One thing you’re not likely to find out in the backcountry or out at sea is cell service, and that’s why it’s so important to invest in a satellite communicator. Typically, they’re far from cheap, but right now, you can pick up the tiny Zoleo satellite communicator for £169 during Amazon’s Big Deals Day.

When we tested the Zoleo as part of our satellite messenger and tracker testing we found it really easy to use as it uses your smart phone as the interface, which gives you the use of a standard mobile querty keyboard and a big (all things being relative here) screen to see what you’re typing.

A text can be sent in seconds. Using the apps’ own inbox system allows rapid text messages to be sent to and be received from anyone you’re communicating with. They don’t need the app to reply to you.

A small note of caution regards pricing, this is the cheapest we’ve seen Zoleo on sale at Amazon in at least a year, but it often appears lower than the promoted £199, so the reduction is a little less than 15% off.

You also need to factor in usage costs, which were as follows in our testing: Monthly Fee for a mid range user £32. Satellite Messages Included: 250. Additional Messages £0.55/ea. Satellite Check-in Messages: unlimited. Mobile Network & Wi-Fi Messages: unlimited.

That said, the Zoleo messenger is a really useful bit of kit and easy to use. Once set up with your airtime plan, you are allocated a number and this number remains with you for the duration of your airtime plan so it’s really easy for anyone to drop a text message to you. You won’t miss the message if the device is off, as the messages are stored in an inbox that wait until your device is turned on to deliver them to you.

It’s also very cheap to use compared to other devices that have to be on a voice tariff.

We are particularly find of the check in function can be used as much as your like, without impacting on your credits. This pings a predetermined message to a nominated number (someone shore based ideally) and if you have the slightly more expensive airtime plan, it will send your lat and long coordinates too.