Guides
Adventure live-tracking guides
Plain answers for adventurers and the people at home: how to be followed live from a satellite tracker or a Garmin, what the weather does by month, and how the options compare.
Live tracking
How to let family track you live on an adventure
Let family follow you live when there is no phone signal: use a satellite tracker and one link with a map, the weather where you are, and home contacts.
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Guide · Live trackingBikepacking live tracking: Tour Divide and self-supported racesThe Tour Divide uses a race tracking page. Your family also wants the weather where you are and a HELP email. Here is how one tracker can feed both.
Guide · Live trackingHow to let family track you live at Marathon des SablesMarathon des Sables has its own official tracking. Here is what the rulebook says about phones and trackers, and what you can use AdventureLive for.
How-to · Live trackingHow to let family track you live on Everest Base CampMobile signal fades above Dingboche on the Everest Base Camp trek. Carry a tracker and share one AdventureLive link so family follow you. Aconcagua too.
How-to · Live trackingHow to let family track you live on KilimanjaroPhone signal on Kilimanjaro is patchy. Carry an inReach or SPOT and share one AdventureLive link so family see you on the mountain, summit night included.
Guide · Live trackingHow to let family track you live while rowing an oceanRowing an ocean? Carry an inReach or SPOT and share one AdventureLive link so family see your dot and the weather where you are, even weeks from land.
Guide · Live trackingHow to let family track your Channel swim liveSwimming the English Channel? The swimmer carries nothing, so the pilot boat or a support kayak carries the tracker. How to give family one live link.
Guide · Live trackingHow to let family track your sailing passage liveSailing offshore or crossing with a rally like the ARC? Carry a satellite tracker and share one AdventureLive link with a map and your weather.
Guide · Live trackingMotorbike tour live tracking: let family follow every dayA tracker on the bike or the jacket, one leg per riding day, and a link for the people at home: how to live-track an adventure motorbike tour.
Guide · Live trackingOverlanding live tracking: let family follow every legLet family follow a Namibia or Outback overland trip live: a satellite tracker on the vehicle, one leg per stretch, and the weather where you are.
Guide · Live trackingUltra-trail live tracking when there's no signal (UTMB and more)UTMB's own live tracking covers the race. Your family also wants to know where you are and what the weather is doing. Here is how to give them both.Satellite trackers
inReach vs SPOT vs ZOLEO for expeditions
inReach, SPOT and ZOLEO compared for expeditions: networks, coverage, tracking intervals, SOS, plan prices and weights, and which work with AdventureLive.
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Guide · Satellite trackersA SPOT shared page alternative your family will actually useSPOT's shared page shows where you are. Here is what SpotWalla and AdventureLive add: a 3D map, the weather where you are, alerts and HELP emails to home.
Guide · Satellite trackersDo you need a satellite messenger for Kilimanjaro?An honest answer: Kilimanjaro guides carry radios and phones, and signal is patchy. A satellite messenger is optional but useful on summit night.
Guide · Satellite trackersGarmin LiveTrack with no phone signal: what really worksGarmin LiveTrack from a watch needs your phone's data, except on LTE watches. Off-grid, use an inReach or SPOT and link both: the freshest position wins.
How-to · Satellite trackersShare your inReach MapShare with family (and make it better)Turn on MapShare in Garmin Explore, set a password, send the link, then add the weather, alerts and home contacts by linking it to AdventureLive.Expedition weather
Expedition weather by month, from ten years of records
Typical weather by month for Kilimanjaro, the Atlantic row, the Marathon des Sables and Namibia, from ten years (2015–2024) of ERA5 records.
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Weather data · Expedition weatherAtlantic rowing weather by month: the trade winds to AntiguaTen years of ERA5 records for the La Gomera to Antigua row: trade wind speed and direction, following-wind share, sea temperature and rain, month by month.
Weather data · Expedition weatherKilimanjaro summit weather by month: wind, cold and wind chillTen years of ERA5 records for Uhuru Peak: summit-night temperature, wind, wind chill and rain by month, and which months are driest and least windy.
Weather data · Expedition weatherMarathon des Sables weather: how hot is April in the Sahara?Ten years of ERA5 records for Merzouga and Erg Chebbi: April afternoons average 29.4 °C, pre-dawn 17.7 °C, humidity 13%. All twelve months in a table.
Weather data · Expedition weatherNamibia weather by month for overlandingTen years of ERA5 records for Windhoek, Sossusvlei and Etosha: rain, afternoon and pre-dawn temperatures by month, and the best months to go by region.Comparisons
The best live tracking for adventures (2026)
Ten ways to let family follow an adventure live, compared fairly: MapShare, SPOT, SpotWalla, Polarsteps, YB, LiveTrack, Beacon, ZOLEO and AdventureLive.
