InReach Messenger vs Zoleo? And the One Big Difference

Рет қаралды 40,162

Жыл бұрын

👇 GEAR FROM THE VIDEO 👇
InReach Messenger: geni.us/InReachMessenger
Zoleo: geni.us/Zoleo
Enduro Watch: geni.us/Enduro-2
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⭐ MY FAVORITE GEAR ⭐
Garmin InReach Mini: geni.us/InReachMini2
Decathlon Down Jacket - geni.us/Trek100DownJacketM
REI Flash 55 Pack: geni.us/Flash55
Enlightened Equipment Enigma Quilt: geni.us/enigmadown
Garmin Fenix Watch: geni.us/FenixWatch
Lanshan 1 Pro Tent: geni.us/Lanshan1Pro
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📷 MY FILMING GEAR 📷
X-T4 Camera: geni.us/FujiX-T4
GoPro Hero 10: geni.us/GoPro-Hero-10
Insta360 One X2: geni.us/Insta360-OneX2
Rode Wireless Mic: geni.us/Rode-Wireless
Samsung S10E Phone: geni.us/Samsung-S10e
Saramonic Phone Mic: geni.us/PhoneMic
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CONNECT WITH ME!
Website: justinoutdoors.com
Facebook: / justinoutdoors
Instagram: / justinoutdoors
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This video description includes affiliate links. Affiliate links help support the channel at no extra cost to you!

Пікірлер: 85

@BackcountryExposure Жыл бұрын

It might be helpful to point out that with Zoleo you can freeze your plan for $4/month after the initial 3 months, and then reactivate without paying a new activation fee. The freezing also keeps your dedicated phone number. Great list of information and comparison dude!

@bucky716 Жыл бұрын

The InReach Messenger is a neat little device! I love my Zoleo and has worked well for two years now. I love that I can suspend it for $4 a month when I know I won't be using it and save a few bucks while family and friends will still be able to know they can reach me at the same number. No screen is a tiny drawback but going into 2023 we all use our phones, keep them charged, and carry extra power.

@bretosborne7504 2 ай бұрын

As a safety device it's important to appreciate how much more powerful the Garmin's transmitter is. If you are down deep in a forest with a thick canopy overhead the Garmin has a better chance of getting it's signal out to help.

@theodoreeisele 7 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for doing this. Outstanding information!

@Mainer_in_Oklahoma Жыл бұрын

Nice video! You reminded me to update and change the batteries in my SPOT

Жыл бұрын

Timely video, as I just received my Zoleo today! I got the deal at REI for $150 so I snatched it up but you gave me more to think about before I open it. You're really coming in clutch for me lately! Thanks!! Really thorough and informative review!

@JarradShaw Жыл бұрын

So glad you did this review. The new Garmin is something I was really curious about.

@chasee1563 Жыл бұрын

another helpful video. thanks Justin!

@DrofJustice Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comparison!! Saves me a ton of time ❤ So true, messaging is clutch. Making those at home comfortable with my being in the backcountry is super nice. I’m using the InReach Mini2 and super happy with it.

@elr05 Жыл бұрын

Great review, as usual!

@KirstenBayes Жыл бұрын

Really helpful, Justin, thank you! Exciting time for these kinds of devices: both look like decent options, though I tend to be a Garmin girl.

@KrizAkoni 10 ай бұрын

Looking to get one of these to supplement texts during my AT through hike - helpful comparison!

@erkful Жыл бұрын

Garmin simply cannot make a user friendly app….no matter what it’s for it’s always a pita to use.

@LMay64 Жыл бұрын

Fantastic comparison!

@pierrebeaini 4 ай бұрын

This was helpful, thanks!

@catchusoutside4884 4 ай бұрын

Great video. Thanks for the info

@mrcanoe5588 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for this review. One difference I noticed is how the Zoleo seems to be much easier to lend/borrow, with its own dedicated number and email, while Garmin's instructions for lending/borrowing seem very complicated.

