Satellite Phone/Hotspot

Take a look at the Spot satellite messengers. Various devices with different capabilities. Some you can type messages on the device, others you can configure canned messages that include your location. Does require a subscription but they now have month to month plans so you don’t have to keep it active when not in use. According to their website, a clear view of the sky is required for a signal. I have not used one personally, but an avid overnight hiker I know uses it all the time. Even in areas like the white Mountains in NH. Just know that under thick tree canopy the signal will likely drop out.

Check out Verizon's prepay unlimited data hotspot plan. Don't ask any of the Verizon store people about it because it is a prepay plan and the retail outlets don't have a clue about it. You can get details on Verizon's web site however. I have this plan with a Jetpack 8800L and it works great and is truly unlimited data. It is network managed, but not throttled and I have seen very few issues with the managed part. Watched two movies last night.

It sounds like the OP has plans to travel to places where cell service would be unavailable so Verizon or any other cellular service would be of no help.
Check out this site, MobilSat, https://www.mobilsat.com/ and see if there is something that will work for you. If you don't see it on the site, give them a call as they have a number of solutions to meet most satellite needs.

you can also explore marine/boating communication systems too

A second vote for SpotX satellite text messenger. Just bought one for our Alaska trip this summer. DW has to stay in contact for her mother's health.
I've tested it in the truck and in the house. Takes a few minutes to get a fix inside but will work.
BTW they have a month to month payment plan also.

I have been using the VERIZON 2200 MIFI unit for several years and this gives me a good hotspot for up to five of my devices. This older unit is not good for downstreaming movies or HDTV but is excellent for checking in with kids, paying some bills, and some surfing of the internet. My VERIZON CELL PHONE is the older flip type and doesn't support hotspots. Hve recent updated things here including the VERIZON MIFI box and now have the VERIZON MIFI6620L that suppports higher speed and data plan but I haven't been able to get out alot yet to really use it.

I like having my own SECURE HOTSPOT and the Verizon MIFI units do very well having a secure hotspot.

I have a WILSON CRADLE setup in my POPUP that holds my VERIZON MIFI unit. This gives me a good 200 feet or so around my POPUP a secure HOTSPOT connection for my tablets and other devices. The WILSON Cradle has a small antenna mounted on the outside of my POPUP...

Google image

SECURE meaning I am the only one that can log into and use the MIFI box...

The newer CELLPHONEs have this feature as well... My GIBBS FLIP PHONE doesn't support that haha...

The MIFI box is small and fits your shirt pocket if you are doing the trails or sitting on the beach somewhere watching the fish jump...

The VERIZON CELLPHONE has been excellent for me in my off-grid camping... They seem to have the best cell phone coverage of all of the CELLPHONE plans. Being a DOD COntractor in my working days VERIZON was always the Internet of choice running the roads working on Radar sites way out in the woods in the US... Most of the other CELLPHONE carriers seem to only be in the heavy population areas or following the Interstate highway. This is slowly changing however...

I have family buried in GOBER TX and this is pretty much a NO CELLPHONE zone for anyone hehe... I always had to pull off a GREEN ACRES routine and climb a telephone pole to use my cellphone hehe...

Even here in Virginia VERIZON is the only plan I can use here in KING GEORGE where I live. The other big guys like SPRINT etc just doesn't do well here...

Also depending on WIFI from Camp Grounds never worked out for me as well... Sometimes it was great but most of the time it gets overloaded from the many users and just doesn't work out. It is not a secure connection as well...

Roy Ken

Thanks everyone.... yeah, just to clarify, there is definitely no Verizon service near us. The closet reception is about 20 miles away and it's extremely inconsistent. I'll look into some of those satellite options.

I have a Garmin In-reach that is useful for sending text messages via satellite. It connects to my phone via bluetooth and I use Garmin's app to type the messages. It uses the Iridium satellite constellation for service. You do need to see some sky and the more sky you can see, the sooner the message gets sent. They have a variety of service plans that you can choose from depending on how many messages you think you might be sending. You can buy an In-reach device from REI and return it if it doesn't do what you want. If the Garmin or Spot satellite devices won't do what you need, your only other option may be HF with an amateur radio license.

InReach by satellite - NO cell tower needed.

mtofell1 wrote:
My annual off-grid camping trip sure would be easier if I had a way to maintain some basic text or email communication with my family and company for emergencies. It seems the technology is becoming somewhat affordable and I'm wondering if anyone has any experiences?

About a year ago I looked at sat phone/terminal rental options and recommend checking out Outfitter Satellite Phones, in particular the Explorer 510 satellite terminal. Here are the current rental terms.

It ain't cheap. Also, How To Set Up an Explorer 510

BTW, I don't work for Outfitter Satellite.