My D and BF hiked for 6 days last summer in Montana. No cell service. Used Inreach by Garmin. Could send 2 pre-written texts/emails a day (they picked “at camp” and “having fun”). Texts and emails sent to one contact (me) included GPS location. There was also emergency signal that could be used to located them. Grateful to get those texts every day and fun to see where they were on the trail (and they left an itinerary with goals with us). This was a trail you had to apply to be on so that also meant they had to go by ranger station before they began. Had bear spray - thankfully never needed it!