Garmin GPSMAP 67i Review & Field Test 

Glad to help. There are a lot more of these coming, usually daily. Rick

I'm glad you liked it. I highly recommend the 67i now since it has a much improved battery. Let me know if you have any questions and there is also an extensive playlist on the 67i you can find here. ru-vid.com/group/PLinHuRHy8OYcd_GBs-P4sBQW4_wnK6WZ7. Rick

Glad I could help. Thanks for the thumbs up. Rick

Thank you. I think someone else mentioned this to me a few days ago, but It didn't register with me because why would Garmin put the course alerts for this under the Marine menu? I just got off the phone with Garmin and the technician I talked to didn't understand why it would be there either. Maybe Garmin will change it. Thanks again for the tip. I set it to 0.01 miles, which should come out to be around 53 feet. I'll test out TracBack again today with this new setting. Rick

Did that work? That's THE feature I need for what I want to use this for. In fact, I think I'd like to set it to more like 0.001mi which the multi band navigator SHOULD support.

I don't see how you can go less than 0.01 miles. I just tried it and 0.01 miles is the smallest increment I can go. Let me know if you find a way to go less than that. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech Hi! Great videos - just got a 67i! If you change to metric, you can get 0.01 km...just under 33 ft! Canadian here :).

That's great to know and thanks for the thumbs up. Let me know how you like it and if you have any questions. Rick

I was most excited to hear about the improved battery life and I have started a battery test on the 67i to see if it gets what Garmin states. Those videos will be uploaded next week after the battery actually dies. I did notice the 67i seems a lot faster than the 66i, especially when panning all around the U.S. look at the Active Weather. The Mini 2 has been my favorite satellite communicator, and the 66i could never over take it, primarily due to the battery life, but I think the 67i may take the top spot now, away from my Mini 2. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech Agreed the iR Mini 2 is excellent, especially accompanied by a smartphone and it's not wet outside - which is where your 67i is right at home. Happy Trails.

It is the Garmin Backpack Tether. I have tested many of them and this is the best I have found. See the link below. Garmin Backpack Tether (Amazon): amzn.to/4d2Yk1m I also have a few videos about the backpack tether if you want to learn more. Video 1: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oHEKgW5_3r0.html Video 2: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ibVFpIFy61A.html Let me know if you have any other questions. Rick

Yes, the preloaded TopoActive maps are plenty for most people, but if you want additional information on lakes, or private/public land boundaries, then you will need to pay an additional subsription. For example, if you're a hunter and you want to see hunting units in every state, plus see the boundaries of public lands, then you can get the Outdoor Maps+ annual subscription for $49.99. This gives you more detail on every state in the U.S. I understand this is an additional charge but in the past, you would have to spend almost $100 for every state for the hunting units. I think the $50 annual fee for the Outdoor Maps+ is a great deal. I hope I have helped answer your question. Rick

thank you@@outdooremergencytech

Thanks for your help with this radio

Thanks for letting me know. I actually think I like it now, since I know to clear the recording controls each time I start out on a new adventure. Keep the tips coming. Rick

Thanks for bringing this up. It doesn't sound like there is a question here but let me know if you do have a question. Rick

Glad to help. I now like the 67i a little more than the Mini 2 because it is an all-in-on device and it has a much better battery over the older 66i, however, the Mini 2 is an awesome satellite communicator, and it's small and powerful when synced to your smartphone. Let me know what you choose or if you have any questions. Rick

I've never thought of myself having a passive tone. Hopefully you're referring to my technical review of the products without getting upset about what they're good at or not good at. Thanks for the thumbs up. Rick

No, no. I meant that of your daughter. Got it. Got it. Got it. Got it. Got it.

Yes. It shows up under compatible devices on the Garmin website under the U.S. Inland Maps page for LakeVu g3. I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech Thank you for looking it up. Garmin site can get confusing for me. I have the Quatix 7x and love it but many learning curve. Great content.

Thanks Keith. Let me know if you have any other questions. Rick

Yes it was! I spent at least 12 hours editing the video, and that does not include the time it took to write the article on the website. I don't think a lot of people understand how much effort and time goes into capturing the video, then editing it, and writing the article, and we're not even talking about uploading it on other social media platforms. It's a good thing I enjoy doing this. Rick

​@Hiking Emergency Beacon thanks Rick for doing this. I appreciate it....

