Garmin Topo Maps Review

[Romilda Tiger]

TheGPSMAP66i is Garmin's top-of-the-line handheld GPS unit with InReach satellite communications built-in. It's a solid device built for outdoor use and navigation. I've logged months of testing and use for this Garmin GPSMAP 66i review, and while it's a solid unit, it's also isn't for everyone.

I literally just returned from the Colorado Trail segments 2, 3, and 4 where this device performed flawlessly in a wide array of environmental conditions ranging from direct sun to snow and rain. I had no trouble getting messages out in canyons, I experienced quick satellite acquisition, and I had excellent navigation results with the high-resolution maps preloaded on the unit. - REI Reviewer

If you're looking for the top of the line handheld GPS navigator, explicitly built for the outdoors and other harsh environments, the GPSMAP 66i is your move. People who I see using this are hiking power-users/geeks, backpackers on the trail for days to weeks, surveyors, hunters, and SAR teams.

If you are considering other options like the InReach Explorer, or are questioning the high price tag of the GPSMAP 66i, read on. In this section I'll run through how the GPSMAP 66i stacks up to the alternatives and when you should perhaps go with another option. If you want to dig into the walkthrough of the unit itself, skip ahead to the next section.

I've tested and reviewed the inReach Explorer and it's a solid unit. At first glance these two handheld GPS units look similar, and they do have things in common. But there are some differences. You can frame the comparison like this:

So which one should you get? If you're just looking for a satellite communicator with long battery life, go with the InReach Explorer. I saw a decent amount on thru-hikers using the Explorer this year and I suspect this is why. You can tell friends and family that you're safe, and you can also take a look at your GPS position on a map. Just those two things alone are really powerful tools in a small package.

If you want a communicator and handheld GPS device that you can really navigate with, the GPSMAP 66i is a clear winner. Even if you are on an extended hike, the 66i might be a better option because you can probably load the full route and all waypoints onto one device (just once). The 66i has a 1 year battery life when off (with no use). Based on that spec I'd speculate that you could use it once a day to send a message and check your position for at least a month if not longer on one charge. And it charges with any old USB charger which is easy enough.

This one is more straightforward. If you just need a satellite communicator and already have a GPS or smartphone that you navigate with, then get the InReach Mini (full review here). It's a great unit that is cheaper, small, and light. You can perform navigation with it when you pair it with a smartphone and the Earthmate app. But you don't even really need to do that since most phones have a GPS built-in anyway.

If you're considering upgrading from a GPSMAP 64 series, it might not make sense unless you're looking for a specific feature. The 66i offers InReach, a better screen, WiFi, and more memory, but otherwise they are very similar.

The GPSMAP 66i is the top of the line. It doesn't have a touch screen, which I look at as a positive for outdoors use. But it does have the familiar interface that you're probably are used to using. The hardware and chipset on the unit is top of the line, and the 66i will likely be much quicker and more powerful than an older handheld Garmin GPS that you're using now.

This is where it gets tough. Most smartphones paired with a good navigation app like Gaia GPS are incredibly powerful and leave the GPSMAP 66i in the dust. On a smartphone you can pinch and zoom, choose from dozens of map layers and sources, and store hundreds of thousands of waypoints, tracks, and routes.

So that seems that the phone is a no-brainer, but the one fatal flaw of the smartphone is that it's not built for rugged backcountry use. Try using a touchscreen in the rain. Try looking at the small writing on navigation app screens when you have mild snow or sun blindness. The big buttons and simple interface of the GPSMAP have their advantages in the right situation. What happens when the phone drops and the screen cracks? Or when the battery dies because you forgot to put it in flight mode?

But for most folks who don't do hardcore backcountry hiking and navigation, a good smartphone, Gaia GPS (or similar), and an InReach Mini will be the perfect pairing. It's lightweight, powerful, and inexpensive (assuming you have a smartphone already). And if you don't have a smartphone or want something that's backcountry-ready, you can get full-featured Android phones that are Military MIL-STD-810G ruggedand have a battery that lasts a week. If you're a power user you can tweak the battery settings to get even more life out of the phone. So there are some interesting options.

