It’s big, but in a good way. The Garmin Overlander makes off-road navigation safer, easier and can … [+]
Far, far away from any cell phone towers, city lights, or pavement, there is The Spot. It’s the place we dream about: The campsite with the incredible mountain view, the pristine (and vacant) alpine lake, a vast stretch of open meadow populated only by birds, butterflies, fleet foxes and you – and maybe the kids and dogs.
The Spot is out there, calling to those who are willing to put machines and driving skills to the test to reach that fabled campground, or a secret fishing hole that sorta weird guy at the the bar told you about with a wink, with a map hastily drawn on a napkin. Now, to just get there – and back. Alive. And with photos to prove it, of course.
It’s those Spots that are driving a trend in adventure traveling known as overlanding, the art of getting to ultra-remote places that make those skeeter-swarming lakeside campsites you went to as a kid look like glamper-soft sleepovers. There are no pit toilets or “hookups” where overlanders roam.
This looks like a good spot. Now you just have to find it.
You’re going to need some specific gear to do overlanding right, including a burly off-road capable vehicle, the ability to drive it off of actual pavement, all the necessities for survival (TP, can opener, Netflix/Amazon downloads, etc.) and a reliable guide to help you pick the best way through the wilderness to arrive at the hallowed Spot. And Garmin’s new $700 mega-GPS device, cannily called the Garmin Overlander, is just the tool you need to avoid running off that barely-there two track and getting high-centered while trying to reach your personal Camp Shangri-La.
First off, the Overlander is big. Like, tablet big. Which is appropriate, since it’s actually a 7-inch Android-powered tablet. It’s also tough, with a grippy sand-colored rubberized casing.
Yeah, it’s big. But after a while, I realized that had some big advantages.
A suction-cup mount that magnetically (and quite strongly) holds the Overlander in place is included, and at first I thought it was going to take up far too much windshield real estate, but I mounted it in my 4X4 truck so that it was just millimeters above the dashboard, and that seemed to keep it both out of my roadway siteline and also close enough to operate without stretching for it… too much. Plus, the magnetic mount makes it super easy to just grab the Overlander and go when the ride is done.
My old truck is about as high-tech as a box full of wingnuts, but the Overlander brought it right up to date. Yes, it’s a hyper-capable GPS device (more on that in a bit), but it will also Bluetooth sync with your smartphone for calls and music, as well as Garmin’s wireless BC-35 backup camera – or four of them, if you’re feeling
Things are getting tippy.
particularly paranoid. I used just one since my LS crew cab long-bed Chevy (nickname: The Nimitz) has an unnatural attraction to mailboxes while backing up. Problem solved! It also has Pitch and Roll displays so I knew when I was tipping into situations I might soon regret.
Additionally, you can tell the Overlander what kind of setup you’re driving (single vehicle, RV, towing a camper, etc.) and it will route according to those capabilities and route restrictions. Pretty smart. It also has voice control, which I found to be less than smart (and often hilarious) in recognizing my requests. Fortunately, with the kind of screen acerage the Overlander provides, operating it via the responsive touchscreen softened the blow of it not recognizing my requests for the nearest fried chicken shack. Our digital phone friends have spoiled us.
But it’s out in the veld where the Overlander really earns its keep. Hours after your phone last said “No Service” for good and its GPS is as lost as you are, the Overlander is right at home. Even if you’re in some vortex where regular GPS signals have been weakened or obscured by some anomaly, alien spacecraft or a conspiracy theory, the Overlander can still pinpoint your location using GLONASS and Galileo systems. It can also give you an environmental thumbnail with the included barometer, altimeter and compass tools.
With USGS Quad map topographical data for every square mile of North America – and similar details for South America – and the Ultimate Campgrounds database tucked in its 64gb of memory, the Overlander can leave a digital trail of route-tracking breadcrumbs as you pick your way through some vast expanse in search of that Perfect Spot, such as the many sprinkled about in the Great Basin area of Southeast Oregon, one of the least populated and remote areas in America – and on Earth. It’s overlander heaven. Just watch out for the rattlesnakes.
Yes, we’re off the road. That’s kind of the point. At least we know where it is.
And if things get really out of hand, such as your supply of suds runs low (or God forbid the ice melts in your Yeti), the Overland can sync with a Garmin inReach device to, yes, send text messages via satellite requesting rescue or at least an airdrop of some local IPA. Sadly, it doesn’t appear you can send photos or emojis via text. Maybe next year.
Overall, the Overlander is about the most comprehensive and capable GPS device I’ve ever used. Tracking down some interesting way-off-road points in Oregon’s rugged back-country wasn’t even a challenge for the device, and I appreciated all of the extras Garmin has packed into it – especially the wireless backup camera connection that solved one of my major frustrations on my trusty but low-tech 4×4. My initial negative reaction to the size of it (especially after years of using much smaller GPS devices on my motorcycles) gave way to appreciation as I didn’t need to be so precise in hitting the big icons on the large screen to get the information I needed. My only complaint is a bit of a silly one: I kind of wish it had a camera built in for dashcam duties or just taking snaps and video during my travels. That would be one less thing to pack.
Garmin Overlander GPS Device: $699
On The Mark:
• Built-in multiple GPS systems, route tracking, topo maps and campsite database for true off-road adventuring
• Big screen make it easy to operate and see details
• Numerous useful extras built in including backup camera option
Up A Creek:
• It’s big, so windshield placement is crucial
• Can’t add apps to the tablet Android OS (like Netflix or Amazon Video)
• Voice recognition system still needs voice recognition lessons
