Garmin inReach Mini 3 - experiences from a trip to Bioko Island in Equatorial Guinea

The rainforest of Equatorial Guinea is a strange place. On the outside, it looks like a green dream. In reality, it's more of a reality check that quickly reminds you that humans are a pretty flexible concept in the food chain.

The air is thick enough to cut with a machete. Everything is wet. Including things that shouldn't be wet – like thoughts. And while in Europe we sometimes say dramatically that we "don't have a signal", here you realize that a signal is not a service – a signal is a privilege .

It was in this environment that I started using the new Garmin inReach Mini 3. And the longer I was in the forest with it, the more I came to a simple conclusion:

This device is not about comfort. This device is about getting you home from your expedition – and not just being a nice story for others.

And that's a pretty decent added value in the jungle.

When the jungle closes the door, Iridium opens the window

There are places in the jungle where the world becomes an abstract concept. Not because it is far away – but because there is no way to contact it . Mobile? Forget it. Not even an emergency call. Not even “I’ll call you when I get to the hill.”

And this is where Iridium comes into play.

The Garmin inReach Mini 3 is not a device that tries to replace your phone. That would be cute. The Garmin inReach Mini 3 is a device that acts as if it were saying:

"Okay. You're in the jungle. I'm on satellites. We'll make a deal."

The Iridium satellite network works differently than regular satellite services, which rely on “something high up, somewhere in one spot.” Iridium is a constellation of low-orbit satellites that move and rotate above you. In practical terms, this means one important thing:

Even if you have the jungle overhead like a cathedral ceiling, there are still little moments when the device “sees out.” And when it sees out, it communicates.

Yes, sometimes it takes time. Sometimes you have to take a few steps to a more open place. Sometimes it takes patience. But in the jungle you have patience enough - usually circumstances force it on you.

How I used the Mini 3 in normal mode

My reality was not a “weekend trek.” It was a ten-day operation in the rainforest in the south of Bioko Island and in the caldera at an altitude of 700 m above sea level. The mobile signal disappears just outside the capital, and that's when InReach comes into play.

I usually had the Mini 3 clipped to my waist on my pants or backpack ( thanks to its 122.5g weight and waterproofing , you really don't know it's there and how many times I reached for it to see if I'd lost it somewhere - I didn't hide it even when we were wading neck-deep in rivers). And when anything changed - pace, direction, plan, weather, or the situation around the team - it became my silent companion.

Not that he told me jokes, but he gave me something more important: peace and security .

The kind of peace of mind that comes from knowing that if anything goes wrong, you have a chance to communicate and coordinate the situation. That a “contingency plan” isn’t just a sentence in a production document.

What all can the Mini 3 send (and why it's essential in the jungle)

When you think of a satellite communicator, most people think of SOS. But SOS is only the final chapter.

The Mini 3 is much more about everyday operation in the jungle:

• you send a message to the team outside the jungle,

• you send a message to the people at home,

• you share your location,

• you confirm that you are okay,

• you'll let me know you're late,

• or that you have changed your route.

  
  

In the jungle, there is no such thing as a “little delay.” In the jungle, delay is very often just a polite term for “something is more complicated than we hoped.” And it is precisely in those moments that the ability to send a message is priceless.

SOS: the button you don't want to press

(and a system you don't want to test)

Outside of civilization, the most treacherous thing is how quickly a small thing can become a problem. One slip on a wet slope, one moment of inattention with a machete, one poorly chosen passage between vines... and suddenly it's no longer about comfort, but about safety .

And that's where the Garmin inReach Mini 3 is more than just a communicator. It's a piece of equipment that gives you the ability to do something that's often impossible in the jungle: get help.

The SOS button is hidden on the body of the device so that it cannot be pressed accidentally (very practical in the jungle - branches and straps have a talent for squeezing absolutely everything). But when needed, it is at hand.

And most importantly: SOS on inReach is not just a “shot in the dark.” It’s not just about sending a signal somewhere and then waiting to see what happens. The greatest value of inReach is that:

SOS works both ways – so you can communicate.

That's a huge difference. Because in an emergency, the worst thing is not the problem itself, but the fact that no one knows the details. Rescue without information has to guess - and in the wilderness, it doesn't pay for anyone to guess.

Garmin Response: what it is and how it works (in simple terms)

After activating the SOS, the signal is sent via the Iridium satellite network and received by Garmin Response – which is a rescue coordination center (not just an automatic machine).

