This is the piece of gear you buy hoping you never touch it. But the day you need it is the day nothing else matters, so it's worth getting the decision right.
I've carried both. For years I used an Ocean Signal rescueME PLB1, the tiny beacon that lives in the top of your pack and does one job. In 2024, I upgraded to the Garmin inReach Mini 2 when I did my first multi-week adventure. Until recently I'd have called the choice a genuine toss-up, but Garmin just changed how their subscriptions work, and that one change is why I now think a satellite communicator is the smarter buy for most people.
The short answer
For most hikers in 2026, I'd go with a Garmin inReach over a standalone PLB. You get two-way communication instead of a one-way distress signal, and Garmin now lets you keep emergency SOS active even when your subscription is paused, for up to 12 months. That takes the sting out of the biggest argument PLBs used to win on: ongoing cost.
A PLB still makes sense if you want the cheapest, simplest option, with zero subscription admin and a device you can store for years and trust to work instantly. More on who that suits below.
And no, your iPhone isn't a replacement for either. It's a good backup. It is not the plan.
PLB vs satellite communicator
Both can save your life, but they work differently.
A PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) does one thing. You activate it, it fires a one-way distress signal with your GPS location to the global Cospas-Sarsat search and rescue network, and that triggers a rescue. No subscription, no messaging, just SOS. The Ocean Signal rescueME PLB1 weighs 116g, has a 7-year battery, and costs around $400. It needs almost no upkeep, just a quick monthly self-test to check it's working, plus a GPS test once a year.
A satellite communicator like the Garmin inReach Mini 2 does all that and more. It sends an SOS, but it also lets you message back and forth with the rescue centre, text family when you're out of range, pull weather forecasts, and share live tracking. It needs a subscription for most of that, and the battery is rechargeable rather than sealed for years, so you need to make sure it's charged before you head out and recharge it on longer trips.
The old trade-off was simple: PLB for cheap-and-simple, inReach for features-but-ongoing-cost. That's the framing almost every comparison still uses, and it's now out of date.
What changed (and why I switched)
In June 2026 Garmin updated their policy so you can suspend your inReach subscription and still keep emergency SOS for up to 12 months, at no extra cost. It applies to the Mini 2, Mini 3 and Fenix 8 Pro (the original Mini 1 misses out). After 12 months it auto-reactivates the basic plan so you don't accidentally lose SOS.
Here's why it matters. People chose a PLB to avoid paying year-round for a device they may only use a handful of times a year. Now you can buy the inReach, run the cheapest plan only in the months you hike, pause it the rest of the year, and stay covered for a real emergency. The maths that used to rule out an inReach for occasional hikers doesn't really hold any more.
One catch for existing owners: to switch to the new SOS-while-suspended plan you may need to update your device firmware first. Worth sorting before your next trip rather than discovering it at the trailhead.
Why two-way matters
When you set off a PLB, rescuers know your location and that someone's in trouble. That's it. They don't know if you've broken an ankle, how many of you there are, or if you've already self-rescued. They plan for the worst and commit resources accordingly.
With an inReach you can tell them: "Suspected broken leg, two hikers, sheltered, have warm layers and water." That changes what they send and how fast, and if your situation improves you can say so. It also makes you a better Good Samaritan: you can report someone else's emergency and keep moving, where with a PLB you'd have to leave your device with them.
What about the iPhone SOS feature?
Newer iPhones have Emergency SOS via satellite, and it works in Australia. It's great to have in your pocket. But don't treat it as your primary device:
- It needs a clear view of the sky. Under canopy, in a gorge, or down in a valley it can struggle. A lot of Australian hiking is exactly that. You can lose reception in a Blue Mountains valley a few kilometres from Katoomba.
- Your phone is your most fragile kit. It dies in the cold, runs flat from filming, and breaks when you drop it. A dedicated beacon holds its charge for the one moment you need it.
- It's a backup, not a system. A brilliant second layer, not a reason to leave a proper device at home.
The real cost over time (in AUD)
Cost is the reason most people lean PLB, so let's actually run it.