Those are some good comments and something I will bring up to Garmin. One of the things that has helped me since then is to reset my 67i back to the factory settings. That got rid of most all of the blue lines. The problem is that I test many satellite communicators in the same area and it get's more confused then what most people will ever see, but resetting back to factory settings has always helped me once a Garmin technician recommended that as a potential fix. I'll look into manually controlling the start of tracking and bring that up with Garmin. Thanks for your insight and suggestions. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech Thanks Rick!

I bought a 32 GB card to download maps for the 66i, but had problems with it. I talked to Garmin and they ended up sending my the HuntView map for Colorado on their 4 GB card, which worked. The issue now with the 67i is that I have bought the year subscription for the Garmin Outdoor Maps+, that has all of the maps that were previously available by state on the SD cards, so I don't currently see a reason for an additional SD card. I'll keep paying attention to this and may have a video in the future as I research and learn more. Don't hesitate to add additional information here that may help in my future video. Thanks. Rick

It's a Garmin Backpack Tether. You can buy it from Garmin or from Amazon. Here is the Amazon link to learn more about it amzn.to/3sMlNTi, plus I have a video talking about it more here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oHEKgW5_3r0.html. It's the only way I like to carry my Garmin's. Let me know if you have any other questions. Rick

LOL, yep. That one threw me off for some time. Why in the world is the setting under Marine? The Mini 2 is set up better and gives faster on and off course alerts. Hopefully Garmin will fix this issue. Rick

I have both of them and they are my two top satellite communicators. I'll use the Mini 2 on easy day hikes when I'm good with trusting the bluetooth to help me navigate on the Explorer App, but I'll go with my 67i on longer trips when I don't want to rely on my phone's battery and when it's worse weather and a rugged hike. I'll try not to sell you, but only point you in the right direction. Save up your money and buy the one that fits you best. Rick

No, the other line was a previous track that showed up during the field test. I do my best to remove all previous activities and tracks before each new video. Great catch though, and this is what you need to be aware of when using your satellite communicator. Rick

I apologize for the late reply. I was out on a fishing trip in Colorado. Here's the link. amzn.to/3POIpf0. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech That's OK! I found it and ordered the teather. I enjoy your videos. Subscribed!

Much appreciated. Thanks. Rick

Thank you and I'm always glad to help. Rick

Use Screenshot. Go into the menu, select SETUP, then select DISPLAY. Here is where you can turn on screenshot or screen capture. You will have to turn this on every time you power off the 67i, but after you turn it on, you only have to hit the power button (quickly). Do not hold the power button down or it will turn off. After you have taken the screenshots, you will need to connect it to your computer and go into the Garmin device and look for screenshots, or scrn...something like that, and you will find your screenshots. I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Rick

Thank you for the thumbs up. Rick

It's not a problem. I use the Garmin Backpack Tether. I have created several videos on it here, but you can see more about it here on Amazon. amzn.to/3USg6N4. Let me know if you have any questions. I own four of these and this is my preferred way to carry satellite communicators. Rick

I'm heading out tomorrow to get make a video on this as I have not used this much and don't have a good video on it. I may have it posted tomorrow evening and I'll respond back here when it's uploaded. Rick

Great question. Are you sure you can't use Outdoor Maps+? I have been able to download maps anywhere in the world when I use the Garmin Express software. You may want to look again at that. I have only downloaded AllTrails maps a few times but as long as you have a subscription, you can download an AllTrail map with the trail. Will you tell me the name of the trail and I can look at this with you, because I also have an AllTrails subscription? This also helps me learn more and gives me another idea for a video to upload. Rick

I'm researching the area and there are several base camps. Basecamp, Everest Camp II, Everest Camp I, Everest Base Camp. Give me a little more information and I'll help you get this figured out either using Outdoor Maps+ or AllTrails. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech its base camp after Gorak shep on the the khumbu ice fall where they start the Everest climb.

@@outdooremergencytech I have a subscription and the trail is in there. It would be nice to upload it.

