I'm a Wildland Fire Fighter for US Foresty & I love the Garmin Fenix 6 Solar It's been my best gps watch for everything. Plus for my off days when I'm hiking, mountain biking & so much more .
It's not a downside on garmin's end that it doesnt work well with apple phones, thats just apple not working with other companies. Great video, thank you.
I'm pleased that it doesn’t work well with apple phones, allowing me to focus on activities tracking and other features of the watch without being distracted by constant messages and social apps, which goes against the purpose of the watch.
A couple of advantages to solar power on the Pro... If you're actually using the watch pretty actively, as in have it connected to your phone, using GPS for a few hours a day, maybe occasionally listening to music you aren't going to get a month out of it. My tactix 7 Pro estimates ~21 days when fully charged (and that goes down to ~21 hours when playing music), solar just helps push that a little farther as long as you're outside. Also if you power the watch off and set it in the sunlight, the solar power is strong enough to trickle charge so you can literally go without a charger indefinitely if you're willing to baby it a little bit. It does have lower power modes as well, you sacrifice some useful functionality, but depending on what you are doing that may be worth it. My standard battery saver mode essentially doubles battery life, and the more extreme power modes push that out another 8-10 days. Whether you actually need that or not is a personal question I guess, but I like the peace of mind.
Don't forget the night vision mode that lowers the backlight to the point it can only be seen through night vision goggle's and it disables the HR sensor so the light from it won't wash out your NVG's. Maximum steth for lurking through them mountains yo.
@@neilbuckley5796 I think the point of the NV mode is not to allow you to see your watch more easily on NODS, but rather to stop everyone else seeing it as well. Garand Thumb mentions it in this vid th-cam.com/video/ECGxVlh4kFY/w-d-xo.html
I've owned the Fenix 6 Pro solar for the last couple of years. And I absolutely love it. For years I was a G-Shock guy. But Garmin does so much more, even G-Shocks GBR fitness/smart watch lines. I'm a prior Army door kicker, and currently serve on a busy L.E. tactical team, that does a lot of water ops, air ops, and other environments. I'm also an avid runner, hiker, camping, strength and Conditioning, hunting, kayaker, and various outdoor activities. So the Fenix line of watches are perfect. I was going to upgrade to the Fenix 7, then this came out.....and I'm definitely doing the Tactix 7. And what I'm most excited about is the touch screen capability. So I'm glad you did a review on this. And I know this is not your forte, but I appreciate the fact that you did a very good thorough breakdown of this watch and it's capabilities. 👍
I've been running the Fenix 6 as well. It's been all over the U.S. and I'm never for want of features! Had a friend recently go in for a Tactix 7. I think it's wicked overpriced for what you get, but he likes it. Your experience makes me seem like a wimp, but I do my fair share of adventure. My fenix is starting to die (DON'T take it through the TSA person-scanner, it killed a bunch of the pixels) so I might go for the Tactix as well.
Firefighter/paramedic here. I've been wearing the Amazfit T-rex for 2+ years. Very similar feature set as this watch. Mil spec grade ratings, weeks long battery life, etc. But you could literally buy 10 of them for the price of this one. Doesn't have some of the flight tracking features. The Trex 2 has more advanced features and tracking but a bit more $. But for $100 I've been very happy. My favorite setting is to set the screen wakeup when I lift my wrist to 6 seconds. Allows for very easy very quick resp or hr counts. When screen dims, it's been 6 seconds. Add a 0 and that's the est. rate. Perfect for initial bedside encounters before the monitor is hooked up. No trying to watch the second and.
I saw these ones I heard they were good for a budget price get quite similar features as Garmin watches. How are the watch faces? Can you customize like Garmin or is there just a preset ones.
I recently picked up the fenix 6 pro solar, not quite as many features as the tactix 7 but still has a LOT. You are SO right about the bands being comfortable, I had the exact same thought that it would be that hard plastic, but they're actually extremely comfortable. Garmin seems to make some really good watches. The battery life is a HUGE plus. Great review! Keep it up
Never in my life have I had an uncomfortable band. That is just dumb and surely looking for anything to sell you the watch he got for free to pawn on his subs
Unless you use night vision, parachute jump, need a ballistic calculator or stealth mode then you won't get anything more from the Tactix vs the Fenix. They even use the same software and widget.
Only problem i have with my phenix 6 pro is that after 6 months in the military with heavy use the little bridges you tighten the watch with is starting to rip..
@@OGDragonflare i believe they have some Nylon straps which may be more durable? But they are stiffer and not as form fitting which slightly affects heartrate performance.
On android, this watch has text responses and easier notification customization. I have a number of Garmin watches, so if you have questions let me know. Good review! Routing will use popular routes in your area and show you three possible options before you go
Excellent overview, very detailed and one of the best I’ve seen on the Garmin Tactix 7 series. I’ve had my Tactix 7 Pro for about 3 weeks now and absolutely love it. Like you I came from using an Apple Watch over the past 7 years and simply got tired of the daily charge routine and scratches, I wanted something more life ready. For my use case I’ve found the Tactix 7 offers everything I need and a whole lot more. Yes there are many features I’ll never use, but many that I will so it all comes down to the individual user and what matters most. For me it was battery life, sapphire screen, always on heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, built in GPS maps and Garmin Pay that gave all the reasons I needed to make the switch from AW and I have no regrets It’s expensive, but I feel it might just be worth the investment!
