Do you travel a lot and find yourself regularly "off the grid," or you are the sort of person who likes to go on adventures but still needs to stay in touch? Forget the smartphone. You need a satellite phone. OK, it might seem a little James Bond -- calling it a "sat phone" adds to the secret agent vibe -- but they are more widespread and accessible than you might think, and there are several options available.
Keep in mind a subscription is required to access a satellite network, and prices vary depending on the network you use, what kind of service you need, and how long of a subscription you are taking out. Also note that prices are far higher than for cellular networks and can reach eye-watering proportions.
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Price: Starts at around $300 for a basic tracker[1]
A handheld GPS receiver with a built-in satellite receiver that allows you to send and receive SMS messages via the Iridium network. Garmin actually makes many devices, from the simple Garmin inReach Mini[2] to the Garmin inReach Explorer+[3], which combines the Iridium features with a handheld GPS receiver loaded with topo maps.
View Now at Amazon[4]Price: Starts at around $80 for a basic tracker[5]
Another company that offers satellite trackers and messengers is SPOT. There's the SPOT X[6], which is a two-way device that looks a lot like an old Blackberry, the SPOT Gen3 Messenger[7], which allows the user to send check-in and SOS messages, and the SPOT Tracker, which allows tracking of things like cars