Perfect. Thanks. I'm working on uploading the AllTrails course now to my 67i. There's a way to do it through the Connect App, but I am trying to upload it first through the explore.garmin page first. I'll let you know what I find out. Also, I was able to load the Nepal map and China maps to my 67i through the Garmin Express software. Rick

The 67i has a waterproof rating of IPX7. Garmin says it is built to military standards for thermal, shock and water performance (MIL-STD-810). You can read more about it here at my website hikingemergencybeacon.com/garmin-gpsmap-67i/, and also on Garmin's GPSMAP 67i information page here www.garmin.com/en-US/p/890109. I have been field testing it for a week now, plus comparing it to all of the other satellite communicators I have been testing for almost 4 years, and I am impressed with it. I just came in from a trail and created five more field test videos that will be going into a GPSMAP 67i Training Playlist this week and next week. You can see the playlist here ru-vid.com/group/PLinHuRHy8OYcd_GBs-P4sBQW4_wnK6WZ7, but it is new and only has one video in it as of today but that will be changing quickly in the next several days. Let me know if you have any other questions. Rick

@Hiking Emergency Beacon awesome dude. New sub to you appreciate the detailed videos

That's great. Let me know if you have any questions or would like some advice. Rick

I just talked to Garmin Tech Support and unfortunately they don't have the WMU information for Canada, but they put in a ticket requesting that for an upcoming update, but it remains to be seen if they do it. They will make updates like this if they get enough people requesting it. I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Rick

The 67i is not a touchscreen. You still have to use the arrows to move around. On another note, I have heard people complain about using touch screen devices when it rains, so a touchscreen is convenient, but may have some issues. Let me know if you have any other questions. Rick

thanks so much for the quick reply. i have heard that as a 'con' for the touchscreen devices. i guess the best thing is to have the pre-canned messages, keep communication 'tight' and use the messenger app if needing more. great devices. in light of that i'll likely stay with my Explorer+ for the time being. Thx again.@@outdooremergencytech

Anytime. I will add though, that after having both the Explore+, the GPSMAP 66i and now the GPSMAP 67i, the 67i is well worth getting when you're ready in the future. Rick

I agree it is, but it's one of those features I need to test and use more in the field. Thanks for the heads up. Rick

It’s useful, however, I hate that the radar is only available by wifi or Bluetooth. Would be nice if they somehow integrated that into Inreach weather. We got caught in a bad hailstorm in the Uintas high wilderness in north east Utah on a lake in kayaks an bad lightning. Basic weather just showed 60% Chance of “rain”.

This is exactly why I am a little irritated with the Active Weather. There are so many areas I am in here in Colorado, where the Active Weather doesn't help me at all. Hopefully Garmin will hear our concerns on this issue and correct it soon. Rick

And…you have to purchase city navigator maps separately…..my Montana 750 i came with them. I’m going snowmobiling weds. What profile should I use? I’m going to use it for tracking mainly I’m not using the Maps to know where to go because it’s a guided tour. I mainly using it for tracking to see where we went after the fact. But it be nice to look at it every once in a while to see where we are. But there’s no dedicated “snowmobiling” profile.

I would choose Mountain Biking. Have a great time snowmobiling. It's been 40 years since I've done that up by Crater Lake in Oregon. It's a lot of fun until you get stuck. Rick

Interestingly enough, I now have the Etrex SE and have been testing it to get ready for a field test. I don't know enough about it to answer your questions with great certainty, but here is what I do know. The 67i's screen is larger and in color, where the Etrex is black and white. The Etrex is about twice as small and half the weight. The Etrex does not have communication capabilities where the GPSMAP 67i does. Honestly, with what I currently know after a little testing, I like the 67i much better. I would prefer to have one device instead of two and if I was using the Etrex SE, I would also be taking my Garmin inReach Messenger with me. I hope that helps and keep an eye out for some field test videos coming out soon on the Etrex, plus a comparison review between the GPSMAP 67i and the Extrex SE. Rick

I would normally agree with this, but the 66 SR is now the old model with a bad battery life. I will look into a review of the GPSMAP 67, which does not have any inReach technology, and may be the equivalent to the 66 SR. Let me know if that will work for you. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech When I read the difference of the 67 with the 66sr they are very weak apart from the battery life and a bit faster at displaying maps I don't see what it has more than the 66sr , see the reviews of those who own the 67 on GPSARchiv, there are many. I will not change and keep my 66sr which has been debugged by successive updates.