I love my instinct solar. Easily goes about 3-4 weeks before needing to be recharged. Doesn’t have some of the features that I would like it to have like a sweep hand for the face watch setting but I do quite like it a lot. Might have to save up for this if by the time I’m finished watching this you’ve convinced me haha. I went for the instinct solar cause my gshock was 100% solar and I just didn’t want to give up that capability and I wanted to upgrade to a smart watch that was tough, and priced right. Unfortunately gshock is not very up to pace in the smartwatch game so the instinct solar won and doesn’t break the bank.
That's pretty annoying. I'm looking at the instinct solar on their website right now, and you're telling me it has jump master and night vision modes, but not a basic watch face with hands? I would prefer that too, since it's better for me when taking patient vitals. Pretty silly they didn't think to include different watch face designs
@@titusdaniel so I don’t know about the instinct solar 2.0 but the jump master and NV setting was only in the “Tactical” version. It does have several different watch face settings but none of the regular sweep hand faces have a sweeping second with it. Very frustrating and kind of odd in my opinion.
Do you train and sleep with them? I've had basic Instinct 2 for 9 days now and my battery is at 48%. I wear them 24/7 (except shower) with daily 30 minutes of "Walk" training with GPS, 1 hour of gym "Strength" training 3 times a week and 1 one-hour swimming session. That gives me approximately 2 weeks of charge. 4 weeks is huge!
@@sergeant_dornan_ yea I sleep with it every night. I don’t generally use the activity settings a ton except for when I do dedicated walks or other cardio. Using the GPS definitely runs it down quicks.
I've had mine for 4 months, and I had the delta before and loved that but sold it for tactix 7. I didn't think I was gonna use the flashlight as much, but I use it almost every day, and I can see pretty good considering it's on my wrist. Great watch overall
Haha 😂 comments like that don’t surprise me anymore. Unfortunately a small handful of nasty and dumb comments can overshadow an overwhelming majority of positive feedback. I don’t think I’ve put out a single video where the like to dislike ratio has dropped below 95%
great video! I'm a ex military, firefighter-paramedic, so it fits perfectly for my time on duty, off duty i'm a more Automatic watch guy, wearing my Oris Aquis 400, Longines Hydroconquest, Hamilton Air Race,.... but great watch, for the 7th generation i went for the 7X sapphire solar titanium, because is more versatile than a Tactix model. Had the Tactix Delta Solar before the 7X, but it was to stealthy, to military, not as versatile as the none DLC tatinium model. The bands are awesome, over the years of development they got very comfy (remember the old ones from Tactix (1st gen) how hard, stif and uncomfortable they were, Fenix 3 also), but wear on them is pretty high (the silicone ones), but they are not that expensive...the silicon ones cost about 50$, the titanium band (i have the none DLC) i just repolish every couple of months (satin finish) with a Scotch-brite pad that cost few $ and the band is like new again. Titanium gets scratches very easy and fast, but good thing is, you can refinish the band in a minute to look brand new again, but you can't do this on a DLC version of the watch and band. Keep on the great work, stay safe, stay healthy and greetings from Europe
@@hdmedia7404 one or two microscratches, i have to admit, i take care very well for my watch. I’m pretty cautious with my watches. But i have no idea how to correcrly polish the bezel :/
I happy with my Garmin Instinct. I had it for years and works great operating heavy equipment, fire fighting, ems , everyday uses. My son has the same watch with solar.
Good stuff! I was going to get that but decided on the Fenix 7x Sapphire Solar. If I was still in the military I would’ve gone with the tactix 7 pro. Coming from an Apple Watch series 7 SS, this 7x is AMAZING!! Can’t go wrong with either the Fenix 7x or the Tactix 7
I bought a Tactix Charlie 5 years ago ish after I broke my Suunto Core while in the military, and I only have 2 complaints about it... I've broken the strap once in those 5 ish years, and honestly thats not bad. And if it's not for whatever reason always connected to your phone the time will slow down a little bit over while, worst i've had is 1 min difference between phone and watch. Over all I love the watch, preforms great both at work and on hikes, hunting and fishing.
Burned through 2 Tactix Charlie watches. 2nd one was a warranty replacement. Both had the same exact problems. The basic smart watch functions were the biggest problems. Heart rate monitor would drop out entirely, leaving random gaps in the 4 hour chart available on the watch face. There was also a constant need to recalibrate the compass, as it never seemed to know what direction was north. After two years of getting tired of having to reset it, I stopped wearing it. Funny thing is that they worked great right out of the box, but would progressively compound issues after a few months. I figured it had something to do with the firmware or something. I had it on automatic as far as updates were installed, but I couldn’t correct the HRM issues. Technical support was limited to updating the watch, resetting the watch, then replacing the watch, repeat. It’s unfortunate, because it was an amazing piece of technology when it was working.
I agree with the flashlight, that the same reason I jb welded one to my gshock, I use it almost everyday at work and at night when I'm coming home and i need to look for my keys to open the door,, specially in winter
I got the Fenix 7XSS. And for a ground-pounding fire medic, its great. I honestly use the red light a ton when getting up at night as to not wake the rest of the crew 😂
That's the watch I've wanted since I first saw it, I've worn G-shocks since I was 10. Sadly I just can't justify the cost when I can't wear it at work.
Until I receive my Tactix 7 Pro, my G Shock MudMaster has been the most I’ve ever spent on a watch. I’ve wore a G Shock nonstop since 2003 and I’m ready for a change
Now with the Expic Gen 2 pro out would you still buy the Tactix series? The only difference is a green light, kill mode, stealth, night mode, aviation features, and blastic cal.
solid watch, but if SF teams rely on equipment more than situations where said equipment is not available, theyre screwed... theyre screwed anyways if they dont join a PMC in the short run and definately screwed in the long run as the economy tanks. What we need are the SF guys of yesterday with their skills and knowledge + the skills of today. The modern era is just people living on the successes of more distant ancestors as their era comes to its end.
