The Delorme Inreach is on the Iridium band and is very popular with back country enthusiasts.
It's a little pricey (16 CDN / month, if you dont use it at all, and about a buck a message if you do) -but for peace of mind they are fantastic.
It's a little pricey (16 CDN / month, if you dont use it at all, and about a buck a message if you do) -but for peace of mind they are fantastic.
I have a full-on Iridium sat phone. I've only made 2 calls on it. Mostly it it gets used to download weather forecasts and text people back home. Weather option on the Inreach are getting better though they're a long way from good enough for offshore use. There seems to be enough demand that they'll get there though.