Thanks for the information. I'll take a look at it and schedule a review of it. Thanks. Rick

You must have a subscription to use S.O.S., 2-way message or to get weather. Other than that, you can navigate without a subscription. There are also ways to save money on the subscription buy using the monthly subscription and suspending it when you don't need the subscription, or if on the annual plan, you can switch to the less expensive Freedom Subscription plan when you don't need more tracking and messaging. You can watch my video here about how to save money on the Garmin subscription plans. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yQMr4UB2Mjg.html Let me know if you have any other questions. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech thank you very much Rick. Just to make sure I understand from your video, it almost sound like the 67i screen is too small for navigation, especially in the city view as opposed to topographical view. Another thing I’m a bit confused on in this video, when you link the 67i onto your phone, would you be able to technically still use it to get messages / weather info to appear on the 67i since it’s mirroring your phone? It’s just that it’s mirroring my phone instead of through legitimate Garmin Messaging app and Garmin weather app

@@outdooremergencytech sorry Rick, you answered the part about gps screen size already

Glad I could help. Let me know if you have any other questions or would like me to field test something more. Rick

You can still navigate with it in the city, but it's my personal opinion that the screen size is too small for using in a vehicle. It's better when backpacking when you can hold it closer to you. The Garmin Montana 700i/750i or the Garmin Tread Series are designed for use in vehicles, off-road vehicles or ATVs. Rick

The answer is no, but I would recommend you look into it a little more. Here is an article by Garmin that sheds some light on this topic and you can always contact Garmin if you need additional information. support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=lIdiveQnAV4rNLrT76QYW5&productID=890109&searchQuery=messages%20over%20wifi&tab=topics Rick

TracBack is free is you navigate but are not tracking, then when you select TracBack, it will take you back to your starting point. If you start tracking, you will pay for each track over the amount that is free in your subscription plan. I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Rick

Hey Levi. You do need to connect to a WIFI network to download the maps and you need to download the maps through Outdoor Maps+, but it is free and you do not need a subscription for this. Let me know if you can download the maps after connecting to a WIFI network. Rick

It absolutely does show it on the map. I apologize if I mis-stated something in the video. You can see where you are on the map, on the device and on the Explore App. Rick

Great point. I've been meaning to do this but hadn't gotten to it yet. I'll take care of it this weekend. Thanks, Rick

@@outdooremergencytech ok thanks you know have to put the translator your videos are interesting..and easy to understand.-

I don't believe it will, unless you have a professional subscription plan. I will call Garmin and confirm this. Rick

I have noticed it being significantly faster and after talking to Garmin, they confirmed that the 67i is faster than the 66i. I also noticed it is extremely evident on its speed when moving around in a map. Let me know if you have any other questions. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to reply.

It's no problem. I'm bery active on this channel and posting new reviews almost daily, so I keep a close eye on the comments. Rick

You must have a subscription to contact SOS, 2-way message, MapShare with family and friends, or get weather forecasts. Let me know if you have any other questions. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech Thanks 🙏

I am not familiar with FATMAP, but every program I have used to export trails have been able to be brought into the Explore App or into the Explore.Garmin web page. You may want to call Garmin about the FATMAP. The 67i shows all of the trails here in Colorado that I have hiked, except for a brand new trail system when it first came out a few years ago, but those trails now show up on my 67i. Let me know if you have any other questions. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech Do you find it easy to read the map when trying to navigate? For example, if Im out on a hike, and I want to change my route, or add on a new route. Is it easy to read the map and is it very detailed? This is something Id like to make sure works well, and is easy to read , especially if using it in whiteout conditions in winter

I've never used it in white out conditions but viewing the maps on the device and on the Explore Map is easy to read for me and I've never had any issues with it. I do use the 67i a lot around Colorado in when it has snowed, but I have not been out with it in the middle of a snow storm. I hope that helps. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech sorry, I meant, like in such conditions where I'm completely lost and can't see where I am or where I'm going, and having to reply on this GPS. White out, fog, etc or even when bushwhacking... And not in terms of screen brightness/readability. As in, how easy is it to navigate the trails by looking just at the GPS. Some GPSs I've seen just aren't helpful enough. Can't make out the terrain, or path or anything, and it's more annoying than helpful

Here is a video I created that show the topo and satellite images on the Explore App and what it looks like on the 67i itself. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Z-IWa1pl9hg.html Honestly, I'm impressed and can tell exactly where I am, see landmarks, trails, waypoints, etc. Let me know if you have any other questions. Rick

