Garmin inreach 67i. Any comments

AndLovingIt

Private
Minuteman
Nov 26, 2024
38
26
Florida
Getting ready to pick up a 67i for some hiking the wife is going to be doing in the west. Any comments good or bad? Something better? I want her to have something where she can get help if injured. Etc. GPS and mapping/directions/tracking.
 
Ive owned a 67i for a few years now and use it regularly. I pay for InReach and SOS to text from remote areas and love using Tracks. I also pay for their Outdoor Maps+.

Buy with confidence, its been great
 
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Ive owned a 67i for a few years now and use it regularly. I pay for InReach and SOS to text from remote areas and love using Tracks. I also pay for their Outdoor Maps+.

Buy with confidence, its been great


Are their maps worth the cost? Especially with a screen that small. I bought a 67i earlier this year and have been playing with it, but I’ve not used it on anything other than day hikes so far. I have OnX too. I drew a cow tag in unit 66A in Idaho for October, that’s where I plan to really use it.
 
The critical feature of Garmin's in-reach is the 2-way text via sat-com.

Last week, there was a rescue on mt williamson (14'r), where an in-reach saved someone's ass. Woman had an open fx and needed high altitude resucue. Took over 24 hrs. to get her out on a .mil blackhawk.

Read the story...

 
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Garmin devices rock... Which model depends on your use case. Every member of my family has one. Personally, I don't think the maps are worth it. The screens are fairly small. YMMV.
 
Used to run the 700, the wife got me the mini for a Father’s Day gift last year. I use that exclusively now. I was always bluetoothing to my phone and using the app on the big unit anyways, the app is a much easier interface. Now I clip the mini to my pack shoulder strap, or unclip and clip to my chest rig or a belt loop when the pack is off.
 
FWIW, On the couple deep canyon trips Ive done this year people were getting texts out faster with their iPhones that I was with the in reach. Im not talking close to a town, Im talking bottom of impassable canyon in the middle of the Frank Church, so middle of nowhere. The cell/sat interface is going to get better and may make having a separate device redundant, which is fine too.
 
FWIW, On the couple deep canyon trips Ive done this year people were getting texts out faster with their iPhones that I was with the in reach. Im not talking close to a town, Im talking bottom of impassable canyon in the middle of the Frank Church, so middle of nowhere. The cell/sat interface is going to get better and may make having a separate device redundant, which is fine too.


Yea... with my phone now automatically connecting to T-Mobile/Starlink when I go to No cell service areas. Ive already been thinking the Garmin will become obsolete.

Right now Starlink/T-mobile is text only. They say they are enabling data also in the fall. At that point, I could see something like a paid Garmin app be8ng the new norm for the masses....

Phones still dont compete with the Garmin in ruggedness and weatherproofing at the moment..
 
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Phones still dont compete with the Garmin in ruggedness and weatherproofing at the moment..
It's true and it's not the worst idea to have redundant forms if you really want to have a way to call for help. Seems silly to go some of the places I go without one now though I did it for 30+ years without the technology. I do wonder if the tech makes people do things they wouldnt have back then. You really thought about not getting yourself in a bind in those days when you were on your own, now help is just a button away pretty much anywhere.
 
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FWIW, On the couple deep canyon trips Ive done this year people were getting texts out faster with their iPhones that I was with the in reach. Im not talking close to a town, Im talking bottom of impassable canyon in the middle of the Frank Church, so middle of nowhere. The cell/sat interface is going to get better and may make having a separate device redundant, which is fine too.

Selway?

I work with a guy who was on that trip.

Sad sad deal
 
It's true and it's not the worst idea to have redundant forms if you really want to have a way to call for help. Seems silly to go some of the places I go without one now though I did it for 30+ years without the technology. I do wonder if the tech makes people do things they wouldnt have back then. You really thought about not getting yourself in a bind in those days when you were on your own, now help is just a button away pretty much anywhere.
My only concern with relying on just the iPhone is battery and ruggedness. The people involved in the trip are notorious for not charging their phones or having some other issue (self inflicted). I want something foolproof and easy to use. Even if they only charge the unit once during the trip it should last.

Thanks again for the comments to all
 
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