Dropped $300 on a satellite messenger and it felt like a total waste... until it wasn't

Carried that Garmin inReach Mini for two seasons on the PCT thinking it was dead weight. Then a hiker in my group snapped an ankle near Forester Pass and we had zero cell signal. That SOS button got a helicopter there in under two hours. Anyone else have a piece of gear they almost ditched that saved a trip?

3 comments

3 Comments

burns.jenny14h ago

Almost left my emergency bivy at home to save weight on a weekend trip. Got caught in a freak hail storm above tree line and that crinkly orange sack was the only thing that kept me from hypothermia. It looked so silly in my pack next to my fancy down jacket. Now I won't step foot on a trail without it.

jennifer2048h ago

Yeah that crinkly orange sack is a total lifesaver. I got caught in a sudden downpour last fall and mine was the only thing keeping my wet clothes from making me freeze. It's crazy how something so cheap and simple can be the most important piece of gear in your pack.

michael_coleman1010h ago

Remember those cheap plastic pack covers that feel like a joke? My buddy almost threw his out before a trip to the Olympics. He said it poured for two straight days, a real sideways rain. That flimsy cover was the only thing keeping his sleeping bag dry inside his soaked pack. He called it a glorified trash bag, but it saved his whole trip from being a miserable, soggy mess.