@AvoidingChores Жыл бұрын

3:10 That’s odd, weather is showing in C when I updated the firmware & app back in Nov

@leemclaren2518 Жыл бұрын

Always take your advice with products as best I can, not always easy to get my hands on the same equipment coming from Scotland. I remember watching this video a while back but not really taking anything in as I'm fairly new to backpacking/hiking and couldn't see myself using or needing anything like this. But this year I plan on making more use from my recently purchased gear (tent specifically) and over here people going missing or getting into trouble out in the mountains/hikes is becoming far to common. I will most likely be looking into something like this. Though there is no price in your safety and wellbeing I hate how these things are so expensive, the initial cost and then the monthly charges are mad. I have the Garmin fenix 7 and I like the idea of the screen, but for most people the biggest feature or use will be for messaging. I think I'll stick with Garmin coz I know what to expect and right now the messenger model is on sale at £220

@stephenb2817 Жыл бұрын

Hi Justin I just wanted to say I'm a huge fan of your video's! With 2023 around the corner could you please do a 2023 gear review and clothes review? I watched your older videos but most of the gear and clothes are no longer available. I could really use advice on what to buy being that I am currently going to be geting into hicking and Camping.

@kevinboyer6249 Жыл бұрын

I used the Zoleo for 2 straight months in some of the most remote areas of backcountry in Montana this past summer and it was flawless. I researched all the available messenger devices for months, except the Garmin you are reviewing, because it was not available at the time, and decided the Zoleo was hands down the easiest for me to use and understand. Sure it doesn’t have a screen, but I’d rather not have a screen than have one that is so small that it defeats the purpose of having a scene at all in the first place. I had to call Zoleo a couple of times when I was setting up my device, and I was able to talk to techs on each occasion who were exceptional at answering my questions, and sent me follow up emails offering additional help if I needed it. That is worth its weight in gold to me.

@bl8danjil Жыл бұрын

4:42 If I remember from when I looked this up, Glonass is not included because InReach uses the same frequency(s) as the Iridium network for communication. It is not because of current events. All of their multi GNSS devices, both past and present, still have GLONASS, but when InReach gets included as a feature on the device GLONASS is always dropped from the list.

@johncheeseman6764 Жыл бұрын

Bought my zoleo on sale at REI, paid 150.

@OutsideChronicles Жыл бұрын

With Zoleo, is the 3 month commitment only for reactivation with no plan? If I were to suspend my plan and pay $4/mo, can I activate for 1 month and then suspend again after that month? Or do I need to activate for 3 months before re-suspending?

@hawkins5560 Жыл бұрын

On device messaging is a major thing for me. If youre going to activate SOS, being able to differentiate between "broken leg" and "lost" even when you cant access your phone are massively important for SAR, especially when in an area without dedicated SAR teams.

@hawkins5560 Жыл бұрын

As someone who is not SAR, but lives in an area without SAR and has had to respond to wilderness 911 calls, it truly can be life or death. We wont get helicopters rolling until we know 100% what's wrong. If your buddy fell and broke his back, but you cant communicate that then you are going to delay definitive care by at least 3x. EMS will likely not be called to respond to an SOS if there is no further information. Youre more likely to get DNR or LE. Even being able to send "need ems" from the device can change the outcome. Thankfully all of my trail calls have mostly been orthopedic calls where it wasn't life or death, and the ones that were happened on trails with cell service.

@JustinOutdoors Жыл бұрын

Great info and first hand experience!

@erkful Жыл бұрын

You can send the same info with ZOLEO on the app….probably quicker

@hawkins5560 Жыл бұрын

@@erkful Not if your phone battery dies. Garmin also has an app.

@jessedasovich2782 Жыл бұрын

Not mentioned, Zoleo’s construction is more robust. Compare the dust and water specs. Zoleo includes a carabiner for attachment, Garmin a small tether that you have to purchase separately. It’s clear the Zoleo is a better choice for the serious outdoor enthusiast.

@jaredwhite489 Жыл бұрын

My Montana 750 i has been a nightmare. Ditching it for the new 68 i

@Cocohikes Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the review! I love my zoleo but this video brought up some great points! However im wondering if Garmin is actually still using dark sky- Apple bought dark sky a while ago and are ceasing support of the dark sky app to “integrate that technology” with their app.