@@sethrauldatta7456 that being said 1) they still have those skills. Basic skillset didn't go anywhere, it's still being taught. 2) In 21st century, I honestly cannot imagine a situation, where US (or any NATO) SF team ends up in a situation where "the equipment isn't available". They have almost everything they need all the time. 3) (idk what economy and PMCs have to do with a smartwatch)
@@sethrauldatta7456bro all he said was they have the watch. What he did not say was “know a few SF guys who rely on this watch for everything, they skipped any form of training because they have the watch”
Excellent review of Garmin Tactix 7. I got mine a Tactix 7 Pro in July and completely blown by it features. I’m still a newbie with Garmin watch but I always find something new with different TH-camr explaining the features. For now it is the only watch I’m using daily. The solar charging feature is a boon. Thanks
Just got my Fenix 7X solar and my mind just blown! I had an Instinct solar, and and Apple watch 7, but this one is way beyond everything I ever got on me. A good review anyways.
i own the tactix charlie since that watch was released, amazing watch, lasts forever, feels indestructible ..if i ever break that one, ill buy another tactix
Yep! I have owned the Garmin Tactix Bravo and Delta. The Tactix 7 is my next upgrade only due to the new touchscreen. It really is the best professional/duty/hard use smartwatch available. BTW, comparing the Tactix 7 to a G-shock or Apple Watch is like comparing the new JLTV to a WWII Jeep.
Tactic 7 might be one of the best watches available. But no respectable person would wear it regularly as you'd become too dependent on the gimmicks it offers and you'd be more adaptable to adversity wearing a cheaper G shock. I dont like to make the comparison, but also in a society like 1srale, people hide their wealth and wearing this is like flaunting your money and advertising to others how much $$$ you might potentially have and make you a target. No genuine prepper would wear such a piece, at least not regularly thus defeating the point of owning it, for the aforementioned two reasons as well as several other ones I did not mention. Its just a consumerist piece, not one to become reliant upon or to let others see you own.
@@sethrauldatta7456 "But no respectable person would wear it regularly as you'd become too dependent on the gimmicks" I wear mine daily. First, it is darn near indestructible. Secondly, I use all the tracking, fitness and golf features. You appear to really have a hangup on this watch. Guess what, don't buy one - problem solved. In America, we believe in choices.
@@briancody8663 attack the person with saying 'weird' instead of using a logical statement, typical, if anything you must be a deviant to hold such a line of thought.
We are a dealer of Garmin because of their watch line alone. The new Tactix 7 Pro is an excellent watch. The extra features that were added from the Fenix 6 line as for touch, solar, and better battery were great additions. The watch is an excellent data computer and time piece.
I bought a Garmin Marq Athlete about a year ago. It’s a ridiculously expensive smart watch at the better part of 2 grand if you get the upgraded band with it. But it is such a great watch…I definitely recommend.
You are awesome dude. Just found the channel a week ago. My favorite part of the channel is the wealth of real world medical training to us civilians. I'm really interested in finding a place to train in person but I live in the middle of no where new mexico. Any suggestions of good training near me?
Had both Apple Watch and Fenix 6X Pro. Sold the Apple watch and I do have an iPhone. Getting just notifications on the watch is fine with me. Just takes a second to get my phone out of my pocket to respond.
Does it snag as you put your backpack on or take it off? That has been my problem with them and the bands sometimes cost $80 to replace! I did find someone on ebay that sells aluminum and paracord wrist bands.
I have the pro ballistics it’s so wonderful you can get the hrm band also and have full ekg it talks to my helicopter rifle scopes range finder wind sensors the trigonometry is so fast to set your rifle scope even if you understand sin tan cos it speeds it up it’s done before you can think MOA.
I recently purchased the Garmin fenix 7x pro sapphire solar and it's just the same as the Tactix 7 other than the kill switch. But you can do the same on the Fenix 7X Pro anyway.
Garmin still makes the best watches in my opinion. I would love to have enough money to drop 1,700 bucks on a watch, but that ain't happening! 🤣 However, i just got the Instinct 2 and I've loved every second of that watch so far! You can't go wrong with any Garmin watch, besides maybe the Fenix line.
Loving my Fenix 6x pro model. Been through multiple military field exercises, been overseas with me, and more. Yes I’ve tried running it over with a up armored humvee and no it didn’t break it at all. So y’all need a cheaper watch than the Tactix? Buy the Fenix models.
It doesn't track everything you do, for example, if you decide to take an afternoon nap, the watch won't take notice, although all other manufacturers readily detect sleep status, and only Garmin persists in requiring you to specify the window for sleep in which monitoring is enabled.
A great watch. A tad expensive but it's a great 1. I'm retired LE and bought a Amazon Refurbished Gear S3 Frontier for a $100 a few years ago & it's awesome! 2 plus days battery life & large. Especially with the case & glass screen protector. A great buy My Harris County Sgt. Buddy bought the S3 after seeing mine & has loved his also while out on the street. Mine has been in Sand, Saltwater, Freshwater, etc. while wade fishing. Not a single issue to date. Down side- it's old tech, no updates but does heart monitor, etc..
