There's a part of me that loves being lost. When I'm in the thick of shit, bound by woods on all sides, and not another soul within miles is where I get this certain amount of satisfaction. Many people call it Type 2 fun, as it's usually accompanied by some muscle-draining exercise or activity like hunting elk or hard enduro riding.
It's how I can claim some inner peace, eschewing the world at large, and reminding myself that life's problems are small in scale to the vastness of the wilderness before me.
But I have kids. I have a wife. I have a dog and commitments and I have this awesome freakin' job where I get to live out all my youthful fantasies. Well, most of them. I'm still not a Jedi. That means I have to return to the land of Wifi and cable news and responsibility. That means that, even though I love getting lost, I still need to find my way back. At least at the end of the day. And more often than not, I entrust my Garmin devices to help me do just that. But Garmin's gone and made it all the more easier with the brand's second generation Tread 2 powersport GPS.
It'll make getting lost and finding your way back all the more easier.
According to Garmin, the new generation Tread 2 is "Purpose-built for snowmobile, side-by-side, ATV, UTV and motorcycle enthusiasts," with turn-by-turn off-road navigation, topographic maps, off-road trail markers, markers to denote the boundaries of federal and private lands, satellite imagery, and works in conjunction with Garmin's Outdoor Maps+ which offers even more capabilities. Sounds like a helluva lot. There's more, though.
The new Tread 2 offers an ultra-bright 6-inch display that is not only IP67 rated, but also works with gloves so you're not just stabbing the touchscreen until you end up annoyed and ripping your glove off. There's also a built-in "altimeter, barometer, compass and pitch/roll gauges", which help keep you safe while off-roading, hunting, backcountry camping, snowmobiling, and more.
Not satisfied with dropping just one new piece of kit, Garmin also released the new Handlebar Control for the Tread 2, which allows riders of ATVs, snowmobiles, and dirtbikes to "zoom in and out of their map view, select and scroll through their preferred map layers, waypoints, control music and more. And the
intuitive push-button design makes it easy to operate the controller without removing gloves or other
gear." It is sold separately, however.
Likewise, as most Garmin products are wont to do, the Tread 2 will pair with the brand's InReach messenger devices for two-way messenging, SOS, and more. Ask me how important that feature is...
As for price, the Tread 2 isn't cheap as it'll cost you a cool $699.99, while the Handlebar Control will cost you an additional $149.99. Yet, for those like me who enjoy going deep and away from cellphone range, the Tread 2 could mean the difference between having a great backcountry adventure, one you're able to tell the tale of when you get home, and, well, not getting home.
I know which one I'd choose.
