Amateur Radio for Emergency communication
InReach is probably the best solution for emergency communication!
However, it is a little expensive!
One of alternate solutions could be Amateur Radio!!
Low cost solution
Although Amateur radio requires a license to use it, it is probably low cost solution in many cases.
One of very low cost radios from China is BAOFENG. It costs about USD $30.
To get license you might want to check a test schedule in your local area.
You can refer the following link to find out an exam in your area:
Once you pass the exam, you can start using Amateur radio within a few weeks.
What you need to do for the exam is just going over the question pool.
To get Technician license, the majority of questions are a sort of "common sense". Once you go through the question pool and you may be able to get the license!
APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) would be a good method to communicate from Amateur radio to email and text messaging to a mobile device. It reports your location as well as text messages. As long as you are on a ridge or a peak, there might be a good chance to communicate even if the area is out of the mobile network coverage.
More reliable communication for an emergency!
I still believe if you really look for more reliable communication method, InReach would be the best solution. However, the cost is much expensive and you need to pay monthly / annual fee to get the service.
The coverage is probably much better than regular amateur radio and it has a rescue plan that covers rescue cost as well.
If you are going to really long hiking like John Muir Trail, then InReach would be a better solution!
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