Their role is essentially simple:

• they will receive an SOS,

• they will start communicating with you directly through the device,

• they assess the situation (what happened, how many people, what injuries, whether you are mobile, what terrain),

• They coordinate assistance accordingly and contact relevant local authorities,

• They may also inform your emergency contacts (according to settings).

  
  

The key is that thanks to reports, the situation can be resolved more accurately and quickly . And in the rainforest, a simple rule applies: time is not just time – time is risk.

That's why SOS in the inReach Mini 3 is one feature you want to have active and ready... even if you hope you never use it.

Garmin plan and how much it costs (in CZK)

The Mini 3 is not a one-time purchase and that's it. You need an active subscription for satellite communication to work. It's logical. Satellite networks are not cheap. Unfortunately, not even for Garmin.

Garmin inReach plan prices (monthly)

(conversion approx. 25 CZK / €)

• Enabled (€9.99) → approx. CZK 250/month

  • SOS communication: yes

  • Notification messages/responses: €0.15/message

  • Text messages + weather information: €0.60 / finding

  • Photos + voice messages (only for devices with inReach Plus): €1.20 / message

  • Tracking / location requests: €0.15 / detection (>10 min interval)

    
    

• Essential (€17.99) → approx. CZK 450/month

  • SOS communication: yes

  • Notification messages/responses: unlimited

  • Text messages + weather information: 50 / month

  • Photos + Voice Messages (inReach Plus only): 10 / month

  • Tracking / location requests: €0.15 / detection (>10 min interval)

  Overlimit:

  • Text messages + weather: €0.60 / finding

  • Photos + voice messages: €1.20 / finding

    
    

• Standard (€34.99) → approx. CZK 875/month

  • SOS communication: yes

  • Notification messages/responses: unlimited

  • Text messages + weather information: 150 / month

  • Photos + Voice Messages (inReach Plus only): 25 / month

  • Tracking / location requests: unlimited (>10 min interval)

  Overlimit:

  • Text messages + weather: €0.60 / finding

  • Photos + voice messages: €1.20 / finding

    
    

• Premium (€59.99) → approx. 1500 CZK/month

  • SOS communication: yes

  • Notification messages/responses: unlimited

  • Text messages + weather information: unlimited

  • Photos + Voice Messages (inReach Plus only): 50 / month

  • Tracking / location requests: unlimited (>2 min interval)

  Overlimit:

  • Photos + voice messages: €1.20 / finding

But BEWARE! Both outgoing and incoming messages are counted towards the stated message limits. So if someone replies to your message via Garmin Messenger, you immediately get -1. You just have to take into account that, for example, with the Standard plan you have 150 messages, but if someone always replies to each one, you only get half of them included in the price. And it's a good idea to tell everyone so that they reply to you in one message and in the way some people are used to - Hi - send - I'm fine - send - Thanks for the messages - send - Everything is fine with us - send... That will simply deduct 4 messages from your limit.

However, if you exceed the limit, you will not be left without the ability to send anything, you will just have to pay for it in the final monthly bill. Again, it depends on the tariff you are using, additional rates are not liquidating in any way (see overview), so you don't have to worry about it. But for me, it is better to take a more expensive tariff - I used Standard for 14 days and I was far from using it in any of the items.

If you are on a mobile phone with a classic mobile operator signal (or WiFi) and you send anything via Garmin Messenger, none of the above tables apply, because at that moment Messenger works like another communicator (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger...), so you don't have to be afraid to send photos, messages and voice messages to your contacts, it doesn't cost you anything in that case (you just need to have roaming internet, a local SIM card or be on WiFi).

There is also a small trick related to this that is good to think about - ideally before the "undelivered" status starts to make you a little nervous during your expedition.

It is quite common that when you send a message via satellite, it will remain marked as unconfirmed/undelivered for a long time, even though the recipient has actually received it, read it - and sometimes even replied to it.

The reason is simple: the system works in such a way that you send a message via the Iridium network to Garmin servers, Garmin then delivers it to the recipient (e.g. to the Garmin Messenger app, SMS or email). However, the confirmation of delivery (and possibly reading) is not immediately sent back to your device because it is not a "live chat" like WhatsApp.

Also worth mentioning is the Notification Messages item, which is free from the Essential plan - these are three predefined messages (you cannot change them), but sending them costs you nothing (not even replying to them), so you can send them unlimitedly (depending on the plan) and thus inform those around you that you are okay:

• I'm just letting you know about myself, everything is fine.

