What is garmin expedition mode?
Garmin expedition mode is a mode in which almost all sensors and screen are turned off. The mode tracks a point every 60 minutes, this way you get the possibility to track your footsteps without using much battery. The downside is that the trail that you walked will not be tracked very accurately.
It’s important to understand that expedition mode is not made for navigation. It simply takes a GPS reading every hour with the result of an inaccurate tracking of your footsteps. It’s only useful for multiday hikes. The exact interval that a GPS reading is taken can be customised, but the minimum is 15 minutes and the maximum 90 minutes.
In the end you end up with a map of where you travelled along with the total time and distance.
There are many obvious downsides to turning off almost all sensors. However, the gained battery life is huge. Making it a good solution for some longer expeditions. The gained battery life in comparison to UltraTrac mode is around times 10. For example, the Garmin Instinct Solar lasts 28 days in expedition mode and 70 hours in UltraTrac mode.
If you want to use navigation, but you still want to get the most out of your battery, the UltraTrac mode is what you are looking for.
What garmin watches have expedition mode
The most common garmin watches that have expedition mode are the garmin fenix series and the garmin instinct series.
When it comes to handheld devices GPSMap is the most common device that comes with the expedition feature.
It probably comes to no surprise that both watches made it on to the list of the best garmin watches for hiking.
On top of that, the Garmin Instinct has been praised as one of the very best budget friendly hiking watches.
Expedition mode battery life
So, how long does expedition mode last?
Let’s start by taking a look at the Garmin Fenix 6.
| Mode | Battery life | Battery life – solar |
|---|---|---|
| Smartwatch mode | Up to 14 days | Up to 16 days |
| GPS mode | Up to 36 hr. | Up to 40 hr. |
| Max battery GPS mode | Up to 72 hr. | Up to 93 hr. |
| Expedition GPS mode | Up to 28 days | Up to 36 days |
| Battery saver watch mode | Up to 48 days | Up to 80 days |
(Max battery GPS mode is similar to ultratrac mode)
As you can see the Expedition mode performs very good in terms of battery life, lasting 28 days, or even 36 days in solar mode . However, battery life will drastically increase when using battery saver watch mode. However, battery saver mode is a very basic mode in which you would barely use any functionality of your smartwatch.
Also keep in mind, that these are battery life claims by the manufacturer, which are never a 100% realistic. A good rule of thumb is to accept 30% less of what the manufacturer claims in battery life.
Let’s also take a look at the king of battery life, the garmin instinct 2.
| Mode | Battery life | Battery life – solar |
|---|---|---|
| Smartwatch mode with activity tracking and 24/7 wrist-based heart rate monitoring | Up to 28 days | Up to unlimited |
| GPS mode | Up to 30 hr. | Up to 48 hr. |
| Max battery GPS mode | Up to 70 hr. | Up to 370 hr. |
| Expedition GPS mode | Up to 32 days | Up to unlimited |
| Battery saver mode | Up to 65 days | Up to unlimited |
As you can see, the Garmin instinct 2 solar can last up to unlimited time in Expedition Mode. However, this is obviously only in ideal conditions (lot’s of direct sunlight).
However, even the regular version will last up to 32 days, which is pretty impressive. This makes it an ideal watch for long distance hiking trips/expeditions where you have limited/no energy sources.
If you want to read more about garmin watches battery life, I have written another article specifically dedicated to the topic, feel free to check it out!
Expedition mode vs ultratrac
I have mentioned the ultratrac mode before. However, I haven’t really covered it in much detail.
So let’s take a look at what the ultratrac mode is and how it compares to expedition mode.
Expedition mode will save more battery vs the ultratrac mode, but the tracking will be far less accurate. Expedition mode only takes a gps reading every hour, ultratrac takes a gps reading every minute. The difference is that ultratrac will be far more accurate than expedition mode, but the battery will also drain much faster.
When comparing ultratrac to a regular GPS mode, the same rules apply. Regular GPS mode will take a GPS reading every second, making it far more accurate, but also far more battery consuming. Except for the frequency of GPS readings, more sensors will also be active in regular GPS mode.
Other ways to increase battery life
If you do want to make use of all the sensors/features your watch has to offer, expedition or ultratrac is not the right mode for you.
Instead, you might want to use the hiking activity mode, which uses regular GPS.
The regular GPS mode does use a lot more battery. However, there are some ways to improve battery life.
You should start by consulting the official Garmin site. They have tips on extending battery life for specific models.
Some examples:
Also, check out this article about the garmin power manager and how it can help you to extend battery life.
However, the biggest way to impact your battery life is to bring a power supply. A lightweight powerbank is the best solution.
Conclusion
The Garmin expedition mode is great for saving battery life but it will disable most features and sensors.
However, you will still be able to track your trail with a low accuracy (1 reading every 60 minutes). Note that this does not mean the mode is suited for navigation.
If you want to use navigation, the ultratrac mode is a better option. Also, you could manually turn off all sensors/functions that you don’t need in order to save battery.
For more information about how to save battery for specific Garmin models, the official website is your best source of information.
If you also want to learn about stealth mode, I wrote an article about that topic too: What is garmin stealth mode?
Looking for the best garmin watch for hiking? Take look here: Best garmin watches for hikers.