AdventureLive vs Somewear: what each does and doesn't

What is the difference between AdventureLive and Somewear?

Somewear makes satellite hardware and software. AdventureLive is a web page that shows a trip to family, and it reads a tracker you already carry. The key fact first: AdventureLive does not support Somewear devices. It reads only an inReach (through MapShare), a SPOT (through its shared page) and Garmin LiveTrack.

AdventureLive never replaces a tracker, its plan, MapShare or the SPOT shared page. It sits on top of them. So these two are not alternatives for the same job, and this page is mostly about picking the right tracker and knowing what a Somewear page does and does not tell you. It is part of our guide to the best live tracking for adventures.

We make AdventureLive, so weigh our view with that in mind. What we say about Somewear comes only from Somewear's own pages, linked under Sources. Those pages say little that a traveller needs, and we write "not stated on the pages we read" wherever they are silent.

At a glance

What does Somewear do well?

On the page we read, Somewear describes itself as resilient edge networking for command and control. Its products include the Global Hotspot, which it calls a narrowband satellite solution that integrates into any kit and suits asset tracking and isolated personnel who need satellite communication. It also lists Node, which combines mesh radios with satellite, and Horizon, a multi-network radio for unmanned operations.

That tells us something real: Somewear builds for teams, fleets and field operations, and for kit that has to fit into other equipment. If you are running a team or an asset and need the hardware to integrate with your own systems, that is a strength a consumer tracker does not claim.

What the page does not tell us matters just as much to a family. It gives no prices or plans, no description of live location sharing, no mention of SOS or weather, and no statement on whether a phone is required. Somewear's sign-in link goes to a separate app site whose page text, when we read it, described none of this either. If you are weighing a Somewear unit for a personal trip, ask Somewear for those answers before you buy.

What does AdventureLive do well?

AdventureLive gives your family a 3D satellite map with your planned route and the line you have actually travelled. It shows the weather where you are now and for the next 48 hours, with safety alerts for strong wind and gales, severe cold, heat, heavy rain and thunderstorms, where you are and on the route ahead. Followers open a link in any browser, with no app and no account unless the trip is for approved people only.

You can name up to five home contacts. If your inReach or SPOT sends a HELP message during a trip, each gets an email with the time, the place on a map and the trip page. Followers never see that. Rescue is run by Garmin Response for an inReach, or SPOT's GEOS centre, not by AdventureLive. An SOS goes to that service, which tells the emergency contacts you set up with Garmin or SPOT. AdventureLive does not email home contacts about an SOS.

Its limits are plain. It has no phone app. It needs an inReach, a SPOT or a Garmin watch with LiveTrack, plus that device's own plan. It reads a tracker only while a trip is live, no more often than every 4 minutes for an inReach and every 2½ minutes for a SPOT. Garmin LiveTrack needs the phone to have signal.

When should you choose Somewear?

Consider Somewear when:

• you run a team or a fleet and need satellite hardware that integrates with other kit;
• you need the mesh radio or tactical software its page describes;
• Somewear confirms, in writing, the personal features you want, such as sharing with family, and its price.

When should you choose AdventureLive?

Choose AdventureLive when you already carry, or will carry, an inReach or SPOT and want more for your family to look at:

• the weather where you are, with safety alerts, beside your dot;
• a map people open on a phone with no app and no account;
• HELP emails to named people at home;
• one dot from several trackers;
• a long leg with no set route, such as an ocean row.

To start, Plan your trip. You sign in with Google, or with email and password plus a 6-digit code we email you. Then follow linking a tracker.

Can you use both?

Only by carrying a second device. AdventureLive cannot read Somewear, so a Somewear unit alone puts nothing on an AdventureLive page. If you want that page, carry an inReach or a SPOT too, keep MapShare or the SPOT shared page on, and link it. Whatever Somewear gives your team keeps working beside it. Two satellite plans cost more than one, so for a personal trip most people choose the single tracker that suits them. See inReach vs SPOT vs ZOLEO to choose, and how AdventureLive compares with Garmin MapShare to see what the extra page adds.

Which one is better for a remote trek?

For a remote trek with family at home, a tracker whose sharing page is documented, such as an inReach or SPOT, is the safer starting point, with AdventureLive on top for the weather and the map. The forecast is a guide, not a guarantee, so check local forecasts and warnings before you set out.