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Originally Posted by FlyingScot
Very interesting. Does it need a cell signal?
I was interested in Dan's(?) post a few months ago about the emergency beacon on Amazon that is not cell dependent, and I think I saw the new iPhone 14 has an emergency satellite link. Hoping to settle on some sort of electronic safety net before hiking solo this spring. Thanks
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It only needs a cell signal for "smart" functions like notifications, music control, etc.
It comes with Garmin's maps installed, and you can download your own custom map or maps from Alltrails, etc. (Garmin calls them "courses") to be independent of cell service.
For example, I just downloaded a custom route for Monadnock and a Spotify playlist—that will allow me to go in the woods with just my watch and get GPS tracking and off-trail/missed turn notifications as well as be able to listen to the Spotify playlist, track my physical statistics and hiking times, etc.
It's not really a replacement for a PLB, but those haven't proven as reliable as people think they are—the Warden's Watch podcast episodes about Kate Matrosova go into that a bit—and the only time I'm out solo is when the weather is more...forgiving. In the winter, I always hike with at least one other person and never on routes or in weather that are outside normal risk.
Why I think it's so great is that it's also an excellent daily watch that gives me good data to make decisions on. For example, the sleep score has gotten me to pay attention to a more regular, and longer, sleep routine that has definitely paid off in the last two weeks.
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