I have a Garmin Instinct, and have had it for a bit over a year. It doesn’t have too many customization options, but it has everything you need. Before that I had a Vivoactive 3, I really liked that one too. The Vivo was a beast, that took some many bumps working in a federal prison, and never had an issue.
Yeah, there are tons of cheap options out there if you don’t care about battery life, actual navigation features and accuracy of health metrics. As it stands I ran a 50 mile ultra marathon last weekend and had my watch tracking the run with all health metrics and all satellite systems and after 13 hours of running I still had 70% battery life.
Just ordered a Garmin Enduro 2 on Prime Day for $599, normally $1099. 56 days of battery life with solar. Same basic capability set as the Fenix 7, etc. replacing a crapped-out Apple Watch.
U can put almost any time piece face I’m running Breitling face ya the rip cord make sure you set the altimeter correctly. Or rip cord pull timing can fail.
Fantastic review of this incredible watch. Great practical walkthrough as well. This is the first video I've watched after purchasing the Tactix 7 but this could have been the one making my decision to go for it: congratulations and many thanks. Keep up your good work and take care ;-)
Hey Sam, quick request, can you upload a video that's just your intro on repeat for like ten or twenty minutes so I can listen to it as a full song? That intro tune rocks. Ive tried searching for "Prepmedic intro song" but nothing comes up but your normal videos.
I started out with a garmin vivo3 thing, still have it, its alot smaller, which helps me do my job where i work around commercial machinery, i never want to take the watch on and off as i do work, ill just break it or lose it, however one thing i hated was the touchscreen, it would keep changing watch faces or swiping when my sleeves passed over it, generally annoying, since the fenix 7 is touchscreen i went for the fenix 6 pro. I didnt know at the time theres a solar varient, but im not sure it would matter as the watch isnt ideal for me at work because its large. I did initially look into the garmin instinct, hated how it looked, one of my workmates has one though..
I'm a Wildland Fire Fighter for US Foresty & I love the Garmin Fenix 6 Solar
It's been my best gps watch for everything. Plus for my off days when I'm hiking, mountain biking & so much more .
It's not a downside on garmin's end that it doesnt work well with apple phones, thats just apple not working with other companies. Great video, thank you.
Agreed, kinda. I think it works Fire with the iPhone, you just lose some capabilities when it comes to interacting with your phone from the watch.
I'm pleased that it doesn’t work well with apple phones, allowing me to focus on activities tracking and other features of the watch without being distracted by constant messages and social apps, which goes against the purpose of the watch.
That is, by all accounts, a downside
A couple of advantages to solar power on the Pro... If you're actually using the watch pretty actively, as in have it connected to your phone, using GPS for a few hours a day, maybe occasionally listening to music you aren't going to get a month out of it. My tactix 7 Pro estimates ~21 days when fully charged (and that goes down to ~21 hours when playing music), solar just helps push that a little farther as long as you're outside.
Also if you power the watch off and set it in the sunlight, the solar power is strong enough to trickle charge so you can literally go without a charger indefinitely if you're willing to baby it a little bit.
It does have lower power modes as well, you sacrifice some useful functionality, but depending on what you are doing that may be worth it. My standard battery saver mode essentially doubles battery life, and the more extreme power modes push that out another 8-10 days.
Whether you actually need that or not is a personal question I guess, but I like the peace of mind.
Don't forget the night vision mode that lowers the backlight to the point it can only be seen through night vision goggle's and it disables the HR sensor so the light from it won't wash out your NVG's. Maximum steth for lurking through them mountains yo.
Sneaky boi time.
I can see the time on my F7 through nods without night vision mode without lighting it and also if it’s snug, I don’t see the pulse.
@@neilbuckley5796 I think the point of the NV mode is not to allow you to see your watch more easily on NODS, but rather to stop everyone else seeing it as well. Garand Thumb mentions it in this vid th-cam.com/video/ECGxVlh4kFY/w-d-xo.html
Which watch are you talking about?
@@FactsOVERfeelings2024 the watch he's reviewing has a night vision mode.
I've owned the Fenix 6 Pro solar for the last couple of years. And I absolutely love it. For years I was a G-Shock guy. But Garmin does so much more, even G-Shocks GBR fitness/smart watch lines.
I'm a prior Army door kicker, and currently serve on a busy L.E. tactical team, that does a lot of water ops, air ops, and other environments. I'm also an avid runner, hiker, camping, strength and Conditioning, hunting, kayaker, and various outdoor activities. So the Fenix line of watches are perfect. I was going to upgrade to the Fenix 7, then this came out.....and I'm definitely doing the Tactix 7. And what I'm most excited about is the touch screen capability.
So I'm glad you did a review on this. And I know this is not your forte, but I appreciate the fact that you did a very good thorough breakdown of this watch and it's capabilities. 👍
Should go tactix fellah.. best watches ever.
I've been running the Fenix 6 as well. It's been all over the U.S. and I'm never for want of features! Had a friend recently go in for a Tactix 7. I think it's wicked overpriced for what you get, but he likes it.
Your experience makes me seem like a wimp, but I do my fair share of adventure. My fenix is starting to die (DON'T take it through the TSA person-scanner, it killed a bunch of the pixels) so I might go for the Tactix as well.
what do you think about ballistics edition?
Firefighter/paramedic here. I've been wearing the Amazfit T-rex for 2+ years. Very similar feature set as this watch. Mil spec grade ratings, weeks long battery life, etc. But you could literally buy 10 of them for the price of this one.
Doesn't have some of the flight tracking features. The Trex 2 has more advanced features and tracking but a bit more $. But for $100 I've been very happy.