First off, this is a handheld GPS unit, and the rounded edges and sizing make it fit ergonomically into your palm. It's easy and natural to hold and use. Your thumb can reach around and hit all the buttons. The weight (8.5oz) makes it feel solid in your hand. Weight-wise it feels like holding a mango or a heavier piece of fruit. The sides of the unit are a rubber material that doesn't slip even when your hand is wet.

The GPSMAP 66i conforms to the IPX7 and MIL STD 810G standards of ruggedness. IPX7 means that you can submerge it 1 meter of water for 30 minutes, which in practical terms means you can get it wet without a problem. MIL STD 810G is a ruggedness guideline set by the US Department of Defense for outdoor tech gear. The spec has 24 areas of testing that a piece of gear has to pass, including fun ones like explosive atmosphere (explosions), fungus, and gunfire shock. There are also the standard ones like high/low temps and humidity, shock/drop, and fluids. I've used the 66i extensively for months and it's pretty bulletproof (aside from the screen). I've had it in rain, sand, saltwater. I've dropped it and sat on it. It's still ticking.

You can use all of the non-InReach functionality on the 66i right out of the box, but you'll get more if you tie it into the Garmin Explore ecosystem (free). I'll go into more detail later in the setup section but this is the high-level workflow breakdown.

I wish the overall setup was a little more coherent. I think Garmin is still in the stages of stitching together the old Delorme InReach system with the new Garmin world order and it's fractured and confusing if you don't know where to look. If the unit has WiFi I think everything (I mean everything) should just sync over WiFi or the Explore smartphone app.

I wish they picked some better monikers for these features. Make sure you don't use "tracking" unless your plan includes location sharing, and make sure that "Setup > Tracking > Auto Track" is turned off.

A big attraction of the GPSMAP 66i for folks, especially people upgrading from other Garmin handhelds, is the InReach satellite communicator functionality. With the InReach service enabled, you can send and receive text messages using the Iridium satellite network which works on 100% of the earth, including Antartica (confirmed by a reader!). This means that when you're out of cell phone range, the 66i will still allow you two-way communications with the outside world.

In order to use the InReach functionality, you need a subscription plan. They work like cell phone plans and vary in cost. I have a setup guide at the end of this article that tells you how to get sorted with your plan and setup when you have the device.

You can also tweak some of the settings for your messages which is helpful. These settings have no effect on the pricing or cost of messages. The last option is handy since the phone number of the InReach device isn't usually recognizable to a recipient.

Make sure you spend time setting up your presets, contacts, and quick text on the explore.garmin.comsite before you go out in the field. You also need to sync the device with the Garmin Explore smartphone app to send the messages and contacts to your 66i. It does not sync over the Iridium satellite network.

When the GPSMAP 66i first came out the software didn't have a contact book. If you wanted to text someone outside of a preset message, you had to manually type their phone number in. So if you read about that in any reviews, know that the issue has been addressed and there's now a contacts book which you can access on it's own, or when you send a text message.

After you send a message the 66i will check for replies to your message for 10 minutes. After that it does a check for new messages every hour. If you have LiveTrack on, it checks for new messages every time that it broadcasts your position. You can also trigger a manual check.

One of the really powerful features if you hike with others is the InReach to InReach capability. If you wanted to communicate over long distances in the wilderness before, you usually would go for a GMRS radio, and there are some very cool options like the Garmin Rino (basically a 66i with radio instead of InReach). But the range is limited to a few miles and usually you need a decent line-of-sight to use them.

Since the InReach uses satellites, you can be as far away from other InReach users as you want. This comes in handy when you're with a group of hikers going at different speeds. I've used this before when I've been ahead, found a good place to camp, and wanted to message the location to others. We had set up presets beforehand and it was all done in a matter of seconds.

A cool new feature that ties into that last point is the ability to navigate to a location sent from another InReach. When you read a message you can tab and see the location info from where it was sent. There's a handy "go" button that will route you that location. And because it's a GPS navigator, it will route you on trails if possible; it doesn't just give you a straight line bearing.

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