• I'm setting off on a journey.

• I am at the finish line.

And be careful here, you can only send these messages to specified contacts (there can be more than one at a time) - but you have to select the contacts in advance and you have to be "online", i.e. on a mobile network / WiFi in the Garmin Messenger application or on the website explore.garmin.com . In the wilderness, you can't change this using only a satellite signal!

And the price of the device?

Approximate price of Garmin inReach Mini 3 in the Czech Republic

• approx. 12,500 – 15,000 CZK (depending on the store)

In the context of an expedition (flight tickets, logistics, guide, permit, equipment), it's actually a pleasantly simple expense. And most importantly: it's an expense that makes sense even when nothing happens.

We must not forget the activation fee of €39.99 , or approximately CZK 1,000 (depending on the exchange rate). This is a one-time fee when activating the service (subscription) - and it is good to count on it, because for expeditions it exactly falls into the category of "it is not liquidation, but we have to count on it in the budget".

If you stop using Garmin InReach, you have to pay the activation fee again. But! A big plus is the ability to suspend the tariff – even for up to a year. Which is exactly the type of feature that you will appreciate after returning from an expedition: in the jungle you want satellites, at home you mainly want peace and quiet and you don't want to pay a monthly fee just because the communicator is lying in the closet collecting dust like a war trophy. Within a year, you just need to buy one of the tariffs again (for example, the cheapest one for a month) and then you can interrupt the service for another year. With simple math, it pays to do it this way 4 times :-).

Note: the above prices are valid at the time of writing, end of January 2026.

Mini 2 vs Mini 3: evolution of survival

I also had the opportunity to use the Mini 2 for a while, which can still be purchased for about half the price of the Mini3, so the comparison is quite personal for me.

The Mini 2 was a handy device. Proven. But it had one nasty feature:

If you wanted to write a longer message directly on the device, life began to teach you humility.

Of course, this device is designed to be used with a mobile phone with the Garmin Messenger application, which works like other communication applications . You add contacts, then you write to them as usual from your phone. But in the wilderness, it can happen that your phone is dead and you still need to let them know about you. Writing a message on the previous Mini 2 model was perhaps worse than writing a message on an old push-button mobile phone. It didn't have a touch screen.

Moreover, it could only send text messages. Of course, except for notification (also text) messages and trackpoints.

The Mini 3 feels like someone at Garmin actually sat down and said, “What if we made a device for people who use it in the real world—not just for presentations?” And they did.

In addition to text messages, this device can also send photos and voice messages of a maximum length of 30 seconds! Of course, it 's not free , it depends on your plan, but it's still a great thing. You want to send your family a photo of where you live and what a beautiful environment you are in! And voice messages? They even come to the other device in the form of a text transcript , so the recipient doesn't necessarily have to play it!

What's improved about the Mini 3 over the Mini 2?

• larger battery

  • Mini 3: 1800mAh

  • Mini 2: 1250mAh

• greater endurance in expedition mode

  • The Mini 3 is more of a "long-term" device, not a "weekend" one

• better usability/control

  • faster field work

  • less suffering during normal communication

• better resistance in tropical conditions

  • Mini 3: IP67

  • Mini 2: IPX7

• weight

  • The Mini 3 is slightly heavier and larger, but in reality, it's negligible.

  • the difference is a few grams – and in the rainforest you still carry an extra kilo of mud on your shoes for free

    
    

Honestly: The Mini 2 is a good device. But the Mini 3 is a device that I can take anywhere outside of civilization with peace of mind and without compromise.

But the Garmin InReach Mini 3 is not just a communicator!

Map/navigation screen

When people say "map in the facility," most people imagine a beautiful tourist map with roads, contour lines, stream names, and ideally a pub icon.

But the map in the InReach Mini 3 isn't designed for romance. It's designed for function. Just so you know:

• Where are you?

• Where are you going?

• What direction are you taking?

• and where to return.

  
  

The Mini 3 acts as a "minimap" on the display. Don't expect a hiking encyclopedia, but you get a quick overview that works surprisingly well in the field. Garmin describes it simply in the manual: the direction indicator is your position, it draws a route as you move, and a colored route line appears when navigating to a point.

You can't get maps as topo data into the Mini 3 like you're used to from outdoor navigation.

Garmin handles this differently with the Mini 3 (and Mini 3 Plus):

• the device has its own simple map display,

• detailed map data is mainly handled via the Garmin Explore application,

• and you download offline maps to your phone via Explore (not to inReach as in "navigation")

So in practice:

• Mini 3 = “orientation map” (position, direction, route, waypoints),

• phone with Explore = “map for details” (offline maps, topo, planning, large display).

