Yes	Yes
Garmin Pilot™ app compatible	No	Yes
Connections Wireless Connectivity	yes (BLUETOOTH®, ANT+®)	Yes (Bluetooth®, ANT+®)