OUTDOOR TECH

GARMIN'S LATEST GADGETS TRACK YOUR LOCATION, MONITOR YOUR FITNESS, AND KEEP YOU CONNECTED

- STEVEN PAUL BARLOW

I had been using Garmin handheld GPS units for many years on my backcountry hunts.

However, I wasn't paying attention to all the recent tech products the company has been offering to wilderness explorers, off-road vehicle enthusiasts, and fitness fanatics.

Garmin continues to introduce new products and to add features to its existing product line, all with the aim of keeping you safe, in touch, and upto-date on your personal goals, whether those goals entail making it to a remote mountaintop or reaching your peak in physical conditioning. Here's a look at some of the company's products.

1 GARMIN INREACH MINI 2

The Garmin in Reach Mini 2 is a small device that recently brought big-time peace of mind to members of my family. My daughter Stephanie had about two and a half months before she was to start her medical residency, so she decided to tackle a chunk of the Appalachian Trail. We knew she would not have cell phone service along much of the trail, so my wife and I bought an inReach Mini 2 for her to take along. It proved to be a great way to maintain contact with her, share in her journey in a small way, and to provide her with a safety net in the event of an emergency.

The Garmin in Reach Mini 2 is a two-way satellite communicator and tracker that measures just under four inches tall and two inches wide. It weighs a mere 3.5 ounces. The Mini 2 is the updated version with extended battery life. This newer unit can now provide up to 30 days of use before the battery needs to be recharged.

My daughter was able to send daily updates to us through her in Reach Mini 2. Most of the time, she simply sent a preset message that read, "Stopping here for today, everything is OK." But along with that message was a link. We'd click on that and it would take us right to a detailed topographic map that would show her exact location with the coordinates.