My favorite setting is to set the screen wakeup when I lift my wrist to 6 seconds. Allows for very easy very quick resp or hr counts. When screen dims, it's been 6 seconds. Add a 0 and that's the est. rate. Perfect for initial bedside encounters before the monitor is hooked up. No trying to watch the second and.
I saw these ones I heard they were good for a budget price get quite similar features as Garmin watches. How are the watch faces? Can you customize like Garmin or is there just a preset ones.
Do you still use that one now? have you made a switch?
I recently picked up the fenix 6 pro solar, not quite as many features as the tactix 7 but still has a LOT. You are SO right about the bands being comfortable, I had the exact same thought that it would be that hard plastic, but they're actually extremely comfortable. Garmin seems to make some really good watches. The battery life is a HUGE plus. Great review! Keep it up
Never in my life have I had an uncomfortable band. That is just dumb and surely looking for anything to sell you the watch he got for free to pawn on his subs
Unless you use night vision, parachute jump, need a ballistic calculator or stealth mode then you won't get anything more from the Tactix vs the Fenix. They even use the same software and widget.
Only problem i have with my phenix 6 pro is that after 6 months in the military with heavy use the little bridges you tighten the watch with is starting to rip..
I got a Fenix 6 last year during black Friday for almost half the rrp, absolute bargain if they’re on sale.
@@OGDragonflare i believe they have some Nylon straps which may be more durable? But they are stiffer and not as form fitting which slightly affects heartrate performance.
On android, this watch has text responses and easier notification customization. I have a number of Garmin watches, so if you have questions let me know. Good review!
Routing will use popular routes in your area and show you three possible options before you go
I have the Garmin Instict Solar Tactical . One of the best purchases I have ever made
Great watch. My only issue is that they do not include the golf app/widget with the Instinct. [edit: looks like the Instinct 2 has added golf...yay!]
Agreed. I absolutely love my instinct 2. Insane battery life, awesome tracking, and a great price.
Excellent overview, very detailed and one of the best I’ve seen on the Garmin Tactix 7 series. I’ve had my Tactix 7 Pro for about 3 weeks now and absolutely love it. Like you I came from using an Apple Watch over the past 7 years and simply got tired of the daily charge routine and scratches, I wanted something more life ready.
For my use case I’ve found the Tactix 7 offers everything I need and a whole lot more. Yes there are many features I’ll never use, but many that I will so it all comes down to the individual user and what matters most. For me it was battery life, sapphire screen, always on heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, built in GPS maps and Garmin Pay that gave all the reasons I needed to make the switch from AW and I have no regrets It’s expensive, but I feel it might just be worth the investment!
i also came from the apple watch however I don't seem to get notifications for texts from my iPhone. I do for calls. do you have the same problem?
It a quick setting in the watch.
I love my instinct solar. Easily goes about 3-4 weeks before needing to be recharged. Doesn’t have some of the features that I would like it to have like a sweep hand for the face watch setting but I do quite like it a lot. Might have to save up for this if by the time I’m finished watching this you’ve convinced me haha. I went for the instinct solar cause my gshock was 100% solar and I just didn’t want to give up that capability and I wanted to upgrade to a smart watch that was tough, and priced right. Unfortunately gshock is not very up to pace in the smartwatch game so the instinct solar won and doesn’t break the bank.
That's pretty annoying. I'm looking at the instinct solar on their website right now, and you're telling me it has jump master and night vision modes, but not a basic watch face with hands? I would prefer that too, since it's better for me when taking patient vitals. Pretty silly they didn't think to include different watch face designs
@@titusdaniel so I don’t know about the instinct solar 2.0 but the jump master and NV setting was only in the “Tactical” version. It does have several different watch face settings but none of the regular sweep hand faces have a sweeping second with it. Very frustrating and kind of odd in my opinion.
Do you train and sleep with them? I've had basic Instinct 2 for 9 days now and my battery is at 48%. I wear them 24/7 (except shower) with daily 30 minutes of "Walk" training with GPS, 1 hour of gym "Strength" training 3 times a week and 1 one-hour swimming session. That gives me approximately 2 weeks of charge. 4 weeks is huge!
@@sergeant_dornan_ yea I sleep with it every night. I don’t generally use the activity settings a ton except for when I do dedicated walks or other cardio. Using the GPS definitely runs it down quicks.
@@titusdaniel there is quite a few analogue displays on the garmin app which you can download mostly for free
I've had mine for 4 months, and I had the delta before and loved that but sold it for tactix 7. I didn't think I was gonna use the flashlight as much, but I use it almost every day, and I can see pretty good considering it's on my wrist. Great watch overall
great video and review... cannot believe the stupidity and rudeness of some comments... keep up the good work and enjoy the T7
Haha 😂 comments like that don’t surprise me anymore. Unfortunately a small handful of nasty and dumb comments can overshadow an overwhelming majority of positive feedback. I don’t think I’ve put out a single video where the like to dislike ratio has dropped below 95%
@@PrepMedic this single comment is one of the most validating single finger salutes to all the haters below I've ever read. 👍🏼🏆
great video! I'm a ex military, firefighter-paramedic, so it fits perfectly for my time on duty, off duty i'm a more Automatic watch guy, wearing my Oris Aquis 400, Longines Hydroconquest, Hamilton Air Race,.... but great watch, for the 7th generation i went for the 7X sapphire solar titanium, because is more versatile than a Tactix model. Had the Tactix Delta Solar before the 7X, but it was to stealthy, to military, not as versatile as the none DLC tatinium model. The bands are awesome, over the years of development they got very comfy (remember the old ones from Tactix (1st gen) how hard, stif and uncomfortable they were, Fenix 3 also), but wear on them is pretty high (the silicone ones), but they are not that expensive...the silicon ones cost about 50$, the titanium band (i have the none DLC) i just repolish every couple of months (satin finish) with a Scotch-brite pad that cost few $ and the band is like new again. Titanium gets scratches very easy and fast, but good thing is, you can refinish the band in a minute to look brand new again, but you can't do this on a DLC version of the watch and band. Keep on the great work, stay safe, stay healthy and greetings from Europe
Poggers.
