Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting lost hiker auto-notification systems?

Has anyone used the lost hiker auto-notification systems? I am hunting alone this year, as I always have, but I no longer have someone at home, who I notified of my plans, and who could respond if I didn't return at the appointed time. I'm thinking these new-fangled automated systems would be a useful substitute. Anyone with experience?

Garmin InReach. Punch a button and it sends a satellite message with your coordinates to a central office. They'll send you a txt asking what the problem is. You respond that you're lost, injured, etc. and they pass it on to 911 or whoever needs to get it. If you don't respond, they send out the army.

This was made by DeLorme but they were bought out by Garmin. I have the DeLorme Explorer version. The newer Garmins do the same thing but they're much more expensive.
You can also get a SPOT but it only allows you to send an emergency signal or a preprogrammed msg to someone at home. It doesn't allow you to tell them exactly what your problem is and you could get a lot more expensive help than you need. The InReach lets you send a text that you write on the spot rather than a preprogrammed one.

That said, I've never had a reason to use it other than to tell my wife that I'm still alive. I've never talked to anyone who has used the emergency part of it.