inReach Mini 2: What You Should Know

I've been using the Garmin inReach Mini 2 for hundreds of miles and several months on the trail, and in this video I'll share some important points that other reviews may have skipped when rehashing the spec sheet.

00:00 What to Expect
00:52 Incremental Upgrade
01:58 Variable Battery Life
05:04 Powered by Instinct 2?
06:10 Faster Messaging
07:35 Backup Navigator
10:57 Types of Tracks
12:53 Mini 2 vs ZOLEO vs etc

PLEASE LIKE if you found the video helpful or enjoyable. If you think it could be better, please leave me a comment with feedback instead of downvoting it.

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[danpierce]

thanks brother. im 2 years into hiking and bought a mini 2. you are very helpful. appreciate you.

[philcooper]

Thanks much for your content on satellite comms. Needed a way to keep my wife from worrying when bowhunting remote public land. You were the most credible voice and quickly garnered my trust for unbiased information. Just purchased the Mini 2 using your link. All the best to you.

[roymacfarland]

I stumbled across your pages, and have to say I appreciate your information and knowledge. I look forward to getting more into hiking, kayaking and camping.

[trailheadjunkie]

I love my mini 2. Its my first GPS locator and I picked it over the Zoleo after comparison because of Garmin technology and features. Plus I already have a Garmin watch and both devices sync very well.

[danieljames]

All I want to do is survive on Snowdon [Wales} and the more isolated places in the UK. Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[christopherlewis]

Thank you you sold me on it I will be thru hikeing the PCT this year I need to upgrade from my spot system thank you again for a great video (walkingman)

[ynotjf]

Great information regarding the location information “Activity Recording” vs “Send Interval”. I almost returned my Mini 2 because I mistakenly thought I was going to be charged $0.10 cents every time the unit recorded my position each 10 minutes. Activity Recording is FREE but Send Interval to MapShare cost 10 cents, I don’t use that feature and just turn it off..

[DrofJustice]

I love my mini2. Take it on all backcountry backpacking and canoeing trips. I’m always with my son and he does solo trips as well so it stays with him. Nice to send updates to husband about progress and 🆘. I rarely use weather or tracking. Never had a problem with battery life. Generally use cell phone gps app like Gaia for planning and navigation. I do have iPhone with SOS feature but it is too soon to know for sure how useful that is. I have programmed in the number for my Global Rescue plan to cover evacuation and medical all the way home. ❤

[lekistick]

I have two of the Garmin mini's. The "group" plan is great as I can "assign" either of these devices to anyone in my family. When they are assigned a device, that individual's personalized settings get assigned as well. This is a great way to share the devices between family members.

[EODtrooper]

Ive been using a Mini 1 for a solid year now. Combination of both out of cell service camping/forest trails and offshore fishing. It has been awesome! Highly recommended, great safety and peace of mind knowing i have it with me and has worked well.

[billruttan]

RE: Run time, my Mini(1) has used very little battery power in Extended Tracking (“XT”) Mode with 4 hour ‘Send’ interval. If I were to become immobilized, my location should eventually show up on MapShare without further action on my part. Since the inReach is still ‘On’, a MapShare user (or even the Rescue Coordination Center) can successfully send out a ‘Locate’ request. I can still ‘wake’ the Mini from the XT ‘Sleep Mode’ at any time to activate ‘SOS’ or send messages. Incoming messages also seem to eventually show up, even when the Mini is ‘asleep’ (despite what Garmin states about XT use).

[ChrisWhalenCPA]

Thank you very much for this video. It was exactly what I was looking for.

[fireguyCO]

Great video in showing how this works. I just bought this from using the bigger In Reach for years. I also bought a screen protector for mine which helps avoid the screen getting scratched.

[timmo]

Very pleased to see mapping coordinates on it. That’s the main thing I was looking for really. I can’t not see myself with a paper map anywhere (serious) I go

[TerryWindell]

Depending on the species, pine tree needles can act basically the same way chaff does when dropped from an aircraft. The Southern Pine has needles that are almost identical in length to the frequency of most older wifi frequencies. Clear line of sight overhead is always your best choice.

[IustinPop]

Very interesting, thanks! Didn’t realise tree cover would affect battery that much.

[danadess]

Awesome advice, thank you! I didn't know tree cover runs down your phone battery. Being mostly a solo hiker, it's important for me to know the ins and outs of this device. I considered the Zoleo but decided I wanted something a bit more powerful since I hike constantly in all seasons (and because I don't necessarily want my loved ones messaging me constantly when I want to disconnect. I intentionally got a limited messaging plan, lol).

[johnmichaels]

Very helpful to someone new to the civilian side of these devices. Thank you.

[FamDocD]

I have the Garmin InReach Mini (#1) not the Mini2. I was hiking on a trail with a lot of tree cover with NO cell service AT ALL, and I could NOT GET A SIGNAL. It took 28 minutes for it to find a signal, I looked everywhere I could for open space. I even stood on a bridge over a river-no trees over me at all, but still no signal. By total random chance, I ran into a guy with an InReach Mini2. I asked him, "are you getting a signal? I can't get one". He looked at me totally puzzled. "Yeah, I have a signal" he said "I just got a text from my mother". Meanwhile I am hiking totally alone, and NO ONE knows where I am, and I can't get even a simple message sent. It was pretty amazing that I was able to do an "in the field" trial like that. I just bought the Mini2, because I live in the Pacific Northwest and I am ALWAYS under heavy tree cover. I got home and said to my kids, So, if I get mauled a cougar or fall and break my leg, I have to crawl along the trail for 25 minutes hunting for a signal?" For me, often hiking in the trees alone, The Mini 2 is worth it. I WISH I had known that, but it's just the sort of thing you have to find out by doing,

[pgreenx]

I carry the older version. Plan for me is to never turn it on but nice to have.
Very much appreciate these videos. Your one if the few people whose reviews I trust