Do you polish the titanium bezel also ? You got the silver version right ?
@@hdmedia7404 no, there was no need so far for polishing the bezel.
@@KuToga007 No scratches at all ??
@@hdmedia7404 one or two microscratches, i have to admit, i take care very well for my watch. I’m pretty cautious with my watches. But i have no idea how to correcrly polish the bezel :/
I happy with my Garmin Instinct. I had it for years and works great operating heavy equipment, fire fighting, ems , everyday uses. My son has the same watch with solar.
Ive been looking a lot. I think im gonna go with the instinct 2x tactical due to the price over this one. As well as the battery life
Been using my Samsung Galaxy watch for years in law enforcement. Same one since 2019. Never failed me in any tac situation
Good stuff! I was going to get that but decided on the Fenix 7x Sapphire Solar. If I was still in the military I would’ve gone with the tactix 7 pro. Coming from an Apple Watch series 7 SS, this 7x is AMAZING!! Can’t go wrong with either the Fenix 7x or the Tactix 7
I appreciate your review. I worked on the watch. I'm a former Army medic.
EMS and military can't even afford this. 😂
😂
@@musicmaestro88yes they can, higher ranked soldiers earn loads !
@melissagreenman6884 I think you tagged the wrong person. 🤣. I'm ex-military (U.S) by the way. Cheers
@@musicmaestro88you’d be surprised of what get issued out for special ops group…
@@melissagreenman6884higher ranked soldiers don’t get dirty enough to use this
Tactix 7 Hands down 💯
I’m so enjoying it
I bought a Tactix Charlie 5 years ago ish after I broke my Suunto Core while in the military, and I only have 2 complaints about it... I've broken the strap once in those 5 ish years, and honestly thats not bad. And if it's not for whatever reason always connected to your phone the time will slow down a little bit over while, worst i've had is 1 min difference between phone and watch. Over all I love the watch, preforms great both at work and on hikes, hunting and fishing.
Suunto Core. The watch that’s kept many world militaries time for decades!
Burned through 2 Tactix Charlie watches. 2nd one was a warranty replacement. Both had the same exact problems.
The basic smart watch functions were the biggest problems. Heart rate monitor would drop out entirely, leaving random gaps in the 4 hour chart available on the watch face. There was also a constant need to recalibrate the compass, as it never seemed to know what direction was north. After two years of getting tired of having to reset it, I stopped wearing it.
Funny thing is that they worked great right out of the box, but would progressively compound issues after a few months. I figured it had something to do with the firmware or something. I had it on automatic as far as updates were installed, but I couldn’t correct the HRM issues. Technical support was limited to updating the watch, resetting the watch, then replacing the watch, repeat.
It’s unfortunate, because it was an amazing piece of technology when it was working.
I agree with the flashlight, that the same reason I jb welded one to my gshock, I use it almost everyday at work and at night when I'm coming home and i need to look for my keys to open the door,, specially in winter
I got the Fenix 7XSS. And for a ground-pounding fire medic, its great. I honestly use the red light a ton when getting up at night as to not wake the rest of the crew 😂
The light is an AMAZING feature. I use it multiple times a day.
That's the watch I've wanted since I first saw it, I've worn G-shocks since I was 10. Sadly I just can't justify the cost when I can't wear it at work.
Expensive watch but it's worth it.
Buy once cry once.
Until I receive my Tactix 7 Pro, my G Shock MudMaster has been the most I’ve ever spent on a watch. I’ve wore a G Shock nonstop since 2003 and I’m ready for a change
Does the second hand stay on in the always on display? I’m certain it doesn’t from when I tried the tactix. Maybe I’m wrong.
Now with the Expic Gen 2 pro out would you still buy the Tactix series? The only difference is a green light, kill mode, stealth, night mode, aviation features, and blastic cal.
This is the best review i ve found. I bought the same watch later, fully satisfied and thank you for this review man
Actually - your review was one of the Best Reviews I have enjoyed on this watch. It was to the point- and comfortable to listen to.
Great video! I just ordered the Amoled version of the Tactix.. looking forward to getting it on Tuesday.
Know quite a few SF guys who are also running Garmins. Solid watch for sure🤙
solid watch, but if SF teams rely on equipment more than situations where said equipment is not available, theyre screwed... theyre screwed anyways if they dont join a PMC in the short run and definately screwed in the long run as the economy tanks. What we need are the SF guys of yesterday with their skills and knowledge + the skills of today. The modern era is just people living on the successes of more distant ancestors as their era comes to its end.
@@sethrauldatta7456 that being said
1) they still have those skills. Basic skillset didn't go anywhere, it's still being taught.
2) In 21st century, I honestly cannot imagine a situation, where US (or any NATO) SF team ends up in a situation where "the equipment isn't available". They have almost everything they need all the time.
