Garmin Overlander

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enjoitheride

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I have the Overlander and a tablet running Gaia. I like having both.

Gaia is not a plug and play system. You have to D/L maps for where you are going to be. Routes and POIs have to be entered. Gaia does not giver turn by turn directions or any directions at all. You follow a route you entered into the program.

The Overlander has off grid no cell signal dependent operability. On the trail and want to know how far gas is ? Gaia can't tell you that but the Overlander will. Closest campgrounds? The Overlander can tell you not Gaia.

Many people forget there is not always a cell signal to depend on. Garmin does not need that cell signal to work.
These were a lot of the reasons I was considering the Overlander. I appreciate your feedback!
 
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DMS1

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I would get the new Garmin Montana 700i which has the InReach system built in. I am thinking about getting this to replace my Montana 650 and supplement my Tablet with GAIA .
 

Mtnmn99

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I would get the new Garmin Montana 700i which has the InReach system built in. I am thinking about getting this to replace my Montana 650 and supplement my Tablet with GAIA .
I totally agree. If I did not have my 66I I would not have bought an Garmin Overlander. I loved my Garmin 650. The 700I was not available when I purched my 66I. The 700I in my opinion is a great way to go. Although, I do like some of the features in the Overlander like Ioverander and the additional options with turn by turn.
 
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1Louder

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Yeah, I might download OnX and see how it compares to Gaia. Not like they are crazy expensive or anything. Might help me make a better assessment. I would like to try the Overlander.
OnX has 2 map layers. Gaia GPS has 30 plus. Do you need that many map layers? Up to you. Much easier to download map layers in Gaia as well. Good luck trying to download an entire state in OnX and any level of detail. OnX you choose 5 miles, 10 miles, or 150. Gaia you get 1-20 zoom level depending on the map. I pay for an OnX subscription to see what changes they make over time but it is nowhere close to Gaia to date. Downloading an entire state with the Gaia topo layer is easy and relatively quick.
 
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enjoitheride

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Yeah, I might download OnX and see how it compares to Gaia. Not like they are crazy expensive or anything. Might help me make a better assessment. I would like to try the Overlander.
OnX has 2 map layers. Gaia GPS has 30 plus. Do you need that many map layers? Up to you. Much easier to download map layers in Gaia as well. Good luck trying to download an entire state in OnX and any level of detail. OnX you choose 5 miles, 10 miles, or 150. Gaia you get 1-20 zoom level depending on the map. I pay for an OnX subscription to see what changes they make over time but it is nowhere close to Gaia to date. Downloading an entire state with the Gaia topo layer is easy and relatively quick.
Yes, downloading sections in detail on Gaia is definitely a strong point. Gaia is all I’ve ever used. I’ve never tried OnX. Seems like it has a ways to go. I’m definitely still considering an Overlander.
 

enjoitheride

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I would get the new Garmin Montana 700i which has the InReach system built in. I am thinking about getting this to replace my Montana 650 and supplement my Tablet with GAIA .
I totally agree. If I did not have my 66I I would not have bought an Garmin Overlander. I loved my Garmin 650. The 700I was not available when I purched my 66I. The 700I in my opinion is a great way to go. Although, I do like some of the features in the Overlander like Ioverander and the additional options with turn by turn.

I also have the 66i. Hence, me looking at the Overlander as a companion.
 

enjoitheride

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iPad mini + Gaia for the win

Garmin Overland is overpriced, locked in to Garmin ecosystem and dependent on Garmin's willingness to update, support and evolve. Good luck given Garmin’s historical methods of operation.
Do you feel it’s still not worth it at a significant discount?
 
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El-Dracho

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I also took a close look at the Overlander last year. In the end, I went for a rugged tablet again. It is simply more versatile for me. Besides the navigation, which I do mainly with OruxMaps, I have so many other functions and possibilities with a tablet. However, it is also not plug n play and as a user I have to deal with it first.
Who is looking for a plug n play solution, is probably better advised with the Overlander and that has its price. In the end, everyone can only share his own experiences and then everyone must decide for themselves what he wants and see which solution, ticks off most points in his requirements list.
 
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DMS1

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iPad mini + Gaia for the win

Garmin Overland is overpriced, locked in to Garmin ecosystem and dependent on Garmin's willingness to update, support and evolve. Good luck given Garmin’s historical methods of operation.
I agree, I want to get an inReach, because I got rid of my spot, but then the 700i came out and peaked my interest, but I am hesitant to buy another Garmin GPS . Garmin stopped making quality GPS's a long time ago, the 276C (not the 276CX) was the last great Garmin GPS that worked flawlessly. Every GPS that has come out since is riddled with bugs and do not work correctly until about 2 years of updates. My Garmin Montana 650 to this day still has issues that have been reported to Garmin and have not been fixed. The fact that Garmin has abandoned their BaseCamp app and have adopted the inReach apps for their GPS hardware speaks volumes. Before I came here tonight , I was watching YouTube video on the Garmin 700i to see what people were saying about it.
 

