receiving messages

Yes, although with a caveat.  The simplest approach is to send an initial message (can be a free preset message) from the inReach.  This will provide a return message address that you wife can use.  The caution is that this return address is dynamically assigned to the inReach.  It will stay the same during any outing and for some period afterwards (so far I have not seen any firm time period but assume days) but the next time you use the inReach after this time period the address may be different. 

I use this technique all the time - send an initial "Starting my run" message so my wife has a return address.  There are also additional ways to send a message to the inReach user through the MapShare - you do need to enable the option for people to message you.  There is also the inReach email you are assigned but this only works from inReach device to InReach device.  Others may have some more tricks.

The first paragraph above - regarding sending an initial message - applies to text messages (SMS). The recipient can then reply directly from the SMS messaging app on the phone. This requires cell phone coverage at the phone's location. razmichael is correct - this reply capability has a limited lifetime which is usually measured in weeks. That said, best practice is to "prime the pump" with a message from the inReach device before starting each trip.

Note: The ability to reply to the SMS depends on the capabilities of the SMS gateway used to reach the recipient's phone in the first place. There are locations, usually outside the US, where this does not work at all. Best to test it in your wife's location to be sure.

The "inReach email address" assigned to the device is NOT an email address. It just looks like one. As noted, it is only useful for inReach to inReach communication.

You can also send an email to your wife. There is no "direct reply" capability for email. There is a link in the message which opens a web page from which the recipient can send a reply. This works on a mobile device, but does require Internet access from the phone at the time. I believe that the link has a limited lifetime - so the same advice to "prime the pump" for each trip applies to email as well.

Thank you for your replies. Yes, my wife wants me to always send her an initial message at the trail head so she knows exactly when & where I'm starting out from, so my sending an initial text message would take care of my concern. So I guess that this means that I go ahead and order an inReach Mini! 

If you have a service plan that makes it cost-effective, you can also enable tracking via satellite. This will allow MapShare users, including your wife, to follow your location in more or less real time.

If you should become incapacitated to the point of being unable to send an SOS, this also provides a starting point for SAR after your wife reports you MIA.

Before leaving on trip out of cellular coverage, I send an SMS to my neighbor as we stand together.  I show him how to respond and tell him not to delete it before I return.

This sounds wonderful on paper, but in my experience, this is not how it works. I have an an inReach mini for a year now, and Garmin still cant seem to get it to work properly. Sometimes the unit fails to upload position data for hours at a time, other time the tracking info is uploaded, but none of my friends/family can see my actual position on the live tracking map. I am convinced the problem in not my inReach device, but rather holes in the web software. Could be both, but after how many hard resets do you stop blaming the device?

I have zero faith in my inReach unit.

In my experience, the Mini is more finicky than other iR devices when it comes to both GPS reception and Iridium communication. I once started walking/tracking without waiting for a fix. Carried the device in my hand, at my side, with the antenna protruding upward between thumb and forefinger. Walked for 15 or 20 minutes before discovering that the device had not yet acquired a fix - which meant no track points sent, either. I have since become very careful to make sure that I have a fix before setting out - and that I carry the device in the best possible position for clear sky view.

That said, the web side certainly has had its share of problems. But I don't think your experience is typical or we'd be seeing many more negative posts here on the forums.

7022636 said:

Can my wife initiate/originate a message to me?

To put it concisely:
* Your wife can initiate a message to you via your MapShare page. This is the preferred mechanism.
* Your wife can also reply directly to the message you've sent her, though this number is allocated dynamically and likely cannot be trusted to work over longer periods of time. She should ideally use the MapShare page to transmit messages.

CowboySlim said:

Before leaving on trip out of cellular coverage, I send an SMS to my neighbor as we stand together.  I show him how to respond and tell him not to delete it before I return.

This is a great approach and it's one I used with my partner before I head out on each hike. I take her through the same induction process each time, much to her annoyance :P

Very good idea!  I just got mine and trying to think ahead before heading out on a trip.