  
  

Mini 3 displays:

• your position,

• breadcrumb/track,

• waypoints and their names/symbols (according to the approach),

• navigation line to the destination.

• 
  

The map detail in the Mini 3 is more of a “guideline”. And honestly – in the wilderness it’s enough for you because:

• the roads there are often not classically mapped,

• the paths change,

• and the density of vegetation still won't allow you to "navigate the paths" like in the Alps.

  
  

The Mini 3 is great at:

• holding the direction,

• position control,

• return along the same route,

• navigate to a point.

Return function: TracBack / return along the track

This is one of the most important features for the wilderness - the Mini has TracBack - that is, returning to a recorded track. Garmin describes it as the ability to follow your route back, typically according to saved track points.

Maps in Garmin Explore (phone): offline maps and planning

This is where the Mini 3 becomes a smart system. The Garmin Explore app can:

• plan routes,

• manage waypoints,

• sync to device,

• and most importantly: download offline maps to your mobile phone.

How much does the map cost? What is free?

The Garmin Explore app itself is free, basic work with points, routes and synchronization is free, the Mini 3 has a map view without having to buy additional maps (it is a "base map/orientation"),

Optional paid maps

Garmin also has paid map layers and map subscriptions (typically "Outdoor Maps+" etc. - depending on the region). Some map types may require a subscription.

Outside of civilization, of course, the greatest strength is that the navigation works even without a mobile phone and signal - because it takes its position via GPS.

Electronic compass

This is a great feature in the wild because:

• You don't see the sun often,

• the horizon does not exist,

• and the trail is more of a psychological concept.

  
  

Mini 3 shows:

• direction in ° (azimuth),

• world sides,

• often also simple connection to navigation towards the destination

Practical functionality:

• you can keep your direction even in dense vegetation,

• great for "holding north" and not rolling in terrain where everything is the same.

Tracking and sending waypoints

The device sends your location at a certain interval, your route is recorded/shared so your team back home can see where you are (if they have the link). You have a nice screen with statistics on your display:

• time / TIMER,

• DISTANCE,

• GPS ELEV (altitude),

• SPEED / AVG SPEED,

• TOTAL ASC / DESC (ascent / descent).

The tracking itself can only take place on your device and you don't have to share it with anyone. You can turn on the sharing feature in the tracking settings.

Weather for current location

In the wilderness, the weather isn't about whether you'll wear a jacket. It's about whether it makes sense to continue, where to camp, and when to stop pretending to "get it done."

Garmin inReach Mini 3 can download weather forecasts via satellite directly for your location - even in places where there is no mobile signal or internet. This is not a weather show, but practical information for making decisions in the field.

What you will see in practice

Typically you will get this overview:

• temperature,

• probability/intensity of precipitation,

• humidity (depending on the mode),

• basic forecast time window.

Although the forecast is given for your location, it still takes the nearest weather station, so in my case the forecast was not accurate, because it took information from the mainland (from the airport) and not from the island, where the climate is completely different than on the mainland,

Text and notification messages, photos, and voice messages

I mentioned this above, so I don't need to go back to it here :-).

Siren

This is a feature that people often overlook… until they need it.

The siren serves:

• to attract attention,

• for localization (if someone gets lost),

• like an emergency alarm in the camp.

  
  

I tried the siren when I made a wrong turn after stopping to take pictures. The siren is not very strong, it is audible at a short distance, here I would have liked a higher intensity. Moreover, when the ocean was roaring nearby, the siren was only audible at a few meters. But if it was quiet, it would definitely be heard and as an emergency helper it is a very good function!

Verdict: The Mini 3 is not a gadget. It's a safety feature!

In civilization, we sometimes think we have everything under control. Outside of it, this illusion lasts about ten minutes. Then reality sets in, where things don't work according to plan, but according to the weather, the terrain, and how harsh nature decides to be.

The Garmin inReach Mini 3 did not provide me with comfort in the jungle.

He gave me something better:

• the opportunity to be connected,

• the opportunity to say "we are okay",

• the ability to trace the route and send points to family,

• the ability to call for help when the worst comes to the worst.

  
  

That's why it's good to have a device you can rely on. That's why I almost always wore it clipped to my belt so that I always had it at hand, even in the event of an unexpected bad event.