Garmin is bringing audio/video capabilities to the backcountry in a way it never has before. The inReach Messenger Plus device doesn’t look much different than the familiar inReach we’re all used to, but the performance is nearly incomparable.

Chip Noble, Garmin inReach product manager, has worked toward this day since 2011 when an editor asked a simple question, “Texting is great, but can it send a picture?”

After more than 10 years of work, Noble can finally deliver that long-awaited thumbs up.

The inReach Messenger Plus ($499) lets you pair with your smartphone to share photos and send 30-second voice messages. Another huge change is a tenfold increase in text capability from 160 characters to a whopping 1,600, so you shouldn’t have to cut your messages short to get the point across.

If it works as advertised, you can describe in detail where you camped for the night, send a picture of the sunrise, and record a good-morning greeting to the kids without heading back to civilization. And the messenger will allow you to receive photos, messages, and long-form text while you’re in the field, too.

“Plus, with a rechargeable battery that can last for weeks, safety charging to help restore a depleted phone and the ability to trigger an SOS message, the inReach Messenger Plus is an invaluable tool for any adventure,” Garmin Vice President of Global Consumer Sales, Dan Bartel, noted in a press release.

Same Look, New Tech

Even though the current inReach Messenger (now $250) and the new Messenger Plus ($499) may look alike, they come with completely different features under the hood.

While older inReach devices use Short Burst Data (SBD) packets to send texts, the inReach Messenger Plus steps up the game with Iridium Messaging Transport (IMT), allowing you to send photos and voice messages. This is a whole new system with its own unique hardware requirements.

On spec, the handheld unit looks rugged. It’s rated temperature-resistant and water-rated to IPX7 and claims to withstand water exposure up to 1 m for up to 30 minutes.

As for charge, the rechargeable lithium battery appears to last a long time. You could conceivably get up to 600 hours of battery life with a text message or location sent every 10 minutes in low-power messaging mode. Depending on what modes you’re using and how frequently you send photos, messages, and texts, a fully charged battery could last for months.

In the event the battery runs dry, users can connect the inReach Messenger Plus to their smartphone to give it enough power to send a text from the Messenger App.

Subscriptions start at $14.99 a month.

Huge Leap Forward for Safety

The inReach Messenger Plus still carries the ever-comforting SOS button, but now users can also send a picture of their surroundings to help others locate them if they’re hurt or just can’t get out on their own.

That little detail could mean the difference between a positive and negative outcome in a safety emergency. When minutes matter, giving an image of your exact location might just make all the difference.

First Impressions?

I’m eager to get this new tech from Garmin into the field, and I have intensive tests already scheduled. This thing is headed to the deepest parts of some of the gnarliest woods, and I’m hopeful I can share a bit more of the adventure in essentially real-time with the people I love back home.

If the inReach Messenger Plus ($499) is up to the challenge of allowing me to say goodnight to my dogs from some island somewhere while they keep my bed warm at home, it will be worth every penny.

Stay tuned for updates to learn what happens when I put this thing through the wringer.