Initial Thoughts

I have been running the 66i for a year now and so far have taken it up and down the country putting it to task on a range of trips. So far the device has far more pro's than it does con's and is so feature packed that you really need to learn the device to get the full potential of it, but that's true for most things now days. 

The tough looking 66i has been out kayaking, hunting, multiday hiking, SAROP's and even a horse recovery from the Kaimanawa's. It has withstood all of it. The operation is relatively intuitive and mimics most other Garmin handhelds so if you've ever used the trusty old eTrex series you'll be able to hit the ground running on the 66i. 

So far this device has left me with the warm fuzzies and I'm constantly looking for more reasons to get out and put it to use.

Edit:

Since writing this article my 66i has been replaced with the 86i, an electrically identical device but with a slight larger size, The advantage of the 86i and its larger case is it adds buoyancy, I will add a review of the 86i after I have had a more realistic opportunity to use it in the field.  

Maps

The 66i comes equipped with the Garmin TopoActive maps which frankly leave a lot to be desired when compared to the LINZ topo series we are all used to and even when compared to Garmin's full featured Garmin Topo Australia and New Zealand. It's worth noting the TopoActive are different from the Garmin Topo Light and the full featured Garmin Topo Australia and New Zealand, sitting somewhere uncomfortably between the two. There is an easy fix for the map issue though, after I received my device I promptly added a series of third party mapsets to it. 

The maps I added were:

• Mr Purple LINZ style Topo maps with additional Doc Boundaries, Titles, Roads, Hunting Areas, Animal Densities and even the Te Araroa Trail
• OSM Routable streetmaps for NZ, These are great for on road sections of larger overlanding trips with plenty of POI's
• NZ Marine Charts 2011, These are great for basic kayaking or small craft navigation, There may be newer more up to date versions floating around the forums however this series seemed suitable for my intended use. 

Comparing the Mr Purple maps against the TopoActive the level of detail missing from the TopoActive is very noticeable, River flats are missing detail such as the depiction of braiding, Open tops aren't as noticeable and in some cases colored the same as the surrounding bush effectively hiding them more critically especially when hunting native forest isnt distinguishable from exotic forest as it is in the LINZ series. 

The GPSMAP 66i & 86i also come with a lifetime subscription to BirdsEye which allows you to load relatively high resolution imagery to the device of the locations you are travelling to and view them in conjuction with topo data on the device, A very handy feature for hunting and finding clearings. 

Battery Life

Up to 35 hours of battery life is claimed when in 10min tracking mode or 200 hours at 30min (power save) mode. It is even long when you don't use tracking and have it turned off. My typical use is quickly checking a route and messaging back home so for the most part the device is off, The exception to this being when I am recording a track on a SAROP (Search & Rescue OP) or am wanting to check my track after the trip for what ever reason. Using the device in this way I often see days of usage before needing to recharge, Given I take a power bank on most trips for charging lanterns and things this isn't to much of a hassle. If you were intending on longer trips with more use I would recommend taking a solar charger. Expedition mode is another handy feature of the device that really conserves battery life, It essentially puts the device into a half sleep mode, turning the screen off, disabling Bluetooth & ANT and still recording your track data using a smart interval most appropriate for you movement. 

Tracking

For those that aren't quite aware of the difference between tracking and recording on Garmin devices the term "Tracking" refers to actually sending your location out via the Iridium network to your map share account online at a given interval (Default is every 10 mins) to your map share account, Note that you must either pay for this service or have a subscription with tracking included. From your map share page family or friends can see where you are anytime you have the tracking feature turned on. Recording on the other hand is when you record your location on the device at a given interval, This could be every few seconds or every few minutes but the difference is the unit doesn't send that record out it is stored locally. 

