63 Chevyll,
Your original question was:If your phone dies, are you still able to send a distress signal?
With the InReach the answer is Yes. The device can act "stand alone" or in conjunction with your smart phone. Coupling with the smart phone (iPhone for me) has a few advantages, like text messages (two way), viewing your location on a map, etc..., but a smart phone is not required to send messages or to use the Emergency "SOS" feature. You program three messages via a web interface (from your home computer), and you can send any of those three messges by use of buttons on the InReach device. You can enable tracking or disable tracking, but doing so with a smart phone gives more options on frequency of tracking information.
The Inreach Satellite Communications device uses the Iridium Satellite system which I believe is a bit more reliable than the Globalstar system (used by Spot), so Bob Pickering's comments may not apply.
The battery life of the InReach is now over 100 hours, so easily in excess of one week, and all that is required is fresh batteries to get another week. The iPhone's battery life is much shorter, but by using the DeLorme maps you can run the iPhone in "Airplane mode", meaning the battery life is much better. If going out for many days a solar charge would be needed for the iPhone. Again, the iPhone is not required, but is very nice to have.
Fishmonger, since I wanted a device that worked with the Iridium system I found the cost of the phone much higher. Hence my decision to just go with the InReach. I do understand your point about actual voice connection offering better communication than text, but for my occasional use I felt the two way text was sufficient, particularly when coupled with the Iridium System.
Steve, thanks for fixing my link to the picture gallery.
John
