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Remote hiking with inReach Mini 2, Forerunner 255, and Android phone

6125703
3 months ago

I'm starting to plan a series of solo day hikes where I'll be away from phone coverage until I get back to lodging at night. I've ordered an inReach Mini 2 for peace of mind. I don't plan to broadcast my position with live-tracking etc. Just the check-ins a few times per day or, in the unlikely event, an actual SOS. I'll be using the cheapest intermittent recreational plan.

What I don't really understand is "best practice" for juggling this device and companion app(s) alongside Garmin Connect Mobile. My Forerunner 255 doesn't have mapping, inReach pairing capability, nor Garmin Explore compatibility. But I am familiar with its offline tracking of hikes from a year of ownership. I turn the bluetooth link on only after I get back to civilization to sync the stored tracks.

Does data spill between the Explore and Connect worlds? Is there utility in having the inReach also track my hike at the same time as my Forerunner 255? Or will this lead to some kind of duplicated mess in my Connect profile?  Does tracking affect the satellite comms function, or does it already get its needed location fixes just by being turned on?

If I understand what I've ready so far, I need to do setup of subscription and contacts on the Explore website, and I need a phone app to sync those details to the inReach Mini 2. It sounds like the Explore app can do that and also the basic satellite messaging tasks, so the Garmin Messenger app seems redundant to me. But is the opposite also true? Can the Messenger app handle the device setup tasks without ever installing Explore? I prefer to keep a minimal set of apps to learn and maintain.

For background, I am the type who memorizes a route before I go, and I expect to complete a hike on that alone. Before smartphones and smartwatches, I often day hiked or mountain biked without carrying any maps. I did use USGS quadrangle maps when backpacking, but haven't done that in decades. I have good situational awareness and a pretty good eye for orienting myself and finding and following even faint trails. I use phone maps like a magically unfolding paper map. I don't use routing or turn-by-turn guidance.

All told, I don't see much point in the map function of the Explore app nor the inReach mini 2. If my phone is working, I think I'll stick to my familiar OSMAnd+ (with contour) and/or National Parks app offline maps. Maybe the inReach device maps are a third level backup if I get lost and my phone dies. My watch also has a breadcrumb trail in that case.

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  • 0 2 months ago in reply to twolpert

    As above, the issue is particularly significant Off-Track e.g, where there are no tracks, trails, paths, junctions or anything that could otherwise give you any indication you are on the wrong path.

    Tracks alone could be bad enough if they were poorly defined and/or difficult conditions. But Off-Track is whole other ball game and 10 minutes just doesn't cut it. In many places it won't get you home and may as well be 10 hours.

    High Detail - similar to "Auto" in legacy devices - will record any significant twist and turn that's needed keep you close to your path and away from, for example, stumbling into patches of difficult bush in the dark, over a cliff, whatever.

    There's a very good reason and long history why High Detail is offered, and it's well understood by Garmin.

    I don't know how you have arrived at the conclusion Garmin assume it's working as designed, refer a couple posts back and previous threads, it's very clear it's not complying with published functionality. The simplest of the deficiencies is obvious: selecting High Detail.....and not getting it.

    We also tested the device, and it initially it worked. It was only later that the bugs showed. Some are artifacts of other configuration settings, others intermittent.

  • 0 2 months ago in reply to Wombo24

    We are not talking about the same feature. I am talking about TracBack. You are talking about using the recorded activity.

    The last I knew, the M2 had a bug which prevents properly recording an activity. The symptoms were described someplace higher up in this thread. The problem would affect the ability to use recorded activity to return to your starting point.

    open a support ticket. Use phone or text, not email.

  • 0 2 months ago in reply to twolpert

    My additional clarification on High Detail Activity Recording was in response to Leslie's clarification on High Detail Activity Recording.

    And yes, you are talking about something completely different.

    As per previous post support cases have been logged, not sure why are you are also stating to log a support case. And FYI Australian support cases are logged by email.

  • 0 2 months ago in reply to Wombo24

    Two reasons to log an additional case. First, you will be notified if there is ever a fix. Second, the more tickets which are submitted, the more likely Garmin is to tix the problem sooner rather than later.

    Based on forum posts, phone or text (when/where available) is more effective than email. Email seems to be something of a black hole. At least in the US. Cannot vouch for Australia.

  • 0 2 months ago in reply to twolpert

    So far since November I have personally made about 20 contacts regarding this problem. And that's after others reportedly logged cases during the year prior. If Garmin's new strategy is to ignore issues and people long enough until they tire and go away, well it's starting to work....

  • 0 2 months ago in reply to twolpert
    twolpert said:
    It does appear that detailed activity logging DOES work in some configurations.

    Not correct, it MAY work.

    1. In one case it will work IF you disable other functionality....and as a result have to remember to manually start it each time (which is also impractical for my partner who forgets)

    2. In the other case it intermittently stops regardless of what you do, in which case DOES NOT work.

    FYI if you look closer in that discussion the detailed testing that determined those scenarios was my contribution.  

  • 0 2 months ago in reply to Wombo24

    Case 1. I'm not making excuses for Garmin. Just saying that there is a configuration which DOES work. 

  • 0 2 months ago in reply to twolpert

    No, still incorrect. Case 2 overrides case 1.

    Even if you set Auto Track off, High Detail still MAY NOT work due to the intermittent issue.

    And apart from that, setting Auto Track off to try to get High Detail to work means that now Auto Track will not work.

    So regardless, either way something DOES NOT work.

  • 0 2 months ago in reply to Wombo24

    I am aware of the case that you had created for you a bit ago and had the device replaced. Is the replacement device still doing the same thing? I had seen the previously as well in another forums post and created a ticket myself regarding it. I am currently asking them to review it again and see if we can escalate it to see what might be causing this to happen.