What is going on at SatMap ….. head torches for the darker nights and who has been pressing the SOS buttons on Garmin’s inReach devices?

In this month’s podcast –

After we told the world what was going on at SatMap back in August it’s great to SatMap have chosen to now tell their customers.

In the last month, our phone has been hot with people asking what their options are going forward.

So here we go lets quick fire a few questions –

With the clocks changing last weekend I see the Mountain rescue teams have, rightly, started a large campaign telling everybody they should be carrying a headtorch, as you can easily be caught out now the nights have drawn in.

We are not going to review headtorches (I will link to an article doing this in the show notes), but wea re just going to discuss the main things to think about when looking at headtorches –

Both have low setting to increase battery when not needing standard

Top tips for using a headtorch –

For more information read the full article online here

– What is Garmin inReach?

With inReach satellite technology from Garmin and a satellite subscription, you can stay in touch globally. You can send and receive messages, navigate your route (Not messenger ), track and share your journey and, if necessary, trigger an SOS to get help from a 24/7 global emergency response coordination centre via the 100% global Iridium®satellite network.

– What GPS units/ products have inReach technology built in?

Handhelds GPSMap66i, 86i, Montana 700i, 750i

What are people doing when they trigger an SOS?

An overwhelming 39% of SOS triggers come from adventurers who are out hiking or backpacking. Interestingly, the next highest number of SOS triggers (12%) comes from driving incidents, proving that you don’t have to be stuck on a rocky cliff or lost at sea to hit the SOS button. Many of the driving incidents involve people simply needing help while on the road and outside of cellphone service. Seemingly normal situations can become worrisome quickly depending on the location and if supplies are lacking or weather conditions are worsening.

The top five activities that people are doing when they trigger an inReach SOS are:

Why are people triggering an SOS?

Many people doing outdoor activities create the potential for many emergency situations. The top reason that inReach users trigger an SOS is for injuries, at 30%. An injury can refer to a variety of problems such as broken bones, lacerations or blunt force trauma from a fall. The second most popular reason to trigger an SOS, at 17%, is for medical issues, which can refer to concerns like altitude sickness, heart problems and gastrointestinal issues, among others.

The top five reasons people trigger an inReach SOS:

Who are people triggering an SOS for?

A frequent question we get is who an SOS can be triggered for. The answer is simple: Anybody.

While many SOS incidents are for the actual inReach subscriber, nearly two-thirds are for the subscriber’s party member or an unknown third-party individual.

An SOS can also be triggered to report emergencies, including wildfires or vehicle accidents. As such, we always try to reiterate that it’s important to carry an inReach because you never know who or what you might come across when outside of cellphone service.

To find out more about Garmin inReach devices please just go to our website > GPSTraining.co.uk > GPS Store > Two-way satellite Communication

4. The next thing on this month’s GPS Training Podcast is Andy’s top tips

Fenix Watches turn of lap key so back-button can be used as simple back to view watch face and standard glances etc then back to activity recording

inReach Messenger – for the unit to leave a automatic track point every 10 mins for a 24hr period so you can use emergency track back arrow pointer you do not need to start tracking the messenger automatically does this when turned on juts leave turned on , only start tracking if you have subscription that has free track points or you want friends & family to be able to track you on your Mapshare (0.10p per track point if you are not on the mid ranger packages)

To find more top tips please do sign up for the GPS Training online resource, this is packed full of video top tips. Go to our website – gpstraining.co.uk and click on the – Online resource – on the top menu bar