Maxtrax or DeLorme?

[jacobconroy75]

I'm new to the forum, but not new to overlanding.

I was faced with the same situation and chose the Delorme about three years ago. It's great and I still use it every time I go out. To be fair, I don't have the model that has GPS...I use it to tell my wife that I'm still alive before going to bed at night :).

It's really comforting to know that if I break a belt, or get stuck, or break my leg, or think I'm having a heart attack I can call for help and know that someone received the message. Someone you are camping with might get hurt. Stuff happens man!

So, I get the feeling that the OPs post was asking about Delorme & GPS, but I'd think about using it to keep in touch when your in the backcountry.

 

[1Louder]

How far can you spell S.O.S. on the ground with a couple of Maxtrax?

I am not saying they aren't a useful tool. I have Treds (Similar) and another brand but if I had to choose I would take the Inreach. Can traction devices get you out of a variety of situations without needing additional help? Sure. But if they don't work and you are really stuck without phone service then what do you do? They also can't help if you have a dead battery need medical assistance, blah blah blah :)

As others have mentioned if you stay on the beaten path or just off of it then yes maybe get traction devices. Personally I would say you need both and it is up to you to prioritize which to get first. They are not equal in price. InReach requires a subscription. The base subscription if you do it every month will equal the cost of some MaxTrax after a couple of years. $14.95/month

 

[Etoimos]

I recently had to use my inReach on our Death Valley trip. Had some steering gearbox issues and needed to let the wife know what was going on. It also allowed me to notify a Jeep buddy of mine and he was able to do all the research on my issue and track down parts for me while I made my way out of no man's land. Saved me a ton of time and got us back on our adventure much faster.

Solo tripping like you do, I'd get an inReach (or Spot) and some cheap knock off traction devices for the time being. The cheaper ones might not hold up as well, but should get you unstuck at least once.

 

[1Louder]

I recently had to use my inReach on our Death Valley trip. Had some steering gearbox issues and needed to let the wife know what was going on. It also allowed me to notify a Jeep buddy of mine and he was able to do all the research on my issue and track down parts for me while I made my way out of no man's land. Saved me a ton of time and got us back on our adventure much faster.

Solo tripping like you do, I'd get an inReach (or Spot) and some cheap knock off traction devices for the time being. The cheaper ones might not hold up as well, but should get you unstuck at least once.

Just remember that a Spot is 1 way communication. You can say you need help or are safe but cannot communicate with people like when you had your issue. Big difference. This is also the reason for the cost difference between products like that and the InReach.

 

[Etoimos]

Just remember that a Spot is 1 way communication. You can say you need help or are safe but cannot communicate with people like when you had your issue. Big difference. This is also the reason for the cost difference between products like that and the InReach.

You are correct about the differences, and I'm glad I had the inReach (I'd looked at the Spot at one time). I just wanted to point out that there is another option for emergencies on the trail that might suite some people's needs/budget better.

 

[Road]

Just remember that a Spot is 1 way communication. You can say you need help or are safe but cannot communicate with people like when you had your issue. Big difference. This is also the reason for the cost difference between products like that and the InReach.

Very important distinction when choosing one or the other. Love the greater versatility of my Garmin InReach for just this reason.

 

[nickburt]

InReach is on my shopping list for later this year

 

[Saints&Sailors]

Free option for navigation: check out Avenza Maps. The app is free and, in partnership with the NFS/NPS, they offer tons of free maps. MVUMs (Motor Vehicle Use Maps) are all free, so are a ton of others from the US Geological Survey. You can setup "collections" which the app will automatically stitch all of your pdf maps together so you can move between them with ease.

There are a couple things with the app that are a little clunky but, for the most part, I haven't found a need to drop hundreds on a dedicated GPS unit when I can get use Avenza Maps and supplement it with paper maps/books, as necessary.