3-Day Pass
Weekend or short trip
$5.99 · one-time- Unlimited weather requests.
- Start now or choose your trip dates.
- Includes your full final day.
BackcountryBuddy
Know more. Guess less.
No service.
No problem.
Weather by text when apps and websites can't reach you.
Over cellular or supported satellite messaging.
Your phone. Your Messages. A fresh forecast.
Text BackcountryBuddy
Scan to open Messages.ACCESS ready to send.
What is BackcountryBuddy?
No service doesn't have to mean no forecast.
Text BackcountryBuddy your location and what you want to know. Your weather comes back in Messages on the phone already in your pocket.
No app. No extra device. No new interface to learn.
Off-grid? Connect to supported satellite messaging. Then:
- 1Send your location.
- 2Text what you need.
- 3Get your weather.
See BackcountryBuddy in action
What do you need to know?
Tap a text. See the kind of answer you get.
BackcountryBuddyRepresentative examples, not live weather. Based on actual BackcountryBuddy response formats.
Born in Algonquin
Then the wind picked up.
Read the story
The water had been calm earlier. On the way back, the wind was rising and waves were building.
What I wanted to know was simple: Was the wind getting stronger, or was it about to ease?
I had a phone in my pocket. The forecast existed. I just couldn't get to it.
That became BackcountryBuddy.
Will it work for me?
Check your phone before you go.
Off-grid use requires ordinary satellite messaging on your phone and plan. Emergency SOS alone isn't enough.
Check your phone's compatibility
Using BackcountryBuddy with cellular service
If your phone can send and receive ordinary SMS with BackcountryBuddy, you can use it with cellular messaging.
Using BackcountryBuddy off-grid
Without cellular coverage, your phone, service and region must support ordinary messaging over satellite. Emergency SOS alone does not provide this.
iPhone: check your messaging support
Apple Messages via satellite requires iPhone 14 or newer and an active SIM. In Canada, the U.S. and Japan, it requires iOS 18 or later; in Mexico, iOS 18.4 or later. SMS via satellite also requires carrier support. Availability depends on where your phone was purchased and where you use it.
Check Apple's current Messages via satellite requirements, then confirm SMS support with your carrier.
Android: check your exact phone and service
Satellite features vary by device, carrier and region. Some phones offer SOS or location features without supporting ordinary satellite messaging. Ask your carrier whether your exact phone and plan can send and receive ordinary SMS over satellite.
Please confirm your phone can send messages by satellite before purchasing.
Optional · Recommended for iPhone
BCB Location Launcher
One tap gets your coordinates and opens BackcountryBuddy in Messages, so you can find it quickly and have your location ready to send.
We recommend setting it up online before your trip. It is especially useful off-grid when normal location sharing is unavailable or inconvenient. The Launcher can open offline; Messages still needs a supported connection to deliver.
Set Up LauncherGet BackcountryBuddy
Choose your access.
A trip pass, ongoing access, or checks to use when you need them.
7-Day Pass
Longer trips
$9.99 · one-time- Unlimited weather requests.
- Start now or choose your trip dates.
- Includes your full final day.
Monthly
Frequent trips
$14.99 / month · recurring- Unlimited weather requests.
- Renews monthly.
- Ongoing access while paid.
25 Checks
Occasional updates across trips
$5.99 · one-time- 25 weather requests.
- No timed-pass countdown.
- Use across trips as needed.
Access details
Trip passes: Start now or choose your trip dates. Your pass stays active through the end of your final day.
Monthly: This is a recurring subscription. Billing starts at purchase, renews monthly until cancelled. Review the refund and cancellation policy; human-support availability is listed on the Contact page.
25 Checks: Each weather request uses one check. Account and location texts do not. Text BALANCE to see your expiry or remaining checks.
No guesswork after checkout
Your next step is a text.
- 1Choose accessPick the option for your trip
- 2CheckoutComplete secure Stripe checkout
- 3Get your activation keyAfter payment is verified
- 4Activate in MessagesSend the prepared text from your phone
Heading off-grid with an iPhone?
Set up faster access before your trip.
We recommend the optional BCB Location Launcher. One tap gets your coordinates and opens BackcountryBuddy in Messages.
Quick questions
The short answers.
Will this work with my phone?
You can use ordinary SMS with cellular service. Off-grid use needs supported satellite SMS on your phone and plan. Check compatibility before buying.
Do I need an app or another satellite device?
No dedicated BackcountryBuddy app or hardware is required. Off-grid use still depends on your phone and service supporting ordinary satellite messaging.
Do I need the Location Launcher?
No. It is optional and iPhone-only, but we recommend setting it up before a trip. One tap finds BackcountryBuddy, gets your coordinates and opens Messages with your location ready to send.
Can I use BackcountryBuddy when texts work but data doesn't?
Yes. If an ordinary text can get through, you can use BackcountryBuddy without a working data connection.
What happens after I buy?
After payment is verified, your confirmation page shows an activation key and opens a prepared text. Send it from the phone you'll use.
How do I send my location?
Send a supported Maps pin or map link, use the optional iPhone Launcher, or type your latitude and longitude. Practice your chosen method before going off-grid.
Is BackcountryBuddy SOS or rescue?
No. It gives you weather information. Use your emergency communication plan when you need help.
What if I need purchase help?
See the refund details and the Contact page for current support-channel information about a charge or activation.
What it does
Weather by text when you're off-grid.
Current conditions, radar, wind, rain, forecasts, weather windows and alerts - right in Messages, including over satellite where supported.
What it doesn't
Better information. Not a guarantee.
BackcountryBuddy doesn't know your experience, your gear, your route or what conditions are safe for you.
It won't tell you to cross a lake, leave camp or turn around.
It isn't SOS or rescue, and it doesn't replace navigation, proper gear or judgment.
It gives you the weather information you were missing. What you do next is up to you.
Know more.
Guess less.
Take BackcountryBuddy with you when the web can't come along.
Get BackcountryBuddy