As great as your phone is for a whole load of digital stuff, there are still some things a dedicated device can do better. Helping you navigate during backcountry adventures is one of them. That’s why handheld GPS trackers, such as the Garmin GPSMAP 66sr, continue to stay relevant, as they give you access to information and field insights that you just can’t get from your phone.
Designed to help make navigation easier, the device boasts expanded satellite support to ensure higher accuracy in the field, so you can get to where you need to go in the most optimal way available. Whether you’re looking to hike up a mountain, trying to win a geocaching contest, or trying to find Bigfoot in his natural habitat, this thing will give you all the help you need to make your way to your goal without having to spend half the day going around in circles.
The Garmin GPSMAP 66sr boasts newly-expanded multi-band GNSS support, drawing information from GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and IRNSS, ensuring you can find your way around in desert canyons, dense forests, and urban neighborhoods alike. According to Garmin, it provides the most accurate position any of their devices have been able to muster to date, so if this thing can’t guide you in challenging locations, nothing probably can. Unless, of course, you manage to stumble upon the fairy protecting the forest (hey, they could exist), who will then guide you towards the proper way to safety. Hopefully, not after requiring you to make a blood sacrifice or something.
It has your standard ABC sensors for drawing elevation data, monitoring weather, and finding direction, all of which are indispensable to anyone spending extended time in the backcountry. In case you still have cell signal, you can also get more detailed weather information (if it’s paired with your phone), such as real-time forecasts and live weather radar updates for the area you’re in, so you’re always aware of the surrounding conditions.
The Garmin GPSMAP 66sr has preloaded topography maps for US and Canada, with all terrain contours, elevations, summits, parks, coastlines, and all sorts of geographical points, with the option to download photorealistic maps for free (no subscription needed) that you can use to find trails, pick camping locations, discover potential parking spots, add waypoints, and more. And yes, the maps can show boundaries for federal public land, so you never make the mistake of venturing out where you can, potentially, get into trouble with the law. And by law, we don’t mean the nasty bears that will rip your flesh to shreds.
It has a handheld form factor similar to those small dumb phones from the turn of the century, with a three-inch full color display that’s completely readable under sunlight. Features include a MIL-STD-810 rating for rugged use in the wild, IPX7 water rating, a rechargeable battery (rated at 36 hours with GPS on and 450 hours with GPS off), 16GB of storage, a built-in LED flashlight for handy use in a pinch, and full Geocaching Live integration.
The Garmin GPSMAP 66sr is available now, priced at $499.99.