The Garmin inReach Mini 2: Your SHTF Communication Lifeline

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When disaster strikes and communication networks collapse, are you prepared to reach your loved ones? Satellite communication might be the difference between panic and peace of mind during an emergency. 

The Garmin inReach Mini 2 offers a reliable lifeline when traditional methods fail. This pocket-sized device weighs just 3.5 ounces but provides global coverage through the Iridium satellite network, ensuring there are no blind spots or dead zones. Whether you're stranded 50 miles from home during a hurricane or lost on a remote hiking trail, this device allows you to share your location, send crucial text messages, and even trigger an SOS alert that connects directly to emergency response teams.

For approximately $12 monthly (about "a Starbucks and a half"), you get 50 text messages and location tracking capabilities that create digital breadcrumbs family members can follow. The battery impresses with up to 14 days of standby time or 5 days of continuous tracking. While the device's compact size makes button navigation somewhat challenging for those with larger fingers, the companion smartphone app provides a more user-friendly interface for message composition and device setup.

What truly sets the inReach apart is its emergency response capabilities. The SOS feature connects you with Garmin's 24/7 response team who coordinate with local search and rescue services to provide assistance anywhere in the world. Preset messages allow quick communication in various scenarios, from simple check-ins to urgent meet-up instructions when disaster strikes.

At approximately $350, the investment might seem significant, but can you really put a price on knowing you'll never be truly cut off from help or loved ones? As newer models emerge (including a $2,000 smartwatch with similar capabilities), this reliable communication tool remains an accessible option for practical preppers. Even if it sits unused most days, the peace of mind it provides is invaluable. Be safe out there, take care of one another, and remember: preparation isn't paranoia—it's prudence.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, all this is Keith and welcome back to the
Common Sense Practical Prepperpodcast, september 4th 2025.
Again coming to you from ouraffiliate office in Berlin,
germany.
So I want to talk aboutcommunications and specifically
satellite communications.
When we're in the middle of acritical SHTF situation, cell

(00:25):
towers are down, your phone isbasically a paperweight, a
hurricane, emp, grid down, chaos, whatever it happens to be, and
you need to stay in contactwith your family or you need to
call for help.
We're going to talk about theGarmin inReach Mini 2, a device
that I've had for a little overa year.
I've tested it on the trail, Ihave tested it here in Berlin

(00:49):
and I believe, at least for meand my needs, it's the device
that satisfies my currentrequirements.
My family members also havethis same device.
All right, here's this scenarioMajor storm wipes out power,

(01:13):
cell service is down across theregion, phone's not working, no
cell service and you're 50 milesfrom home.
You need to be able to contactyour family and hopefully tell
them you're safe and providethem guidance.
Okay, I'm safe.
Starting home should be thereby noon, or are you safe?
Whatever the message happens tobe and we'll get into the

(01:33):
messages here in a second.
So it basically works off theIridium satellite network.
It's a global network, so thereare no blind spots, there are
no dead areas.
Now you might ask about GMRSradios, handheld ham radios.
Those types of radios certainlyhave a role, but for this

(01:59):
situation you're going to be toofar for line of sight.
Powers out repeaters are down,so handheld ham radios are not
going to be too far for line ofsight.
Powers out.
Repeaters are down, so handheldham radios are not going to
work.
So a satellite communicationslike the inReach Mini 2, it's a
tiny device, about three and ahalf ounces fits in your pocket.
Again, it's on the Iridiumsatellite network.
You can share your location,text messages or trigger an SOS

(02:23):
anywhere in the world.
It's pretty rugged, it's waterresistant, not waterproof, and
it's got like the case around it.
It's kind of like a hard rubbercase and the buttons are
protected underneath this rubbercase and it's not that
difficult to use.
However, being so small andcompact, that's fantastic.

(02:45):
But the downside to that is ifyou have fat fingers like me, it
can be a little difficult tonavigate the menu and get some
of your text messages in.
So when you get your device setthe whole thing up beforehand.
Okay, there are different typesof monthly subscriptions.

(03:06):
The monthly subscription I haveis approximately I think it's
$12 a month and that gives you50 text messages through the
device and those can be sharedthrough text messages, email.
There's several different waysthat you can share the message
that you need to provide, andanother cool thing about it is

(03:30):
With the other family membersthat have that if they have the
same plan, they have 50 textmessages.
There's a cool thing about theMessenger app.
So, again, if you have fatfingers, like me, using the app
on the phone, like a lot ofother devices, it's much easier
to program through your phonethan it is to try to look at the
little screen on the device.

(03:52):
Again, it's small, so it'smeant to be compact.
It is very versatile, but thatis one of the downsides to it.
There are other subscriptions,different tiers.
I'm sure you know there's moreexpensive tiers that provide
additional text messages, but Ijust have just the basic $12 a

(04:13):
month 50 text messages, havejust the basic $12 a month 50
text messages.
There's a map share feature.
So basically what it does isyou can have it send your
location every 10 minutes, every30 minutes, every hour, every
two hours.
So there's several differentoptions.