You can use the 67i to navigate without a monthly plan, but if you want to use SOS, 2-way messaging or get weather updates, you will need a subscription. I list several ways to save money on the subscription plans. Check out that video here to see ways to save money. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yQMr4UB2Mjg.html Let me know if you have other questions. Rick

One way to do that is to go into your menu, then select ADD PAGE, then select APPLICATION and scroll down to FLASH LIGHT. Now it will show up in your menu, and then you can customize your menu to have the flashlight show up near the top of the menu items. Let me know if that helps. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech Excellent! Thanks Appreciate your posts on this new version ... just setting mine up today (replaced Explorer +)

I've been meaning to test it so I just now dropped it into the bathtub and it definitely does NOT float. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech Thank you so much for this, that explained by people on water usesthe 86sc.

Glad to help. Rick

I haven't used it for that but I have talked to several people here who do use it for cycling. It has a good size screen that you would be able to see well when mounted on your handle bars, plus Garmin sells a handle bar mount. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech im currently using garmin edge 1000 it a bit old time to upgrade to something newer 🙏

Great question. I will add this as my next field test to conduct. I'll let the 67i run all day with the default settings out of the box from Garmin, with the 10 minute tracking, plus with me field testing it every day. I will turn it off at night, but will let it run all day. I'll create a new video and upload it, than post the link and results here for you. Rick

Thanks! I wonder if the battery life is a dealbraker since Garmin marketing has done a few noticeable mistakes such as a fake screen of Montana 7x0 UI shrunk to the GPSMap 67 UI size at timecode 2:25 in the marketing video.

Interesting. I have not been aware of any of those things but I'll start watching for things like that. I'm starting my own 67i battery test today to see how long the battery lasts when I have it on all day but turn it off at night, and a second test where I let it run day and night. I'll upload those videos as soon as the battery dies. Rick

Perfect. Thanks for the heads up. I have started my battery life test on the 67i but I believe it will be around a week from now for me to see when the battery actually dies. Rick

​@@bartekteee ​ I am confused since Garmin declares only 35h for the 66i and as much as 180h for the 67i in default GPS Mode (I predict with normal tracking on). Is the battery or hardware efficiency really 5-times greater than 66i, or does Garmin calculate and claim battery life differently for 67 series?

Good question. We're going to find out and I may make a short video with the answer. Rick

Each message can cost money or be free, depending on the subscription plan. The Safety Plan only has 10 free messages, I believe the Recreation plan has 40 free messages, and the Expedition Plan has unlimited messages and tracking. There are ways to save money on the subscription plans, but let me know if this answers your questions or if you have other questions. Rick

@@outdooremergencytech thanks

I know there are RU-vid tutorials out there but honestly, and this is not a sales pitch, Everything I have learned about creating websites and RU-vid channels has come from Wealthy Affiliate. Here is a link if you want to check it out. www.wealthyaffiliate.com?a_aid=f9acd2db. The main thing to keep in mind is you should have an email that is the name of your channel. Mine is hikingemergencybeacon@gmail.com. Once you have this, you can create a RU-vid channel. What helped me so much at Wealthy Affiliate was that there are so many great training courses on how to pick a niche and do research so your setting yourself up for success. I would recommend you keep your niche small and don't pick something like "Outdoor Gear," because that covers to much information. Narrow down what you will focus on, like backpacks, tents, or even better yet, backpacking tents or car camping tents. There is so much to cover here but I'm trying to give a few pointers, but the biggest thing is to find someone like Wealthy Affiliate where you can build a website, RU-vid channel or keep up to date as the web continues change. I hope that helps. Don't hesitate to ask more questions. This is such a huge topic that it would take a day of discussions to even touch the tip of the ice berg. Rick

I don't understand that question as it would relate to the GPSMAP 67i. Will you rephrase the question? Rick

@@outdooremergencytech it's just joke but I do want buy a 67i

Understood. Yah, the 67i is my favorite but takes a little practice to get to know everything it can do. Rick

Good point. I do like my Mini 2 a lot but I prefer the GPSMAP 67i as it offers more and creating a course is easier. Rick

In that particular location I was probably in cell service, but 300 yards to the west and I would be outside of cell service. I don't recall if I checked if I was in cell service at the time of this test. Rick

Your opinion is much appreciated. Thanks, Rick

You have some great points. It's always better to have backup devices or other ways to charge. Thanks for comments and advice. Rick