By Aaron Wheeler, volunteer searcher for Kris Fowler

What is the Garmin InReach and why is it so worth the investment? The first two main reasons to carry a Garmin InReach is for Safety and Navigation.  Hiking comes with some inherent risk and safety should always be a top priority while on the trail, even on short day hikes. But thru-hikers must also make hard choices to keep the weight of their equipment and supplies to a bare minimum. So what is it about the InReach that makes worth its weight in gold?