@JustinOutdoors Жыл бұрын

I did a triple check and Garmin is still using Dark Sky and haven't indicated whether they are switching and, if so, what the timeline would be.

@Cocohikes Жыл бұрын

@@JustinOutdoors cool thanks! Yeah the Dark Sky app itself says it won’t be supported as of 1/1/2023, I’d be interested to see if that changes how garmin handles weather at some point.

@KaneDoesOutdoors Жыл бұрын

Garmin for the win. Good review Justin. I don’t understand why the mini is still more expensive 🧐

@TLK22 10 ай бұрын

It has a bigger screen and has maps that can be used to navigate without needing a phone.

@KevinSmith-wr1sy Жыл бұрын

Unreal level of detail Justin - no other reviewer is even close.

@musingwithreba9667 Жыл бұрын

I've never used a Garmin anything, but I bought the Zoleo last year pretty much based on price alone. The monthly plans at the time were also less than the Garmins that were available. I quite like my Zoleo, (I suppose I'd like it better if it was a bit slimmer and weighed less but...) and my family likes that I have it and I can message them if I'm being mauled by a bear, or if I am meeting someone at the trail and there's no cell signal for them to text me.

@MumentoMory Жыл бұрын

Gonna whip out the Zoleo and shoot some texts while being mauled by a bear, huh?

@musingwithreba9667 Жыл бұрын

@@MumentoMory sure thing! Or I could hit the SOS button, just like the folks who use Garmin or Spot 😁

@dustyroads834 9 ай бұрын

Garmin drops it again without a dedicated number. To me that’s a deal breaker. Guess I’ll just trudge along with my 100% dependable Zoleo that hasn’t let me down even once in 3 years.

@clayp520 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the information Justin. Help a technologically older hiker out. The multitude of features is overwhelming. I just want a device that keep track of me and can share that with others; plus let me send an "I'm ok message". Who wins that?

@JustinOutdoors Жыл бұрын

Garmin will do what you want better. More tracking options and a website portal that your people can go to in order to follow your tracks. They can even ping your location if you have that feature turned on.

@sailingpelagia7706 5 ай бұрын

Zoleo Tracking now makes it easy to share maps via URL

@stephencarr9342 Жыл бұрын

Excellent video. If you’re messaging family and friends from either device, do they have to have the Zoleo or Garmin apps installed or does it go straight to their ’normal’ messaging service?

@JustinOutdoors Жыл бұрын

Will go straight to either the email or text message app

@david_onthetrail 11 ай бұрын

@@JustinOutdoors with Zoleo doesn't the recipient need to have the Zoleo app? That's what I'm understanding as I am researching which device to get.

@wanttogo1958 8 ай бұрын

@@david_onthetrailto receive an SMS message from a user of ZOLEO, who will have to have loaded to their phone the ZOLEO mobile app, the recipient, who is using only their phone to communicate, does not have to have the ZOLEO mobile app loaded to their phone. Apparently, If the mobile phone user has the ZOLEO mobile app loaded to their phone then their texting experience with the ZOLEO user will be improved by additional capability available via the mobile app.

@BobGrimminger Жыл бұрын

Dark Sky is going away 1/1/23. Will the Garmin continue to use the new Apple equivalent?

@Carlos-jh5tb Ай бұрын

ZOLEO is often on sale for $149. Kind of an easy choice

@elr05 Жыл бұрын

The ZOLEO has worked very well for me, and I’m trying to stop buying gear when I already have something similar, lol. The only problem I had with ZOLEO was 100% my fault. I went into the backcountry without checking the app itself. Didn’t realize until I got to camp that it had offloaded off my iPhone and wouldn’t open bc I didn’t have a connection to the App Store to download it again. So I had a functioning device that could say “I’m safe” or “SOS” but I couldn’t read or send texts. I learned the hard way to ALWAYS check the app before I leave, I will certainly remember that from now on. If I didn’t already have the ZOLEO I would probably get the new garmin instead.

@vimanaboy Жыл бұрын

That's a really good point to keep in mind. I'm on CalyxOS (de-Googled Android) now and apps don't offload, but I remember that (optional) feature from my iPhone days and I'm sure the same thing would have happened to me. Important enough to note in the user guide, I'd say.