A PLB is cheaper up front at around $400, with no subscription. But the battery is sealed and expires after about 7 years, and servicing it through an authorised centre runs roughly $150 to $200. So it's not "buy once," it's closer to "buy once, then service every 7 years."
An inReach Mini 2 is often around $580 on sale, plus a one-time activation fee of about $70, plus the cheapest plan only in the months you hike (roughly $15 a month, paused the rest of the year). Check Garmin's current AU pricing, since it shifts.
Run it over a 7-year horizon and the inReach does come out dearer once you add the device, the activation fee and the plan months. But the gap is nowhere near what it used to be, back when an inReach meant paying a subscription every month of the year. You're now paying a bit more for a device that does far more: two-way messaging, tracking and weather, not just a one-way SOS.
Don't skip this: register your beacon (Australia)
If you buy a 406 MHz PLB, you're legally required to register it with AMSA (the Australian Maritime Safety Authority). Registration is free, takes a few minutes online, and you can be fined if you can't prove your beacon is registered.
Beacon registrations don't expire, so you don't need to re-register. But you are required by law to keep your contact and emergency details current and verify them at least every 2 years. A registered beacon means that when you set it off, AMSA can immediately call your nominated contacts and give rescuers context before they reach you. Set it up the day your device arrives, then put a reminder in your calendar to check your details every couple of years.
Garmin inReach SOS runs through the Garmin Response coordination centre rather than AMSA, but the principle's the same: set up your emergency contacts and details in your Garmin account before your first trip.
A beacon is not a rescue button
This is the part that gets glossed over, and it's the most important thing here. Setting off a beacon doesn't rescue you. It tells someone you need rescuing. That's the start of the process, not the end.
Help can be hours away. Sometimes days. If the weather grounds a helicopter, and in the Australian bush it often does, you could be waiting a long time for ground crews over rough terrain. Your beacon won't keep you warm, treat a snake bite or a broken ankle, or shelter you while you wait.
One point in the PLB's favour here: it has higher transmit power than an inReach, so it punches through tree canopy and dense bush a bit better. But whichever you carry, the device is only half the equation. The other half is keeping yourself alive until help arrives: warm layers, an emergency bivy or space blanket, a first aid kit you know how to use, enough food and water, and the navigation skills to avoid trouble in the first place. Carry the beacon, then pack as if you might have to wait.
What I carry and why
Right now I carry the Garmin inReach Mini 2.
The two-way messaging sold me, along with being able to send my mum an "all good, heading back now" when I'm well out of range. The live tracking gives the people at home peace of mind, which takes some pressure off me too. It's also handy off the trail: a flat tyre out of phone range and you can still call for help.
Before this I carried the Ocean Signal rescueME PLB1.
Nothing bad to say about it. Tiny, tough, 7-year battery, does its one job without ever asking for money again. If a friend wanted a no-fuss, no-subscription beacon they barely have to think about, I'd still point them at it.
I didn't upgrade because the PLB failed me. I upgraded because I wanted to communicate and have my family and friends be able to track my movements on my multi-day adventures.
So which should you buy?
Buy a Garmin inReach if:
- You want two-way communication, not just a distress signal
- You hike, camp or travel often enough to use messaging, weather or tracking
- You like family being able to see you're okay
- You're happy to manage a subscription, especially now you can pause it and keep SOS
Buy a PLB if:
- You want the lowest cost and zero ongoing fees
- You want something you can store for years and trust to work instantly
- You only head out occasionally and want no admin
- Simplicity is the whole point
There's no wrong answer. The wrong answer is carrying nothing, or assuming your phone has it covered.
Bottom line
A year ago I'd have called this a coin-flip. Now, with Garmin letting you pause your plan and keep SOS for up to 12 months, I think the inReach is the smarter buy for most hikers. You get everything a PLB does, plus the ability to actually talk to the people coming to help you.
But carry something. Register it. Tell someone your plan before you leave. That's the part that actually keeps you safe, whichever device ends up in your pack.
Questions or your own take on PLB vs inReach? Leave a comment below, I'd love to hear what you carry and why.
