Adventure app Bivy moves into the hardware space with the launch of the Bivystick this week. A two-way satellite messenger not unlike a Spot device, the Bivystick will keep you connected next time you head outdoors.
The Bivystick lets you send and receive text messages from your phone anywhere in the world, even when you venture out into the no coverage zone. You can share your location via text message or on your social media channels, and family and friends can follow your progress via detailed topo maps.
Bivy lets you track the path you’ve taken and leave breadcrumbs in case you need to figure how to get back to where you started. It even serves up detailed weather forecasts so you never get caught on the top of a summit in a bad storm.
In case of emergency, the Bivystick will let you send out an SOS and communicate directly with emergency services until they arrive.
All the features of the Bivystick are accessed through the Bivy app, so there is no need to download new apps or try and type out message on a clumsy device interface. The Bivystick even acts as a battery backup to charge your phone so you are always ready to communicate (the satellite messenger operates off its own separate battery).
Unlike some other satellite communicators, the Bivystick requires no contract or activation fee — you just pay for the service for as long as you need it. Bivy offers a variety of flexible plans that work off a credit system — individual actions like sending a text message or tracking for 2 hours cost one credit. You can buy packages of 20 credits that will be valid for 30 days. If you don’t use them all, they will roll over to the next month for a small fee. The base emergency credit pack is $17.99 and you can add credit packages on from there.
The Bivystick itself retails for $299 and Bivy is currently taking pre-orders.