DMS1

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I also took a close look at the Overlander last year. In the end, I went for a rugged tablet again. It is simply more versatile for me. Besides the navigation, which I do mainly with OruxMaps, I have so many other functions and possibilities with a tablet. However, it is also not plug n play and as a user I have to deal with it first.
Who is looking for a plug n play solution, is probably better advised with the Overlander and that has its price. In the end, everyone can only share his own experiences and then everyone must decide for themselves what he wants and see which solution, ticks off most points in his requirements list.
At the 2019 Overland Expo where I think Garmin introduced the Overlander product, the people in the Garmin booth knew nothing about how their GPS's worked, especially the Overlander. Every question I asked, the representative didn't even know what I was talking about 80% of the time, it was embarrassing. You could tell they never used the GPS's in the real world.
 

enjoitheride

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I also took a close look at the Overlander last year. In the end, I went for a rugged tablet again. It is simply more versatile for me. Besides the navigation, which I do mainly with OruxMaps, I have so many other functions and possibilities with a tablet. However, it is also not plug n play and as a user I have to deal with it first.
Who is looking for a plug n play solution, is probably better advised with the Overlander and that has its price. In the end, everyone can only share his own experiences and then everyone must decide for themselves what he wants and see which solution, ticks off most points in his requirements list.
At the 2019 Overland Expo where I think Garmin introduced the Overlander product, the people in the Garmin booth knew nothing about how their GPS's worked, especially the Overlander. Every question I asked, the representative didn't even know what I was talking about 80% of the time, it was embarrassing. You could tell they never used the GPS's in the real world.
I honestly feel this is still the case. I inquired about the Overlander a while back, and no one at Garmin seems to understand it, or the direction Garmin is trying to go with the product.
 
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enjoitheride

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Because all Garmin is now a “Lifestyle brand” or at least thinks it is. All they care about is the city dwelling yuppies whom they target wearables and smartwatches to and can then hook them on a subscription model.
Yeah, what a shame. I have a 66i, and have had their GPS units in the past. But they seem to be lost on their direction.
 
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Ubiety

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Yeah, what a shame. I have a 66i, and have had their GPS units in the past. But they seem to be lost on their direction.
Agree with that. Disappointing reading this thread as I have several older Garmins and have nothing but love for them. Rethinking the In Reach now...
 
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enjoitheride

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Yeah, what a shame. I have a 66i, and have had their GPS units in the past. But they seem to be lost on their direction.
Agree with that. Disappointing reading this thread as I have several older Garmins and have nothing but love for them. Rethinking the In Reach now...
I just purchased a 66i for when I’m way off the beaten path. I was between it and a spot. Everyone said, get the Garmin as it’s the best. Not sure where I stand at this point. Do I have to worry about it not being supported in a year? Will it function as intended? I was going to pair it with the Overlander because a few people I talked with, said it works well like that. This thread has me questioning everything now.
 

mep1811

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You can get a used iPad mini and Gaia for about $300. That’s all that Garmin would be worth to me and I’m stretching.
But still cannot operate offline. Gaia cannot give you turn by turn directions , tell you how far the closest gas station is , what is the fastest way out of a location. Etc

Each has it's strengths and weaknesses . Gain
 
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1Louder

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Agree with that. Disappointing reading this thread as I have several older Garmins and have nothing but love for them. Rethinking the In Reach now...
The InReach isn’t a GPS device. They work just fine. I wouldn’t compare the InReach or discredit it based on other Garmin products.
 
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mep1811

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It boils down to do you want an out of the box operational device or something you have to spend hours configuring maps and routes.
 
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Ubiety

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The InReach isn’t a GPS device. They work just fine. I wouldn’t compare the InReach or discredit it based on other Garmin products.
My response had to do with the poor customer support reported by others - something that every company should take to heart.
 

1Louder

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My response had to do with the poor customer support reported by others - something that every company should take to heart.
I dunno. Crappy product design is different than customer support in my eyes. Both InReach devices I have owned have worked great. I have no interested in any dedicated GPS device like the Overlander for reasons many have listed included myself. I guess I was just trying to state I see no issues with the InReach Mini. My 2 cents.
 
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