Garmin Instinct 3 Solar Tactical 45mm Review: 6 Months Later – Worth It for Hiking & Tactical Use?

Welcome to My Watches with Ben! In this in-depth review, I share my honest thoughts after 6 full months wearing the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar Tactical 45mm in my personal collection. I cover tactical features (stealth mode, NVG, kill switch, jumpmaster), hiking performance (TracBack, ABC sensors, GPS), battery life (solar charging in real use), pros/cons, and why it's become my go-to outdoor watch despite some clunky menus. I picked this up during my military watch series – note the DoD geolocation restrictions for active duty in ops areas (mentioned early). Great for hiking, decent fitness tracking, rugged build, endless battery, built-in flashlight – but not perfect. Timestamps: 0:00 – Intro & Why I Bought the Tactical Version 0:40 – Military/DoD Geolocation Note 1:12 – Overview 2:19 – Specs 3:34 – Tactical-Exclusive Features (Green Flashlight, Stealth, NVG, Kill Switch, Jumpmaster) 7:20 – Key Functions I Actually Use (TracBack, ABC, Flashlight, Timers, Dual Time, HR/Sleep) 16:47 – Features (Display, Build, Strap Swap & More) 24:11 – Positives (Lightweight, Battery, Lume, etc.) 1 27:33 – Negatives (Size Feel, Menus Clunky, Ballistics Upcharge) 30:56 – Final Thoughts: Still Overjoyed After 6 Months? 34:34 – Bible Time 📖 Bible Segment: Continuing the Matthew 5 Beatitudes, with #4 (Matthew 5 verse 6). “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” My local church is Horizon Baptist Church in Thornton, CO. Check out the livestreams at: Here are some of my favorite biblical pastors on YouTube