(04:33):
It has a great battery life,but the more times per hour that
you send an interval, it'sgoing to use more battery,
however, so just like sittingthere by itself, it's going to
last about 14 days.
It'll last about five days ifit's on the entire time and

(04:53):
you're sending your location outevery 10 minutes.
Now I used it.
I've used it on the trail whenI've been hiking the Appalachian
trail.
I've used it here in Berlin acouple of times just to kind of
put it through its paces, andwhen I was done hiking and I was
done walking around here inBerlin, I go ahead and stop it

(05:14):
on the phone, stop the tracking,and then I can actually pull up
a map and have it load thewaypoints and actually load the
path that I've been eitherhiking or, in this instance this
week, walking, and on the phoneapp you just kind of zoom in
and the more you zoom in it endsup kind of like a Google Earth
type of overlay and you canactually see the streets and it

(05:39):
is very accurate.
Now, obviously, you go inside abuilding for a significant
amount of time.
It's not going to be able toping the satellites, but as long
as there's clear view to thesky.
If it gets a little cloudy itmight affect it some, but you
know, here in Berlin I'm betweena lot of tall buildings, you
know, as I'm walking, so itcould affect it a little bit,

(05:59):
but if you're out in the openyou're going to be in good shape
and it's going to be very, veryaccurate.
Like I said, the battery isfantastic.
And let's talk about the SOSfeature.
The great thing about the SOSfeature is if you are in a
really bad situation and youneed to activate SOS, you need

(06:22):
to call for assistance.
You activate the SOS.
It connects you with Garmin'slike 24-7 emergency response
team, or whatever they call it,and they will coordinate with
local search and rescue lawenforcement and they will come
get you.
If you're hiking and you'vebroken a leg, you've broken an

(06:45):
arm and you can't continue,they'll have your exact location
and they're going to come getyou.
They'll airlift you out.
Whatever the situation is,they're going to come and get
you.
So there's a bunch of presetmessages and again, when you set
it up, set up the presetmessages before an SHTF
situation and you can set themup like if I was hiking and I

(07:10):
got to my camp, I would send thepreset message to whoever in my
contacts I need to send it tosafe at camp.
And let's say I had a presetmessage the next morning leaving
camp.
Those can be very, very simple.
Now, if you didn't want toactivate an SOS, you could put
in a preset message need help atthe cabin?

(07:34):
Need help behind the shoppingcenter?
Okay, power out, meet at cabin.
So you can have several ofthose and those can be changed
all the time, depending on thesituation.
If you don't have a cabin, youcan change it to something
different.
If, for some reason, yoursituation changes and some of
the preset messages don't quitemake sense, you just go into the

(07:57):
app, which is much easier toprogram to the app, and you just
go ahead and change them thatway.
So basically, you can also shareall of that.
You share the map.
You can also backtrack with themap.
So if you're hiking and you'regoing along and, let's say, you
get lost, you're not payingattention and you've realized
that you're off the trail, thenyou have a situation of

(08:18):
basically looking at the map andthen just walking it backwards.
Just turn around, zoom in andit's going to walk you back.
You can.
Let's say I was here in Berlinand I went too many blocks.
I went like six blocks too farand I took a left and I finally
realized it.
I could pull up the map andbasically I just turned around
and I followed a little blueline backwards the way I came

(08:41):
and it's going to go ahead andget me back to where I need to
be Now.
With any technology, garminprobably has already come out
with something that's bigger andbetter and probably more
expensive than the inReach Mini2.
I happen to be attending a techconference tomorrow here in

(09:02):
Berlin.
It's IFA Innovation for All.
Garmin's going to be there, andI did read that they now have a
smartwatch that does all of thethings that the Garmin
Messenger devices the inReach,the mini inReach, the mini
inReach 2, they all do that andit's going to be compact into a

(09:25):
smartwatch and I'm going toassume that the app is
compatible as well.
I also heard it was about$2,000, which leaves that way,
way, way out of my price range.
The inReach Mini 2, amazon, rei, any other outdoor website.
When I purchased mine I believeit was about $350.

(09:45):
But as new versions of thesedevices come out, the price of
the older versions willeventually drop down.
So again, this is somethingthat suits my current needs.
May not be for everybody,current needs may not be for

(10:06):
everybody, but I think it'simportant to have something,
because if you're 20 miles away,five miles away, and you're not
able to make it home because ofan SHTF situation and the cell
service is down, you don't knowif your family is safe.
They don't know if you're safe.
If you have no way of gettingreliable communication set up
and providing them currentinformation on where you are and

(10:28):
what you need to do, that couldbe a problem.
You're not going to be able tosay, hey, meet at the cabin or
get the bug out bags, I'll behome in 30 minutes.
You're not going to be able toprovide that.
Now.
It might seem like a littleoverkill, but remember, a lot of
what I do prepping-wise ispeace of mind.

(10:49):
Now, this device has beensitting near my bug-out bag for
probably 320 of the last 365days, but I know I've got it and
$12 a month may be a lot ofmoney for some folks.
So it's a what?
Maybe a Starbucks and a half?
I don't drink Starbucks.
I'm not sure how much aStarbucks is, but to me peace of

(11:12):
mind.
You really can't put a price onit.
So $12 a month to me, given mysituation and how I prep, is
money well spent.
All right, folks, thanks forlistening.
If you need to get ahold of mepracticalpreppodcast at gmailcom
, go into the cool tech show.

(11:34):
Maybe I'll take some photos ofthat new Garmin device and try
to get some information on it.
Don't forget, I'll be going toPrepper Camp 26th, 7th and 8th,
I believe, of September.
And again, thanks so much,folks, and, as always, be safe
out there, take care of oneanother and until next time.