Personally I don't use the tracking as I don't see the value, Some argue their family can watch where they are but in reality the novelty of that typically wears off after the first few trips. Reality for most is unless your wife is dead set on knowing your every move she really isn't going to check unless she hasn't heard from you past an expected check-in. Breaking it down tracking is a nice feature but not overly practical outside of a commercial lone worker type environment or for larger scale sporting events such as the Mongol rally. Some reasons not to use the tracking include:

1. You extend your battery life significantly by not using it
2. Your family will get your location when you send them a message anyway. I often send a free preset message showing where my camp will be. 
3. You need a more expensive subscription plan to run tracking
4. You can still record where you went on the device locally and upload/sync this after your trip with map share or Garmin Basecamp for analysis

All in all the tracking really doesn't add any value to my use cases especially considering when I send a message back home from camp it is tagged with my location anyway, so for me the benefit of tracking versus the extended battery life of not using it really doesn't seem to balance up for me. I'm sure you will have your own opinion on this. 

Messaging

Now for many people this is certainly the what puts the 66i and infact any inReach product well and truly above the that of a "normal" GPSr, The ability to communicate well out of reach of conventional cell services and in many cases VHF radio coverage. The inReach range of products be it the inReach Mini or the GPSMAP 66i all connect to the outside world via the Iridium network, The only satellite network to currently offer global pole to pole coverage. 

To keep this review simple and easy to swallow I will break the messaging into 4 components.

Subscriptions

Messaging is a great feature but requires an active subscription to keep to use. Luckily the subscriptions aren't overly prohibitive. The subscriptions are available on annual contracts for a slightly cheaper rate or a freedom plan which cost a touch more but you aren't locked into a contract and can suspend the plan over the months you may not need it, for a lot of people their outdoor adventures stop during winter. 

I am just on the freedom safety plan which is the smallest plan costing only $25. It includes: 

• 10 messages 
• Unlimited preset messages
• No Tracking (I don't use it anyway)
• Unlimited SOS 
• Basic Weather (Uses a Message)
• Premium Weather ($1.70)

On this plan if you exceed your 10 message quota which I quite often do given you pay for messages received as well as sent, it will cost you 85c per message additional which I don't find to bad. More often than not I only message home at camp to let them know I got a deer, or am staying longer/delayed but ok etc. 

Considering the next plan up will be $59 and includes 40 messages, Even if you exceed your 10 messages on the safety plan by 40 bringing your total to 50 messages it will cost you the same as the $59 plan. Garmin offer a range of inReach subscriptions as well as customizable plans for business. 

Preset Messages

Preset messages are messages that you define when you set up the device, The content and recipients of the message are fixed in nature and cannot be changed in the field. The inReach services allows you to create 3 preset messages which you can sent as many times as you like without it counting as a message off your quota. 

Typical preset messages are things like, "Camping here for the night" , "Just checking in and everything is ok". They enable you to send a quick update to family or friends with a click of a button. They can also reply to the presets if they want but this will cost a message. 

Freeform Messages

Freeform messages as the name suggests are messages you type in free form. They are also the messages your plan will count towards your included messages and charge you overage if you use more than your plan allowance. 

There are two ways to do this, on the device itself or on a smart phone paired via via Bluetooth. I prefer using my phone paired to the device as this allows much faster typing in a manner similar to what we are used to, In order to type on the device you end up navigating around a keypad with arrow keys and selected everything letter by letter. 

Satellite Limitations

One of the biggest complaints I see with inReach products is an unrealistic expectation that it should perform and be as reliable as a urban cell service which most of us are accustomed too. Many people complain that messages don't always send when they are deep in a valley or under thick canopy. 

Having come from a background where I have used satellite phones and terminals you quickly learn the limitations of the technology and how to minimize the chances of bad connection's, The biggest solver is ensuring the device must has a clear view of the sky. People often don't realize with satellite we are dealing with weak signals sent to us from a long way away. In the case of Iridium the satellites are 780km above our head, that's a long way.  

If we are under heavy canopy its likely the canopy is preventing a reliable connection to the satellites overhead, We can move to an area with thinner canopy to send our message or better yet a clearing or stream. If we find ourselves in a deep valley it may simply be a matter of the satellite we need hasnt yet moved itself high enough in the sky to see us and is currently blocked via the ridges around us. 

For the hunters among us