These devices can save your life if you’re off the grid in Maine

By Pete Warner, Bangor Daily News Staff

The older I get, the more going off the grid for outdoor pursuits can be a little bit scary.

Traveling to a remote location for a fishing trip, or a hunting excursion, sometimes means you’re pretty much in the middle of nowhere with no cellphone signal. Such was the case several years ago when I accompanied my friends John Holyoke and the Lander boys — Chris, Bill and Tim — to Quebec to go fishing near Lac Barbel.

The former mining town of Gagnon was long ago bulldozed, leaving only a handful of leased lakeside camps constructed over the years. It’s far from our homes in Greater Bangor and not close to anything.

Even today, with that section of road of Route 389 paved, it’s 48 miles to Relais-Gabriel — which we affectionately called “Regis Philbin” — the nearest town. At Barbel, there are no businesses, no year-round houses and no phones.

In spite of the amazing scenery and often productive fishing in the area, there was always some uneasiness about what might happen if someone got injured or became ill. The only real peace of mind came with the costly rental of a satellite phone, which allowed us to stay in touch briefly with our families and contact the authorities if something serious happened.

The situation wasn’t much different on a recent fishing trip to Penobscot Lake, where help — in the form of the 20 Mile Checkpoint — was at least 45 minutes away.

However, the development of more affordable and versatile satellite communication devices has guaranteed the ability to send messages to family members as often as desired or an SOS in an emergency.

These little units, while not new, are game-changers.

When our furnace at home started acting up on Day 2 of the recent fishing trip, I was able to receive the call and respond immediately with instructions on how to remedy the problem.

Had there been a real emergency, the simple push of a button would have mobilized authorities and alerted them to our location via GPS.

It’s not a guarantee, but it’s comforting.

While this should not be construed in any way as a detailed review, I’m going to share some information about the units Chris and I purchased and used on our trip.

I recently bought the ZOLEO, which is a small plastic/rubber block that provides satellite communications when exposed to open sky to receive a clear signal. This unit will send an SOS, if needed, or a predetermined “check-in” message with GPS coordinates, but it requires a cellphone to create and send personalized messages.

That means if I want to track my movements or look at a map, I have to download them to my phone — and have a phone that’s charged and working. The ZOLEO was only $150.

Chris bought the Spot X two-way satellite messenger, which utilizes similar technology, but provides the option of typing and receiving messages with a built-in keyboard and screen on the device — or on a cellphone. They compare it to an older-style BlackBerry cellphone.

We found that with our two devices, we could conveniently message our spouses at home, as well as swap messages with each other, regardless of our location.

The messages were relayed within a reasonable amount of time, in most cases. It ranged from a minute or two, to 20 minutes or more, but they were all received.

With both devices, the emergency button connects the user with someone trained to evaluate the situation, assist and send help immediately.

Chris found the Spot X easy to operate and dependable. It goes for approximately $199. He’s eager to try out more of the features, including periodic tracking and a compass.

With the satellite communicators, we also could share fishing intel or discuss other plans for the day when we were fishing in two different boats at opposite ends of the lake.

There are several other devices that perform similar functions, including Garmin’s popular inReach Mini and inReach Mini 2. Those units enable users to use an on-screen interface to send and receive messages, and they’re among the smallest such devices out there.

After reading up on them, it sounds as though their more extensive features are more appropriate for more frequent and serious outdoor enthusiasts who spend a lot of time in the woods and mountains with no cell service and want more extensive mapping and tracking capabilities.

Also, the price tag for the inReach Mini 2 is nearly double that of the Spot X.

There are other built-in costs for users of all compact satellite communication devices as each company has a variety of monthly pricing plans based on the expected number of messages one plans to be sending.

The bottom line: You can’t put a price tag on peace of mind when it comes to dealing with an emergency, or even if you just want to let your loved ones know you are OK out in the middle of nowhere.

Now that I have one, I’ll never be without it in the woods.