Garmin Instinct® 2X Solar Tactical Edition Watch

To start, I had not worn even a basic watch since pre-COVID. Having hiked some of the more remote areas of Big Bend National Park, definitely off the beaten path, there were a few occasions where I *almost* got myself lost and in trouble in the past. That is no longer a concern while I've had the Garmin Instinct series with the Trackback feature.

Once I learned about that feature on a long lasting solar "basic" looking watch, I really got into wearing a watch again. Bonus, the watch tracks my steps, my efforts, my sleep and so many other features that I hadn't been fully aware of until after giving the Instinct a try.

I only had my Instinct 2 for about 4 months before the 2X came out, and the flashlight feature combined with even more battery life PLUS the slightly larger display (easier to read digital text) AND the improved backlighting all caused me to immediately reinvest in the upgrade. My original Instinct 2 is still more than sufficient, but everything in this 2X helped me to enjoy the functionality of this watch even more than I did.

Just one week ago I got back from a full week of hiking and running at Big Bend National Park where I never once had to plug in my watch to charge it again. I will say that after just 7 days of almost daily runs and near daily hikes I went from the projected 40 something days of battery life to just 3 days of projected battery life. That was even with the almost daily clear skies in one of the hottest sunniest places I could be.

Here after being in a house for one week and putting the watch through almost the same conditions, I still have 17 days of battery life (down from the original 40 something after a full charge) and so I am guessing that maybe the remote area itself caused a different GPS drain OR the intense heat day and night (i.e. camping vs. air conditioning) might have a tremendous impact on the battery life, even if the device is exposed to the sun daily for many hours.

Still, to have something like this record so much data with only one charge before a week long trip is just outstanding! To have used the light to see the tent zippers at night, to light my path AND to pick out clothes in the pre-dawn hours before an early run? These were all memorable and useful upgrades that make me quite pleased to have been able to receive this before my trip.

The watch had *just* been released before my scheduled trip out to the middle of nowhere. I called and spoke with Matt, I believe, at Offbase Supply Co and we confirmed that the Tactical version of this watch would likely get to me in time for the trip. I took a chance and was both happy with the watch and also completely pleased with my experience with this vendor who I hadn't done business with before in the past.

All in all you can tell I have a lot of energy when it comes to talking about this item and this transaction. Mostly it is because I KNOW there is no other watch like this in terms of FUNctionality and basic rugged performance. Today itself I ran an easy short run of 28 minutes with this device. That's the other point... I *never* ran in my entire life before. With this device that allows me to more confidently "Trackback" to where I can find civilization again without panic? That in itself is priceless. To have used the device to get into a whole new endeavor, like running? With general ease (at reasonable distances for a newbie)? That is also priceless. That is at least TWO priceless features to add to a built in light on tap whenever I have this long lasting device.

The list of features that you might experience and things you might record goes on and on. I don't think I'll be doing any jumps from high altitude anytime soon, but the extra $50 for the tactical to me was worth it to get the most black version of this watch. As an added bonus, I actually prefer the green LED light to the red LED light we can choose from using these items. Only the tactical has green. Red is great, but in nature green seems to be more "in tune" with my outdoor experience.

I'll probably have to make a YouTube video talking about this watch, it has been that instrumental to my activities progression. Anyway, if you are ever in Texas, find me on US385 (the highway or the dotcom) and I'll be honored to give you a tour of the crown jewel of the Texas park system, Big Bend National Park. Plus you will know that we will be able to "see the way" AND "find our way back" when we are on our journey since I have such an amazing device! You should strongly consider one for yourself! If you don't need the blackest black watch or the ability to use a "kill switch" for tracking or jump from airplanes, you can save $50 if you prefer one of the other non-tactical colors or the red LED light option. In all cases, my main thought is that $50 doesn't make a difference when it comes to the potential lifesaving features this watch has, to include the features that are simply "motivational" features built in to the...

I have owned the original Garmin Instinct Solar for the past 3 years or so. It was my favorite watch at the time, and I had zero issues with it.
When I saw the Instinct 2X was announced, and it HAS A FLASHLIGHT, I had to get the watch. I'm in the military, and there has been countless times where a flashlight is needed. The fact that you can access a flashlight at any time, either super bright white color, or green is life-changing.
Other than the flashlight, this watch has all the awesome features of a standard Instinct. Accurate GPS tracking, LONG battery life, comfortable, lightweight, etc... Shipping was very fast as well.

The Instinct 2X Tactical is my new favorite watch!