It’s a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.
Smartwatches and fitness trackers are hardly in short supply these days. But a smartwatch/fitness tracker built using U.S. military standards for shock and water resistance and features an infinite battery life? That’s a combination that many have tried to accomplish but is rarely done successfully. If there were one company we would trust to pull it off, it would be Garmin. And they’ve proven that with the release of the Garmin Instinct 2X Solar and Instinct 2X Solar – Tactical Edition.
The Garmin Instinct 2X Solar series is the newest addition to the Instinct family, joining the growing list of purpose-built smartwatches designed to withstand rugged use. Both the Instinct 2X Solar and Instinct 2X Solar – Tactical Edition feature a large, 50mm fiber-reinforced polymer case designed to handle the most extreme environments with an easy-to-read display. A new chemically strengthened, scratch-resistant Power Glass lens helps extend its battery life, producing 50% more energy than the standard Instinct 2 Solar watch. Combined with their solar charging ability, both models boast unlimited battery life in smartwatch mode, so you’ll never have to worry about looking for a charging source when its juice runs low.
Unique to the Instinct 2X Solar is a built-in LED flashlight with variable intensities and strobe modes, allowing you to quickly illuminate an area without looking for an external light source. Being a Garmin smartwatch, both models provide extensive data and insights for you to achieve your wellness, fitness, and lifestyle goals. Built-in navigation features help you find your way back from a hiking trail or to lead you back to your car if you forgot where you parked.
The Instinct 2X Solar – Tactical Edition includes features that are specific to tactical operations, such as Jumpmaster Mode, which calculates high-altitude release points according to military guidelines while navigating to your objective; a Ballistics Calculator, which gives you access to aiming solutions for long-range shooting in the field, and Stealth Mode, which prevents sharing of GPS position and disables wireless communication, just to name a few.
All your health and fitness information can be synced to the Garmin Connect app, allowing you to properly track and record your progress or share your achievements with others.
What we like: The sheer amount of features, insights, and reports designed to maximize your training efficiency is enough to take up an entire page, so be sure to read up on the complete list on the Garmin website.
What to watch out for: A 50mm diameter watch is huge by any standard, which could deter those with smaller wrists.
Final verdict: Garmin’s fitness and lifestyle tracking features combined with rugged durability in a smartwatch are a winning combination in our book.
