So I have a trip coming up this fall and I will be off the grid, so to speak.

Have any of you guys ever rented a satellite phone?

I have been doing some research and feel like I have a few good options, but I just wanted to check with you guys before I pull the trigger on anything.

Me and a couple guys rented a satellite phone when we went bowhunting and fishing for a few weeks in the Australian outback. I believe we rented it from Iridium. Couple of guys called home weekly and never had any complaints other than a few second delay in conversations. And security pulled it out and inspected it quite a bit going thru customs. I believe it was about $180 bucks for a month at that time plus about 2 or 3 bucks a minute.

Call or text brod bro.

I went on a 5-day canoe trip in the Quetico Wilderness in Canada last year and we rented one from the outfitter. We didn't use it but I thought it was a smart thing to do. We were out in the middle of nowhere and if something bad happened it would have been better to have a float plane come in and get someone out then us try to get someone to help.

We did the Boundary Waters several years ago and did the same thing. Never used it but we had it.

I think B-Rod probably has the scoop on them.

It is interesting that we can't go out anymore without a phone. We camped for weeks back in the 60's way back out in the woods. Mom knew about where we were.

I've rented one from GlobalcomSatPhone.com for an upcoming Pecos River trip. It is the Iridium 9505A. Need it for a week and with everything minus the minutes it is about $90. Then it's $1.70 a minute if we use it.

Funny thing. I never even thought about sat phones through all the years up to 2014. We went some crazy places and had some awesome adventures, but that wasn't ever part of the equation. And like Cast said, someone knew "about" where we were. lol. I feel it's kinda like the old saying about guns... better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. At least nowadays with me. And yes, that rang true in 2014. First time we ever rented one, we had to use it. I'm sure some might remember the fateful 2014 Pecos River trip with Bert, Dan, Ryan, and myself that ended in a flash flood and waters rising 33 feet. Scary stuff. Of course, the phone didn't save our lives, but it helped coordinating a way out (by way of helicopter), and letting folks know we were alive. It will always be a part of any future extended river trips that are off in the middle of nowhere.

Here's a few pics b_rod and myself took from that trip.









I mentioned all this because I never really believed in those things. I do now.

Good info guys. Thanks.

And yeah, I'm not going to be using this phone so I can yak it up all day and play Pokemon Go.

I am a father now, and I have people that worry about me when I disappear into the wilderness by myself for days at a time.

http://www.findmespot.com/en/
I rented one these when I did the Devil's River. You can send out messages to pre-programmed recipients. If you get in trouble, you hit the SOS button, and it messages authorities. They get a message that says "we need help." and your GPS location. It worked great for us. It was dramatically cheaper than a sat phone too.

I would be talkin to bae all night!