Garmin inReach Mini 2
Iridium satellite, SOS, ~100 g, subscription required
4.6 on Amazon
On Manaslu, Kanchenjunga or Dolpo this is the difference between a problem and an emergency — on Annapurna and Everest, where phone coverage is good and lodges are close, it is largely redundant and the money is better spent on evacuation insurance.
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Do not buy this if: Everest Base Camp or the Annapurna Sanctuary. Buy proper helicopter-evacuation cover instead.
Not every route needs it. These are the ones where our guides would put it on your list.
Everything else we recommend in watches & gps, including the ones we think suit a different trekker.
Best watchGarmin Instinct 2 Solar
The barometric altimeter is the genuinely useful bit — watching your sleeping altitude is how acclimatisation stops being abstract; the solar charging is marketing more than mechanism on a wrist under a sleeve.
