I grew up in the 90s. Back then we didn't have cell phones, smartphones, or Meshtastic. So when I went backpacking with my buddies, sometimes for weeks at a time, the only communication my parents could expect was a call from a street payphone. And back then, that was fine.
Now we live in a connected world: children have smartphones, and their parents track their movements and their social media. I'm not sure which is healthier for kids — but I do think being connected gives a certain peace of mind, especially to the people who stay home and hold the fort while I go on my outdoor adventures. Since I frequently backpack solo, a while ago I bought a Garmin inReach communicator. It was a purchase my wife welcomed: she could keep in touch with me on my solo trips and be fairly certain that I was alright and what my ETA was for getting back home.
My wife, like my children, isn't really interested in going outdoors with me for a weekend or a week. But she doesn't mind hearing from me while I'm out there, and she's thrilled to see the pictures I can send her over the inReach. I also have friends who are really into backpacking and outdoor adventures, but our schedules are such that they can't always join me — and they definitely don't mind an occasional picture or text message from the trail via satellite.
I, on the other hand, find it extremely cumbersome to manage conversations with my wife and a couple of friends during my time outdoors. Because let's face it: time outdoors should not be spent connected. So I built SatJourney — to minimize the time I spend glued to my phone out there, while still posting pictures and updates that keep my family and friends in the loop. And let me tell you, my friends and family definitely appreciate it.
Originally I started building SatJourney just to post updates and pictures to social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. I quickly found out that both restrict posting by third parties — which is exactly what I needed to do. So the next iteration became a full service, where people can follow your trips, see everything you post, and do it in the least annoying way possible.
When you send satellite messages from a Garmin inReach, recipients see them as normal text messages on whatever device they use. But when you send a picture from that same device, your recipient has to download the Garmin Messenger app from the App Store or Google Play, sign up, go through the whole setup — and only then can they see it. My wife and friends are tech-savvy enough to do this. My 77-year-old mother is not. So inadvertently, SatJourney solved that problem too: when people register for SMS notifications, they receive all of your posts and pictures as normal messages, without having to set anything up.
Sharing solved the problem for the people at home. But there was a problem on my end too.
Over the course of my life I have probably visited thousands of places — destinations, trailheads, lakes, rivers, you name it. And in all those places I walked, slept, rode, skied, climbed, fished, swam, ate, and basically did all the wonderful things people do outdoors. The problem is: I don't remember all of them. Maybe it's my age, but something tells me it's the sheer number of places, which is hard to keep in one head. Either way — I want those memories. And I want them attached to places. Partly because when I'm planning my next outing, I want to make sure I haven't already been there. And partly because in 30 years, when I can't do this anymore, I can at least relive it all through SatJourney — and maybe even show my great-grandchildren proof that I used to be pretty awesome back in the day.
To summarize, SatJourney does three things for you:
- Keeps your friends and family updated from places with no terrestrial connection — with the least effort on your part. Currently you can post via a Garmin inReach or your phone's built-in satellite messaging (Messages via satellite on iPhone, or the Android equivalent).
- Lets less tech-savvy folks follow along through the regular Messages app on their phone. No downloads, no signups.
- Keeps your trips forever — so you can make sure you're actually going somewhere new, or go back later and relive your awesomeness.
That's what it does... for now. Who knows what the future holds — but one thing I know is that it will always be about the outdoors. Doesn't matter if you backpack, fish or hunt, bikepack, or sail the world's oceans: SatJourney will always be there for you... at least that's the plan.
Follow someone's journey — or start your own — at satjourney.com.