Bet you didn't know...

Interesting.

I checked on my InReach home page. From what it says - if I was looking at the right thing - it's only available if you're under 75. I just went past that and the DW is only a few short years behind ... and it's much higher than $18/yr per person.

pnichols wrote:

ktmrfs wrote:

pnichols wrote:
One small detail in this story really concerns me regarding the DW and myself whenever we take our RV out in the middle of nowhere looking for rocks:

1. We now carry along a device that makes possible texting via the Iridium satellite system and also calls for emergency rescue by air if necessary with the push of a special button on it ...

HOWEVER

2. ... good luck paying the air rescue bill afterwards.

We just signed up for Good Sam's Premium TravelAssist insurance that pays for air rescue if one can get ahold of Good Sam to call in the chopper. If Good Sam calls in for the chopper they pay for it - if the button on the satellite device brings in a chopper, you're on your own paying the $$$$$ for it.

A scarry scenario -> health-wise and wallet-wise.

on my sat message/rescue device, air or surface rescue is part of the annual plan. plan covers us/canda/mexico or worldwide depending on what you want. If we are over 100 miles from home they pay to get us out and then pay for return to home when medically safe to transport.

Hmmm .... I'd better read again the fine print on what my ~$25/month InReach premium is covering.

If it pays for chopper air ambulance evacs ... that plus the GS TravelAssist insurance should make for pretty good overall coverage when we're out and about with the RV.

My understanding:

Inreach default is SAR (search and rescue) coverage, $100K/yr IIRC for about $18/year per individual. Gets you out and to medical, won't pay to get you home after that. That's in addition to the monthly inreach charge. You can decline that if you want to go directly to GEOS to get medivac and SAR coverage directly through GEOS. Policies are for the individual(s) and not for the device

GEOS medivac policy is in addition to get you and rest of family home or to a local hospital once stabilized if your more than 100 miles from home and hospitalized. we pay about $300 for worldwide coverage for our family. US only coverage is about 1/2 that for a family. Course it excludes a few countries...... They will use ground, regular air or air ambulance depending on location and need to get you and the family members home.

Again. the policies are for an individual not a device, so if you have multiple devices you only need ONE policy per person. Or if you have multiple people who use the device or travel with you it's possible to have coverage for each of them with only one device.

also look carefully at exclusions on coverage especially on the medivac. IIRC they won't cover extraction if your involved in any sanctioned racing events, hang gliding, parasailing, etc.

Used the inreach all over south america with great coverage for two way texting and staying in contact and letting folks see where we were. And son and I use it when off road riding so spouses can track our location. Luckily never have had to use the SOS but more than once the two way texting was valuable when we forgot something and were able to text someone to bring it with them to a remote campsite. And well over 1/2 of our campsites have zip for cell service even with a cell booster.

But GEOS/SAR won't get your trailer and truck home. I think some of the Good sam policies will do that.

ktmrfs wrote:

pnichols wrote:
One small detail in this story really concerns me regarding the DW and myself whenever we take our RV out in the middle of nowhere looking for rocks:

1. We now carry along a device that makes possible texting via the Iridium satellite system and also calls for emergency rescue by air if necessary with the push of a special button on it ...

HOWEVER

2. ... good luck paying the air rescue bill afterwards.

We just signed up for Good Sam's Premium TravelAssist insurance that pays for air rescue if one can get ahold of Good Sam to call in the chopper. If Good Sam calls in for the chopper they pay for it - if the button on the satellite device brings in a chopper, you're on your own paying the $$$$$ for it.

A scarry scenario -> health-wise and wallet-wise.

on my sat message/rescue device, air or surface rescue is part of the annual plan. plan covers us/canda/mexico or worldwide depending on what you want. If we are over 100 miles from home they pay to get us out and then pay for return to home when medically safe to transport.

Hmmm .... I'd better read again the fine print on what my ~$25/month InReach premium is covering.

If it pays for chopper air ambulance evacs ... that plus the GS TravelAssist insurance should make for pretty good overall coverage when we're out and about with the RV.

pnichols wrote:
One small detail in this story really concerns me regarding the DW and myself whenever we take our RV out in the middle of nowhere looking for rocks:

1. We now carry along a device that makes possible texting via the Iridium satellite system and also calls for emergency rescue by air if necessary with the push of a special button on it ...

HOWEVER

2. ... good luck paying the air rescue bill afterwards.

We just signed up for Good Sam's Premium TravelAssist insurance that pays for air rescue if one can get ahold of Good Sam to call in the chopper. If Good Sam calls in for the chopper they pay for it - if the button on the satellite device brings in a chopper, you're on your own paying the $$$$$ for it.

A scarry scenario -> health-wise and wallet-wise.

on my sat message/rescue device, air or surface rescue is part of the annual plan. plan covers us/canda/mexico or worldwide depending on what you want. If we are over 100 miles from home they pay to get us out and then pay for return to home when medically safe to transport.

One small detail in this story really concerns me regarding the DW and myself whenever we take our RV out in the middle of nowhere looking for rocks:

1. We now carry along a device that makes possible texting via the Iridium satellite system and also calls for emergency rescue by air if necessary with the push of a special button on it ...

HOWEVER

2. ... good luck paying the air rescue bill afterwards.

We just signed up for Good Sam's Premium TravelAssist insurance that pays for air rescue if one can get ahold of Good Sam to call in the chopper. If Good Sam calls in for the chopper they pay for it - if the button on the satellite device brings in a chopper, you're on your own paying the $$$$$ for it.

A scarry scenario -> health-wise and wallet-wise.

There are many good investigators in law enforcement.. and of course some not so good.. I had the pleasure of working with the Michigan State Police... Some of the published stories of perseverance in investigation are nothing short of amazing .... And not just the field officers but the folks back at the Crime Lab.. Some of 'em make CSI shows... Well let's just say a few of the lab folks I've met put Abby to Shame (NCIS) they really are that good.

Did you know the dirt you are kneeling in is different depending on which KNEE?

The killer said he was not there. the Dirt on his trousers... Not only there. but they know which way he was facing cause the dirt on one knee matched one side of the body where someone had knelt over her. and the dirt on the other knee matched the other side.. Convicted 1st degree Life.

We was setup one time years ago at Smoky Mtns ELKMONT TN at our usual end camping site at F8 which is right on the water coming under the bridge... Being the end camp site there was no other connecting sites here on this side of the camp road.

This was during the week and not alot of campers there but a couple of cars drove up and two or three guys speaking with FAR EAST language setup a small tent. Both cars had different states tags on them. Then in alittle bit three more cars showed up and they too was foreign dudes with the Far East language being spoken...

I am usually pretty much leave things as is but this sure got my attention haha... All these guys set around the firepit all night long yaking away... All sounded very series and no party time was going on... They was a good 200 feet or so away from us...

When we got up early the next morning the tent and all the cars were gone... haha

I stopped in the check-in and asked about them - They said they did check-in and was being watched by local ranger pretty close all night long... Five or six cars from different states all around one little tent yaking all night long was a very interesting event for sure... Probably on the up and up but who knows haha...

Roy Ken

Yes, great article, thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the article, good read.