Watches

[RWinters]

I am curious if you use a hiking/smart watch? What do you use? Do you like it? What are its pros and cons?

I have an older Garmin 310 and it’s about to retire itself. I’d love any opinions you may have. Admittedly I had a bit of sticker shock when I began researching new watches.

Thanks in advance

[JChitwood]

I wear a Samsung Galaxy Active2. I like it for keeping track of bike miles and training hikes and all data transfers to an app which is nice. But in GPS mode the battery doesn’t last long enough for a 10 mile or more hike as least at my turtle pace. Also the altitude is almost always high by 500’ or more.

[nyker]

I am in the market also for something newer. I still use an old Suunto T6D - works great, and has a user-replaceable battery that lasts 12-18 months, light as a feather and accurate Altimeter and HRM. No GPS though. Shame Suunto makes nothing anymore without needing to be recharged.
What I'd like is something lightweight and solar powered and an accurate altimeter and HRM as well as being shock resistant and water resistant and other basic watch features.
Casio/G-shock are cool watches but they are big, heavy and I found the altimeter wasn't accurate on a few trips out. Garmin has a couple solar GPS watches I am looking at, but as you mention had some sticker shock there...
I think making a watch that needs to be recharged like a phone is ridiculous, but that's the trend these days.

[pleiades]

I have a Garmin Instinct Solar these days. I had a Polar Vantage before that but the daily charging got old real fast - and it died about 14 months after I got it.
The Instinct isn’t too bad, price wise, and I typically charge it once a month (battery saver on).
It’s fairly rugged. It does use a proprietary cable for charging, but oh well.

[ngreenster13]

I’ve got the Coros Pace 2 and love it as a watch. It won’t break the bank but does a great job for just about all I need it for (hiking, trailrunning, biking, skiing). I’m not super tech-y or into loads of data so you may find a better watch may suit you there, but if you’re looking for a good watch that does the trick, I really like that one.

[dubsho3000]

I'm using the Garmin Fenix 6 and I like it a lot. Battery life is excellent, GPS and altitude seem accurate, and it integrates with Spotify so you can upload music you don't own. I've used a Samsung Galaxy 3 for a couple years and have been disappointed with it for anything that needs GPS. The Samsung is better for things like getting texts (easier to read a long text) and receiving or making phone calls (Garmin doesn't have this capability at all). So I'm using both right now - Samsung when I'm working, Garmin when I'm playing. Hoping to save some wear and tear on the Garmin and get my full value out of the Samsung. Of course the Samsung is much cheaper, but for GPS capability I am happy I spent the extra money on the Garmin. If you can find a GPX file of a route, it's almost fool-proof for route finding.

A friend has a Suunto (can't remember the model, but basically equivalent to the Fenix 6) and it works really well too. Also has great battery life. We used that on Maroon Peak and were able to correct minor route finding "errors" of 20 feet or less, which is great when you can see cairns in every direction and none of the rock is particularly solid. That outing was what sold me on getting a high-quality GPS watch. I spent months debating getting a Suunto or Garmin and really never determined what was better. Went with Garmin because I've used their products before but I think they are basically equivalent.

[aholle88]

Garmin Forerunner 245 for a few years now and enjoy it. Not super expensive like some others. Aside from the screen easily getting cracks, it’s a solid watch that covers the basics. My only beef is it doesn’t show real time elevation gain, but that’s minor. Battery lasted 17hrs one trip this summer. Less when using a chest strap HR monitor. I also use an Apple Watch as my day to day and for any adventures <6hrs or so but the battery life sucks so it’s useless for bigger outings. I’ve heard great things about Coros, the battery life in particular, but after the Garmin lasted 17hrs this year, not in a rush to change.

[Bill G]

Timex Indiglo. Keeps great time, glow is the dark feature for early starts and battery lasts about 5 years. I think I've had it for at least 20 years.

[madbuck]

I’ve got the Coros Pace 2 and love it as a watch. It won’t break the bank but does a great job for just about all I need it for (hiking, trailrunning, biking, skiing). I’m not super tech-y or into loads of data so you may find a better watch may suit you there, but if you’re looking for a good watch that does the trick, I really like that one.

I love the Coros Pace 2 as well. Small and light, awesome battery life, gets satellites quickly and accurately and uploads reliably. I've had problems with all of those aspects with Garmin although surely newer Garmin watches have improved.
I did, after 2 years, have an issue with the Pace where it seemed to get water-logged by humidity, although I had swam and used it in the rain and snow plenty. Without delay or fuss, they fully replaced it under warranty.

So Pros are price, smaller size, battery life, and customer support.
It is a great watch for long days of on-trail hiking where you might not be able to charge each day. The Pace doesn't have as many map features or altimeter accuracy, that those be a "Cons."

[Reg0928]

I have a Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Solar, and I love it.

Excellent navigation/mapping, creates spot on accurate GPX tracks, and I can upload GPX files I find online onto it. Battery life is excellent with the solar charging.

It does seems to give me weird distance/vert stats sometimes, though. My stats don't match my partner's sometimes, but not sure if mine are correct, or theirs. That's my only complaint about it.

I don't use any text/email type features, I've got them turned off.

Great watch overall, I'd buy it again.

[Rollie Free]

I have a Suunto Ambit3 Vertical. I bought it specifically for mountain travel but also for running.

Its the only GPS watch I've ever had so I have no real comparison. From what I have gathered online is that should something go wrong, you are not going to be well taken care of. Personally, I tried to get a hold of Suunto's customer service about minor issues several times and got no response. The complaint is that they either don't respond or respond with poor options. These aren't cheap things and I don't think their customer service should be that poor.
It was great for gps but for some reason the elevation just hasn't ever been right. I am always about 3-500 feet off. I also found the documentation crappy.

I like it and use it but frankly, the ONLY thing the watch gives you is convenience. Phone apps will otherwise kick it butt.

[434stonemill]

I have a Suunto Ambit3 Vertical. I bought it specifically for mountain travel but also for running.

Its the only GPS watch I've ever had so I have no real comparison. From what I have gathered online is that should something go wrong, you are not going to be well taken care of. Personally, I tried to get a hold of Suunto's customer service about minor issues several times and got no response. The complaint is that they either don't respond or respond with poor options. These aren't cheap things and I don't think their customer service should be that poor.
It was great for gps but for some reason the elevation just hasn't ever been right. I am always about 3-500 feet off. I also found the documentation crappy.

I like it and use it but frankly, the ONLY thing the watch gives you is convenience. Phone apps will otherwise kick it butt.

I also have a Suunto Ambit 3, but the Peak not Vertical version (maybe that is what you meant, or there really is a Vertical version). I have had the watch for 7 years and love it. With an internal barometer, the elevation is very accurate. And as a plus, allows me to keep an eye on the pending storms...if pressure drops, storm is a coming. The battery life is great. About 2 years ago, I would have highly recommended this watch, then Suunto went and ruined the interface for it. Previously, there was a web interface, where you go to do, to look at your activities and plan routes, map them out and download to the watch. They did away with the web interface and now you must use their app. So you can still plan routes, map them out and download to your watch, but you have to do it on their app. Its really hard to map out a detailed route on your phone.

I have also heard their customer service is poor. They were bought out by a Chinese firm a number of years ago, and some quality has gone a little downhill after that acquisition.