Woodglue turned me on to this device.
https://www.amazon.com/Spot-Sa..._product_top?ie=UTF8
I bought one and paid for the annual monitoring ($150) and so far love it. I used it on my trip out to Chino Valley AZ and then to the mountains of Santa Fe. Both had no cell service.
It basically receives AND transmits via satellite so you don't have to have cell reception to get rudimentary communications out.
There are 5 buttons on the thing you can push.
Tracking: every 2.5 minutes and longer it will send a signal out that will post to your GoSpot website so people can track you real time on a map. Whether you're hiking or driving this was nice. The wife and daughter knew I was ok.
I'm Ok: By pushing this button it would send out my gps coordinates to email addresses or text numbers of my choosing and post on the website map that I was ok and having fun. I used this every morning as a "wake up text' to the family and at night as a "love you goodnight" They got everyone I sent and they said it made them feel so much better.
Message: A pre-canned message that I could configure using the online portal page to do the same thing the I'm Ok buttong did. I had this one setup to say that I am leaving on foot hiking and that they would get an ok when I was back. (text/email)
Help: This would send basically a third message like the 2 above but would be used in a non-life threatening emergency. To be used for... I ran out of gas, I have a flat, I'm broke down, I've fallen, etc. (text/email)
SOS: This will send a message to a national call center where emergency help is dispatched to you asap. (lost in the woods, car crash, medical emergency)
The reviews online are mixed but I'd give it a 4.5 star out of 5. The only ding I'd give it is when it is plugged into shore power (mini usb) in the truck, there is no indicator light saying it really is on shore power or using the lithium battery if you didn't connect right/tight.
Follow the instructions. It says clip it to the outside of a back pack or something when hiking. This worked. After a while I clipped it to my belt loop and stuffed it in my pocket and it could not get a clear view of the sky to transmit so lost half my hiking trip. But,,, it wasn't the Spots fault as I didn't follow the instructions.
Happy Shopping