The Beartooth device among other backcountry tools.
FEBRUARY 22. A new device called the Beartooth, intended to be paired with a smartphone, is now available for purchase. The Beartooth serves as an off-grid phone accessory that is marketed as a communication and navigation tool.
Designed to enable people to locate and connect friends without cell service or using cellular data, this item could help with anything from basic communication between friends in a more remote area (a resort’s sidecountry for instance) to helping lost or disoriented individuals geo-reference themselves and their group. The device also claims the ability to pinpoint landmarks, send SOS signals, and provide access to offline maps.
The device, about half the size of an iPhone, is made to pack easily in a jacket pocket or backpack. The CEO of Beartooth, Michael Monaghan, explains that the unit should be treated similarly to a cell phone in terms of its resistance to water and impact.
A Beartooth size comparison with a smartphone.
“Your smart phone can probably take a splash of water across its face,” says Monaghan. “We have even dropped the Beartooth in the snow while we were out ice climbing, but if you drop it in a creek we can’t promise it will function correctly afterward.”
As for the characteristics that set the Beartooth apart from other phone aps that claim to function as two-way radios, Monaghan explains that the Beartooth is a unique phone tool based on its independence from a cellular network.
“We are generating our own signal,” says Monaghan. “Apps will not work when there is no cellular service. What makes our product different is that the Beartooth works completely independent of the network. You can use it in an area with no network coverage.”
With a range of a couple miles, the Beartooth may not have the same power as a two-way radio or the geo-location power of a SPOT device, but it strives to provide a easy-to-use system for communication via a smartphone—a device most skiers and riders have on hand even in the event of an unplanned sidecountry or backcountry excursion. And while it is not intended as an emergency tool, it might make outdoor travel a bit easier for some.
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For more information about Beartooth, visit www.beartooth.com.
I’ll stick with my goTenna, almost identical and wayyyyyyyyyy cheaper
Exactly. I got scammed by this company, they have released no product. Don’t be a statistic or risk losing money on them.
Good 5 Star Review of Beartooth. https://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/beartooth-wireless-communicator-review.1168/
Could you please send this page or the information on The Beartooth to my husband, as we often do not ski together and where we ski, there is usually no cell service.
Sorry, please email me and I will give you his information. Thank You!
Misleading and or vague claims on their website – Beartooth website claims it will charge iPhone 6S Plus 1.75 times but its battery is only 3000 mah. Not possible given iPhone 6S Plus battery is more than 3000mah. Some other claims seem to be wild/vague/exaggerations also – like working 10 miles etc. Why not 11 miles? Because that is what the Spec sheet would have said and they just copied and pasted it. No sign of an actual device – no one has ever seen one. Vague statements like”maps are made for explorer”. What does THAT mean?
I tried to ask Beartooth about some of these things. I sent an email with my order details and told them I had a question. Immediately someone named Ellie said “We love to answer questions from “customers”. But when I actually asked the question about how you can charge an iPhone 6S Plus 1.75 times with a 3000mah battery, they went all quiet on me. They did not reply even after 4 days. But when I wanted to cancel my order, they replied immediately.
Compare this with goTenna – actually shipped a product and now ready to ship another one. They have given a demo and if someone wants to visit their facility in NY state, they prove to you that their campaign is real. Ellie never replied to me when I asked about this either. Beware of these things and do due diligence. And by the way, goTenna is even cheaper than these guys.
Hi Renny. The iPhone 6s has a 1715 mAh battery: http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_6s-7242.php
Our 3,000 mAh battery is 1.75x that size.
We don’t spec anything until its been in the real world, out hiking in the rockies, working in a pickup truck, or skiing down a slope. We only quote real world specs as everything else is confusing to the end user. Our team all uses Beartooth to ski, snowboard, hunt, hike, and ride dirtbikes.
We generally respond to emails within 2 to 24 hours. Our marketing director who personally handles most of our correspondence recently had a baby – super YEA!, super CONGRATS! Sometimes non-critical emails are put in the que so that important customer service can be attended to.
We double-checked our records and don’t have any email correspondence from anyone by your name. Perhaps you were speaking with a different company?
Bought 4 back in October 2016. Haven’t seen one yet and starting to think this company is going to run out of money and fold before I ever see one of the units. Scamtastic! Thought it would be a great Christmas gift at the time for my daughter who hikes a lot. Also great for hunting, especially when someone has game down and needs help. Too bad the product and manufacturing isn’t coming together. Starting to look like another great idea that didn’t make it.
Lol. I think you’re over analyzing them. Trust me. It’s a real company and a real product. And your battery claim is ridiculous so you’re automatically discredited. Oops.
@Quantum11 Hilarious and true. I have been tracking these guys for a long time as well. These guys making comments probably aren’t even customers.
I’ve tested these in real-world conditions and was not impressed. The app is buggy, the range is poor and communications generally unreliable. Line of sight we found range in open country to be less than a mile, but lots of factors could seriously reduce that to less than .2 miles. Without clear line of sight, range was even less.
http://www.jenericramblings.com/2017/08/20/hands-on-review-of-the-new-beartooth-smartphone-radios/
From Where to buy this device? Is it available in India, I messaged them via their official website but none of them reached to help.