ACR Bivy Stick Satellite Communicator - Two-Way Global SMS, GPS Tracker, Off-Grid Communication, SOS Emergency Beacon, Satellite Messenger & Location Sharing - iOS/Android App

UPDATE: November 11, 2023. The Bivy Stick is still working just fine. On a recent camping trip, I sent and received 84 messages from family and friends while off-grid deep in the forest. I still highly recommend this device.They say that the Garmin inReach is the best SOS locator out there. Since I don't have an inReach I can't say whether it is or isn't. I do know that there is no way I'm going to pay the high price for an inReach when there are many alternatives out there for far less money and will do the same thing. I chose the ACR Bivy Stick for my Locator. I've had it now for two months and have used it a lot. Where many people go wrong is that they buy something like this and then go out off-grid and expect it to work perfectly. That is a reasonable expectation. But the problem is that they don't take the time to really learn the device and practice with it a little. When I received mine I took it out in the desert and sent and received several messages to my sister, and to my own cellphone. I also sent messages to my email address. At first the email did not work. Or so I thought. I later found out that my email account was putting all messages from the Bivy Stick in a Spam folder. That was an easy fix once I got home. I then sent a test SOS to Global Rescue to see how that worked. They told me that I could test the SOS feature anytime, just be sure to let them know that it is only a test. I did find out that the Android app does have a few minor bugs in it, but nothing that would affect how it worked. Tech support asked me to let them know of any bugs so they could fix them in the next update. Which I am doing.On my last 5 day camping trip in the High Sierra mountains (off-grid) I sent and received daily TEXT messages to my sons more or less just to test the device and really get to know it. I did learn that you really do need a pretty clear shot of the open sky for best signal strength. But that is true no matter which device you use. I am very happy with the Bivy Stick. Even if money was no object, I still think I would buy the Bivy Stick over the Garmin inReach. I am not knocking the inReach! I just can't see where the inReach will give me that much more in reliability and features than the Bivy Stick. The bottom line is, practice with it and learn to use it. Had I not quickly learned about my email account Spam folder I would have been disappointed with the email feature and would have blamed it on the Bivy Stick..

We take everything for granted these days, including communication. When an emergency hits, we wanted to make sure we could communicate with our family and check on safety. Bivy was a lifesaver and easy to use.

The Bivy Stick requires study. Like anything you need to learn how to use it and it does a VERY GOOD job. I needed it for my international trips to countries that have political risk and also, I use it for my backcountry motorcycle rides. This simple device gives me peace of mind. I can turn on tracking so if I come up missing I can be found. It also has a SOS button that I can press and get help dispatched right away if I were injured. I used to carry a HAM radio with me on my trips but it requires me and my wife to jump through hoops to get it to work. I love HAM radio but I needed something more simple and the Bivy Stick is it.A bit of advice, you need to take some time to learn about it. Google videos of how to use it and it will become more clear. It is a clever system but education is needed for you and your loved one that will track you. I read the one star ratings and I believe they wanted a no effort system. That simply does not exist. You need to learn about Bivy Stick and practice a little with it. Only then will it be clear.I am happy with my purchase and customer service was the best. I would recommend this to a friend. I am a happy customer!!!!!!

Last year, I lost almost all communication (landline, mobile, internet). Satellite was the only way to communicate with the outside world. During a visit to the USA, I researched the options for satellite message texting and purchased a Bivy Stick. I used it during my travels back to seclusion so family and friends could see my progress. I sleep well at night, knowing I can communicate with others if all other forms of communication fail.

Randomly started transmitting the SOS signal without being activated. Luckily I was in cell range and is able to tell them it was a false alert. Otherwise, I could only assume a rescue attempt would have been made when I was offshore fishing, when one was not warranted. customer service did not want to accept the fact that the device was defective, and kept saying maybe somebody else pressed it or maybe it hit something inside my backpack I’m like, there was nobody else, and I don’t have it in a backpack! it would not even stop transmitting when I try to power it off. Finally it completely died on its own, and will not turn back on.Update.New unit received, but now this one doesn’t seem to receive any messages. I’ve communicated this to customer service. They made a few attempts to help me, but no follow through. we’ve never been able to get it to work, and they have never offered me any kind of refund. Complete waste of money. Hopefully Amazon will help.