@glenndorsey9068 Жыл бұрын

It is simply impossible to keep up in the electronics arena. Several Years ago I decided to go with ZOLEO and am still satisfied with what it does for me which is basically telling my wife I’m ok. But my smart phone is several releases out of date and don’t even ask about my laptops.

@Jdub970 6 ай бұрын

How do you clip the inreach messenger onto yourself or pack?

@petestuff3257 3 ай бұрын

I did notice there’s a little loophole on one of the corners to attach a cord/strap

@Chase_Crawford Жыл бұрын

Do either of these extend GPS coverage for your phone so that Google Maps or AllTrails will work?

@JustinOutdoors Жыл бұрын

Your phone's GPS works even if you don't have cell phone coverage. But you need to be using an app that has off-line maps. Alltrails does for the paid version and I think googlemaps has a similar feature as well.

@aithney Жыл бұрын

InReach Mini 2 or InReach Messenger? Is it still worth it to dish out for Mini? And what about new iPhone SOS feature? What do you guys think?

@josephgrn2818 Жыл бұрын

I’m wondering the same!

@cathiewilliamson2807 Жыл бұрын

Mini 2 has additional navigation features that are not available on the Messenger. The Messenger was created to go head to head with the Zoleo, and is primarily for sending and receiving messages. It will also track you and do weather, but you can’t navigate or download maps. The on device screen is what topped it for me over the Zoleo. I didn’t need the fancy bells and whistles the Mini 2 has.

@returnedfrompanama 11 ай бұрын

I know you can’t navigate with these devices, but can you at least see your location on a map on your phone?

@JustinOutdoors 11 ай бұрын

yup. But 99% of phones will have equally as good if not better GPS receivers.

@returnedfrompanama 11 ай бұрын

@@JustinOutdoors Do you think the iPhone 14 Pro has a better GPS receiver than the Garmin InReach Mini 2?

@tom6363 Жыл бұрын

It is also important to point out that the Zoleo will first try and send messages through cellular and will only jump to satellite if no cellular is available. Garmin can’t do that. For mainly messaging and SOS use it was a easy decision for me to go with the much lower cost Zoleo. The marginally lower cost subscription plan for Garmin would be several years pay back on the hardware cost.

@JustinOutdoors Жыл бұрын

As I mentioned in the video, the inreach messenger will do that. It will try wifi, then cellular, then satellelite.

@Andy-Mesa Жыл бұрын

The answer, like most titles that end with a question mark, is no.

@RESISTAGE Жыл бұрын

bought zoleo yesterday. zoleos plans cheaper than garmins.

@outwithradios8145 Жыл бұрын

No good calling sos when most services are already on their knees, the uk 🇬🇧 has the said best health service and military rescue response teams in the world until you call , Typically 4 hrs for an ambulance 4 hrs wait in A&E on the rare time they do turn up, I only ever called once in my life for an ambulance to be told you have a broken ankle no blood no protruding-bones ? Make your own way to the hospital and then puts the phone down. All good n well calling for help but if nobody on the other end can be bothered why buy this stuff. Go with someone with medical training and train yourself. The only person that will help you is Y O U.

@bobthetomato8375 Жыл бұрын

And.... don't do stupid stuff! 😅

@outwithradios8145 Жыл бұрын

@@bobthetomato8375 tell the rest

@bobthetomato8375 Жыл бұрын

@@outwithradios8145 Self-reliance, that's what I was thinking before I read your comment and had to chime in. An SOS button is no excuse for taking risks, going beyond what one is prepared to handle. People die mostly due to lack of preparation, physical or gear-wise. I was in the Smokies last summer during a really bad hail storm and it scared the s*it out of me. I will be better prepared next time!!! And I do have a Zoleo and love it.

@outwithradios8145 Жыл бұрын

@@bobthetomato8375 if I die the world will be a better place,I never liked this planet or the humans on it

@alangauld6079 10 ай бұрын

The SOS button isn't likely to be calling on the NHS ambulances, more likely the Lifeboat service or Mountain Rescue etc, most of which consists of volunteers! They don't expect you to be using their SOS service while sitting in your house.