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Comparison · Comparisons5 Best YB Tracking Alternatives in 2026Five YB Tracking alternatives for 2026: Garmin MapShare, AdventureLive, SPOT Shared Views, SpotWalla and ZOLEO, compared on cost, signal and weather.
Comparison · Comparisons6 Best FindPenguins Alternatives in 2026Six FindPenguins alternatives for 2026: Polarsteps, AdventureLive, MapShare, SpotWalla, Wanderlog and SPOT, compared on signal, cost and weather.
Comparison · Comparisons6 Best Life360 Alternatives for Hiking and Expeditions in 2026Life360 needs a connection to update. Six options for hikes and expeditions: inReach, AdventureLive, SPOT, ZOLEO, LiveTrack and Google Maps, compared.
Comparison · Comparisons6 Best SpotWalla Alternatives in 2026Six SpotWalla alternatives for 2026: SPOT Shared Views, AdventureLive, MapShare, ZOLEO, Polarsteps and YB Tracking, compared on cost and weather.
Comparison · Comparisons7 Best Garmin MapShare Alternatives in 2026 (Free & Paid)Seven alternatives to Garmin MapShare for sharing your trip in 2026: SPOT, AdventureLive, SpotWalla, ZOLEO and more, compared on cost, signal and weather.
Comparison · Comparisons7 Best Polarsteps Alternatives in 2026 (Free & Paid)Seven Polarsteps alternatives for 2026: FindPenguins, AdventureLive, MapShare, SPOT, SpotWalla and more, with signal, cost, followers and weather compared.
Comparison · Comparisons7 Best Strava Beacon Alternatives in 2026 (Free & Paid)Seven ways to let family see where you are beyond Strava Beacon: inReach, AdventureLive, SPOT, ZOLEO, LiveTrack, Google Maps and Polarsteps, compared.
Comparison · ComparisonsAdventureLive vs Bivy Stick tracking: what each doesBivy Stick has its own link; AdventureLive can't read it. What each does, from their own pages, and how to use both by carrying an inReach or SPOT.
Comparison · ComparisonsAdventureLive vs Garmin LiveTrack: which should you use?Garmin LiveTrack shares a live page from your Garmin and phone. AdventureLive reads it and adds a 3D map, weather and HELP emails. From Garmin's manuals.
Comparison · ComparisonsAdventureLive vs Garmin MapShare: which should you use?Garmin MapShare and AdventureLive both show an inReach to family. Here is what each does, what it costs and when to use both, from their own pages.
Comparison · ComparisonsAdventureLive vs Life360 for hikes and expeditionsLife360 is a family location app for phones. AdventureLive reads an inReach, SPOT or LiveTrack on hikes and expeditions. What each is for and when to pick.
Comparison · ComparisonsAdventureLive vs Polarsteps: live tracking or travel journal?Polarsteps is a travel journal that tracks offline and syncs later. AdventureLive shows a satellite tracker live with the weather. They do different jobs.
Comparison · ComparisonsAdventureLive vs PredictWind tracking for sailorsPredictWind has a free tracking page for boats; AdventureLive reads only inReach, SPOT and LiveTrack. What each shows family, and when to use both.
Comparison · ComparisonsAdventureLive vs Somewear: what each does and doesn'tSomewear sells satellite hardware; AdventureLive reads only inReach, SPOT and LiveTrack. What Somewear's pages state and leave out, and how to use both.
Comparison · ComparisonsAdventureLive vs SpotWalla: which should you use?SpotWalla shows SPOT, Garmin and ZOLEO tracks online. AdventureLive reads an inReach, SPOT or LiveTrack and adds weather and HELP emails. Compared fairly.
Comparison · ComparisonsAdventureLive vs Strava Beacon: which should you use?Strava Beacon texts a live link from your phone. AdventureLive reads an inReach, SPOT or LiveTrack. What each needs and does, and when to use which.
Comparison · ComparisonsAdventureLive vs the SPOT shared page: which to use?SPOT Shared View shows your tracking and messages to family. AdventureLive reads the same feed and adds weather and HELP emails. A fair comparison.
Comparison · ComparisonsAdventureLive vs YB Tracking: race tracker or family page?YB Tracking is the standard for ocean races. AdventureLive is a free family page for your own inReach or SPOT. Use YB in the race, then both for home.
Comparison · ComparisonsAdventureLive vs ZOLEO location sharing: which to use?ZOLEO has its own Location Share+ and ZOLEO Track web map. AdventureLive reads an inReach, SPOT or LiveTrack, not ZOLEO. A plain comparison.