3) (idk what economy and PMCs have to do with a smartwatch)
@@sethrauldatta7456bro all he said was they have the watch. What he did not say was “know a few SF guys who rely on this watch for everything, they skipped any form of training because they have the watch”
Excellent review of Garmin Tactix 7. I got mine a Tactix 7 Pro in July and completely blown by it features. I’m still a newbie with Garmin watch but I always find something new with different TH-camr explaining the features. For now it is the only watch I’m using daily. The solar charging feature is a boon. Thanks
Do you actually find the solar feature that beneficial? I prefer the look of the screen without solar as its much more contrasty. thanks
@@-boska Yes. I hardly need to cable charge my Tactix 7 Pro.
I'm still rocking the finix 3 HR sapphire and I am totally still in love with it. 😊
Just got my Fenix 7X solar and my mind just blown! I had an Instinct solar, and and Apple watch 7, but this one is way beyond everything I ever got on me. A good review anyways.
Just picked up the new Quatix 7, I am LEO and it works fine for that, but I mainly bought it to control the auto-pilot and MFDs on my boat!
Got this and the Gshock 5000U.
Tactix for adventures, expeditions, and shady places.
5000u for everything else (EDC)
Wow! Thanks for the quick review and saying if you busy click off and do something else! Honesty ! I subscribed!
i own the tactix charlie since that watch was released, amazing watch, lasts forever, feels indestructible ..if i ever break that one, ill buy another tactix
Yep! I have owned the Garmin Tactix Bravo and Delta. The Tactix 7 is my next upgrade only due to the new touchscreen. It really is the best professional/duty/hard use smartwatch available. BTW, comparing the Tactix 7 to a G-shock or Apple Watch is like comparing the new JLTV to a WWII Jeep.
Tactic 7 might be one of the best watches available.
But no respectable person would wear it regularly as you'd become too dependent on the gimmicks it offers and you'd be more adaptable to adversity wearing a cheaper G shock.
I dont like to make the comparison, but also in a society like 1srale, people hide their wealth and wearing this is like flaunting your money and advertising to others how much $$$ you might potentially have and make you a target.
No genuine prepper would wear such a piece, at least not regularly thus defeating the point of owning it, for the aforementioned two reasons as well as several other ones I did not mention. Its just a consumerist piece, not one to become reliant upon or to let others see you own.
@@sethrauldatta7456 "But no respectable person would wear it regularly as you'd become too dependent on the gimmicks"
I wear mine daily. First, it is darn near indestructible. Secondly, I use all the tracking, fitness and golf features. You appear to really have a hangup on this watch. Guess what, don't buy one - problem solved. In America, we believe in choices.
@@papimaximus95 Had to slide in some shilling for USAstan
@@sethrauldatta7456 this is a weird comment that makes no sense..
@@briancody8663 attack the person with saying 'weird' instead of using a logical statement, typical, if anything you must be a deviant to hold such a line of thought.
I wear the Garmin Tactical. Very durable and the battery lasts for ages. The cost of it is definitely worth it.
I rather keep my 8 year old, $100 G=SHOCK. That is crazy expensive.
Had mine for 10 years! G shock on top
I’ve had the same solar g shock since 2011, no battery change and has been beaten to within an inch of its life. Just keeps going! 🤯
$100 is too expensive id rather keep my $10 Spiderman watch
@@MrTotallyChaotic bruh 😂
$10 is expensive, I’d rather look at the Sun position.
Thanks you for reviewing it, it was great to see most features this watch has
I have the new apple ultra watch and as a firefighter emt and on the SRT team it’s awesome
We are a dealer of Garmin because of their watch line alone. The new Tactix 7 Pro is an excellent watch. The extra features that were added from the Fenix 6 line as for touch, solar, and better battery were great additions. The watch is an excellent data computer and time piece.
And Garmin is twice the price of a Coros vertix 2 that has all the same features, twice the battery life, just as tough. $600 vs $1100 all for a name.
Thanks for the review, very helpful. How good is health data sync to the iPhone health app? Do you have problems with it?
What's the name of the jacket you're wearing? Where can I buy it?
I bought a Garmin Marq Athlete about a year ago. It’s a ridiculously expensive smart watch at the better part of 2 grand if you get the upgraded band with it. But it is such a great watch…I definitely recommend.
I love the flashlight feature the most
Appreciate you. Right on time as usual.
Have a tactix 7 standard coming and can’t wait!
Hi, i have tactix 7 pro
Got question rhe kCal burned how accurate it is?
I have a Tactix 7 and I love it.
Great discussion. I have one question. Does it have internal storage and can you upload pictures to the watch? Thanks
Man, you can't just have your TACTICAL watch showing "1312"
😂
I wish you would’ve showed the notifications and how to use the messages… Keep up the good work 👍🏽
Thank you !!!! Finally somebody in Emergency Services addresses this issue .👍
You are awesome dude. Just found the channel a week ago. My favorite part of the channel is the wealth of real world medical training to us civilians. I'm really interested in finding a place to train in person but I live in the middle of no where new mexico. Any suggestions of good training near me?
Had both Apple Watch and Fenix 6X Pro. Sold the Apple watch and I do have an iPhone. Getting just notifications on the watch is fine with me. Just takes a second to get my phone out of my pocket to respond.
AMZWATCH has set a new standard for replica watches. Their craftsmanship is impeccable. Its hard to tell the difference from the originals
I’m goin to basic training soon is this a good recommendation for a watch I have a Apple Watch.don’t know if I should get this one instead
I’m looking at the Garmin decent g1 cause I’m on the dive team, I wonder how many of these features are also on the decent?
