When the smartphone in your pocket is loaded with a growing arsenal of safety tools—including location tracking, fall detection, and SOS alerts—it’s very tempting to adventure off the grid without back up. But if your hikes, runs, and rides regularly take you beyond the reach of cell towers, into more extreme conditions and terrain, sticking a dedicated satellite messenger in your pack might just save your life. Unlike smartphones, satellite communicators don’t rely on Wi-Fi or network coverage to keep the comms lines open. So if the proverbial, you know, hits the fan where no one can hear you scream, you can still send up a virtual flare to summon help. Yes, they can be pricey. It’s another gadget adding weight to the pack, and they’re still not quite as easy to use as What3Words on your smartphone. But none of that will matter if you get lost in the backcountry without a way to call in rescue. At that point a reliable sat comm will look like a lifeline, not a luxury. So how do you decide which adventures need extra safety insurance? WIRED’s expert outbackers have put together a quick guide on when you need a satellite messenger versus when a smartphone will do. When Your Phone Has Your Back Photograph: Julian Chokkattu Most of us already hit the trailhead carrying a charged smartphone, and when you've got a signal, they offer some useful safety benefits. If you never venture too far off the cellular grid, stick to places with a high footfall of fellow adventurers, and your day hikes, trail runs, or rides don’t drain a full phone battery, your cellphone probably has you covered. In fact, there are some scenarios where a phone can outperform a satellite messenger. “Smartphones offer richer mapping apps, faster communication, and familiar usability,” says The North Face athlete and British mountaineer Fay Manners, who has firsthand experience with calling extreme mountain rescue. “They are also sufficient for short outings where you’re unlikely to leave coverage zones.” “A cellphone is also best when voice communication is a requirement,” says Harding Bush, former Navy SEAL and Global Rescue associate director of security. “Also, when transmitting photographs is a requirement.” (It's worth noting that some of the most advanced Garmin inReach satellite devices now also support photo and voice messenger capabilities.) Even if you occasionally venture further off-piste, certain Apple (iPhone 14 and newer), Google (Pixel 9 and newer series) and Samsung smartphones now offer emergency SOS features via satellite, along with crash and fall detection that can auto-dial emergency services and share your location if you’re unresponsive.