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Is there a small gps tracker that isn't an air tag or tile that also doesn't cost a thousand dollars or require a subscription?

Before anyone gets the wrong idea I am one of those peoples who's mantra is "I would rather have it and not need it than the other way around".

In that vein I daily a backpack that has thousands of dollars in tools, electronics and survival stuff in it at all times. I'm talking I could survive a complete collapse of society for quite some time with what I keep in that bag every day kinda deal.

The one thing that concerns me is the bag getting grabbed one day. I could replace everything in there but I would prefer to avoid spending all that money and time setting it all up again. I keep it with me as much as I reasonably can, but obviously I can't take it with me into places like concerts or events. During those times I have it stashed in a hidden compartment in my trunk so it's unlikely it would get taken in a smash and grab, but I would feel much better if I was able to keep track of the bags location at all times.

It seems like the small gps tracker market is basically small tags like the tile or air tag and then it immediately jumps to like thousands of dollars and subscriptions.

I am aware that this mythical tracker might not exist at all, but if anyone would know of one it's you nerds (I call yall nerds lovingly).

50 comments

  • The problem is conceptual.

    There are two types of tracker devices.

    AirTags, and similar devices in the Google ecosystem, are short-range Bluetooth beacons. They don't actually have GPS receivers of their own. They rely on the swarm of other Apple / Android phones in the world that have their Bluetooth radios active. One of those phones picks up the beacon, and sends a report up to Apple / Google with its current location and the beacon signal strength. That is how you can find your stuff, because some random person's phone called in a sighting. Because these things are very simple, just a very low power Bluetooth transmitter and nothing else, they can run for a year on a coin cell battery.

    The other is an actual GPS tracker. This device has a GPS receiver to determine its own location, and a cellular radio to transmit that location elsewhere, often just by sending a text message with its ID and location to some server. This however is physically larger because you need a battery, GPS antenna, cellular antenna, and a cell phone style radio chip. That all uses a lot more power. Most of the ones designed to last for months have a power brick holding 4-8 D-cell batteries, or a large lithium pack. Obviously that is not some tiny thing you lose in a pocket. Those are usually magnetically attached to the bottom of cars. Or, in the case of fleet telemetry, it will be hardwired into the vehicle. But this sort of thing necessarily requires a subscription fee because it has a cellular radio. That cellular thing needs an account with a carrier.

  • So... are you going to post the contents of the bag? Maybe spread out all out on the floor for a money-shot?

    • I will not be dumping out the entire bag for a money shot but I can list off it's contents for ya.

      1x "military" medical kit. Contains all the basics, but most important to me is a legit CAT tourniquet. I added some Neosporin and extra cloth Band-Aids cause why not

      1x roll of gorilla tape. It used to be gaffer tape, but in "emergency" situations I place more importance on the strength of the tape and I care less about the residue left behind.

      4x "space blankets". Sheets of silver reflective mylar have a lot of uses beyond keeping you warm but they are shocking good at that in a pinch.

      1x battery bank with built in charging cables and a solar panel for refilling the bank.

      1x waterproof (when closed) electric lighter. I am capable of starting fires without a lighter of any kind but it sure makes it much easier and it can be recharged by the solar pack theoretically an unlimited number of times. It's also on a necklace with a built in whistle and compass.

      ~30 feet of wax soaked high strength Paracord.

      20x 1 foot UV resistant zip ties

      1x water key.

      1x Leatherman

      1x mini ratchet and socket set (5.5mm-15mm) with common driver heads for most common screws

      1x small electric screwdriver and tool set for small things (electric screwdriver fails in a usable state)

      ~20 keys for the most common construction equipment found where I live.

      1x umbrella

      1x bottle of super glue

      1x small tube blue loctite

      1x hand pumped 3 stage water filtration system with built in cup and a spare set of filters

      1x deck of cards

      I feel like am forgetting some things, but that is the bag off the top of my head.

      I still have some things I want to add like the GPS for the bag itself, but I think it's mostly where I want it as a daily carried bug out bag.

      I think I might start putting together a second bag that has room for bigger things and more quantities, but that one will just stay at home.

  • I use a GL300 tracker paired with a Hologram SIM. Its a bit involved to set up as you need to run a traccar server somewhere and program the tracker for it, but hologram is like $1 a month and the trackers battery life is several months on a charge.

  • Meshtastic node with a GPS radio perhaps. They’re not that expensive and work off the grid. Might need a bit of manual assembly depending on what you get but nothing too difficult.

    • You got here ahead of me. Meshtastic has some limitations, but in a relatively populated area it works surprisingly well. GPS trackers using Meshtastic require far less power than their cell-phone equivalents, which means they ca be smaller, longer lasting, or some of both. They can also be a good bit less expensive. Meshtastic takes a bit of learning, but it isn't difficult and there are plenty of resources.

  • Google recently opened their ecosystem up to find-my-device tags like this, they're available from providers like Chipolo. Last I heard they weren't very good yet because despite there being tons of Android phones around for them to work with they'd put some restrictions on them that made them ping less frequently.

    They're also not GPS tags, they ping nearby Android phones via Bluetooth and the Android phones report their location to Google. But if you're worried about a bag being stolen (as opposed to, for example, being located if you're lost in the wilderness) then that might be enough.

    • Yeah my only concern is being able to see the location of the bag really. I think I'm just going to to do the old aindoid phone stashed inside with find my phone enabled.

50 comments