ACR ResQLink Personal Locator Beacon: Huge Price Drop

ResQLink vs. SPOT or InReach

A lot of people people like having a SPOT or InReach since they have messaging capability.  This just means that you can send a message to someone back home while you’re on the trail.  It also means that you can relay the nature of an injury or whatnot to a SAR team, should you need to activate the SOS feature.  That’s a huge advantage.  But the caveat is that the message has to actually go through, which isn’t always easy in areas with a dense tree canopy, in canyons, etc.

I also own a Garmin InReach Mini that my husband and I bought to use on the Wonderland Trail this September, to have messaging capability since our kids were with family.  But I still like the ResQLink better since it sends a more powerful signal (which is important if you live in an area with dense foliage).

The ResQLink is a lot less expensive also, since you don’t have to also purchase a subscription on top of the device cost. The battery in this unit will expire in 5 years which essentially renders it useless (I think the battery is almost the same cost as the device, so that’s basically what you’re buying–plus the technology will probably have improved since then anyway), but even so, it’s still way cheaper over 5 years than using most of the more popular units on the market.

So in summary, the ResQLink is the device I’ll always carry in my pack for the following reasons:

• Stronger signal is sent than the more popular satellite devices like the InReach and SPOT devices.
• No subscription fee to maintain which makes it less expensive ultimately.