I got one, they are nice. Good battery life.
Does it snag as you put your backpack on or take it off? That has been my problem with them and the bands sometimes cost $80 to replace!
I did find someone on ebay that sells aluminum and paracord wrist bands.
I have the pro ballistics it’s so wonderful you can get the hrm band also and have full ekg it talks to my helicopter rifle scopes range finder wind sensors the trigonometry is so fast to set your rifle scope even if you understand sin tan cos it speeds it up it’s done before you can think MOA.
I recently purchased the Garmin fenix 7x pro sapphire solar and it's just the same as the Tactix 7 other than the kill switch. But you can do the same on the Fenix 7X Pro anyway.
l wana ask is this thing good for real battlefield and can this save you with the GPS and everything all
Garmin still makes the best watches in my opinion. I would love to have enough money to drop 1,700 bucks on a watch, but that ain't happening! 🤣 However, i just got the Instinct 2 and I've loved every second of that watch so far! You can't go wrong with any Garmin watch, besides maybe the Fenix line.
Loving my Fenix 6x pro model. Been through multiple military field exercises, been overseas with me, and more. Yes I’ve tried running it over with a up armored humvee and no it didn’t break it at all. So y’all need a cheaper watch than the Tactix? Buy the Fenix models.
My pro solar is arriving Monday, very excited
Awesome content. 🔥🔥🔥 Keep it coming.💯💯💯 As an Army reserve member and police personnel. We love all this stuff. ✊✊✊👑👑👑🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
It is a great watch and worth the money for me. It is purpose-built, and I would not recommend it if you are a regular dude who works an office job
It doesn't track everything you do, for example, if you decide to take an afternoon nap, the watch won't take notice, although all other manufacturers readily detect sleep status, and only Garmin persists in requiring you to specify the window for sleep in which monitoring is enabled.
A great watch. A tad expensive but it's a great 1.
I'm retired LE and bought a Amazon Refurbished Gear S3 Frontier for a $100 a few years ago & it's awesome! 2 plus days battery life & large. Especially with the case & glass screen protector. A great buy
My Harris County Sgt. Buddy bought the S3 after seeing mine & has loved his also while out on the street. Mine has been in Sand, Saltwater, Freshwater, etc. while wade fishing. Not a single issue to date.
Down side- it's old tech, no updates but does heart monitor, etc..
This is a solid tech review with helpful perspective! Thanks for sharing the insight. And thanks for doing what you do.
Great Video, appreciate the no-nonsense to the point presentation. Very helpful!
This makes me wish I had a job that would make use of more than a couple of those features
I have a Garmin Instinct, and have had it for a bit over a year. It doesn’t have too many customization options, but it has everything you need. Before that I had a Vivoactive 3, I really liked that one too. The Vivo was a beast, that took some many bumps working in a federal prison, and never had an issue.
Pixel watch 2 with a Spigen case. This setup set me back $248
Yeah, there are tons of cheap options out there if you don’t care about battery life, actual navigation features and accuracy of health metrics. As it stands I ran a 50 mile ultra marathon last weekend and had my watch tracking the run with all health metrics and all satellite systems and after 13 hours of running I still had 70% battery life.
Can someone please identify the model of G-Shock in this video?
A million thanks in advance! 🙏
Which watch is better to see display during runs outside on sunlight, Apple watch with amoled display or the Tactix with MIP?
honestly. one of the best review to me!
It's amazing how I can catch a perp and listen to pump up music as well
Just ordered a Garmin Enduro 2 on Prime Day for $599, normally $1099. 56 days of battery life with solar. Same basic capability set as the Fenix 7, etc. replacing a crapped-out Apple Watch.
U can put almost any time piece face I’m running Breitling face ya the rip cord make sure you set the altimeter correctly. Or rip cord pull timing can fail.
I wear the Garmin Vivoactive 4 it is also a great smart watch for EDC.
Nice review 😅. Ive got the fenix 7x and love it
Fantastic review of this incredible watch. Great practical walkthrough as well. This is the first video I've watched after purchasing the Tactix 7 but this could have been the one making my decision to go for it: congratulations and many thanks. Keep up your good work and take care ;-)
Hey can you recommend a watchface for me? I haven't found a good one with a second hand for EMS.
how was the compas on the 9300 is it reliable?
Top notch..... suunto is also a great watch for the money..200and up
Basically have to faraday cage anything with a signal going into the bird. Any suggestions?
Wish I could justify spending that much on a watch. It's a very nice one. Got the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro instead.
Hey Sam, quick request, can you upload a video that's just your intro on repeat for like ten or twenty minutes so I can listen to it as a full song? That intro tune rocks. Ive tried searching for "Prepmedic intro song" but nothing comes up but your normal videos.
I really like your content, I subscribed and will keep and eye on new videos
Start using garmin explore, It's opens a whole new world for hiking etc
Review on this watch I've seen thank you!
Great review! Thank you. I ordered one of these bad boys largely because of your very thorough review.
I started out with a garmin vivo3 thing, still have it, its alot smaller, which helps me do my job where i work around commercial machinery, i never want to take the watch on and off as i do work, ill just break it or lose it, however one thing i hated was the touchscreen, it would keep changing watch faces or swiping when my sleeves passed over it, generally annoying, since the fenix 7 is touchscreen i went for the fenix 6 pro. I didnt know at the time theres a solar varient, but im not sure it would matter as the watch isnt ideal for me at work because its large.
I did initially look into the garmin instinct, hated how it looked, one of my workmates has one though..