Watches With Altimeters

Here is why you need watches with altimeters…

While there are a wide variety of altimeter watches out there now, you’ve got to ask yourself – Why would you want to pay more money to know exactly how high you are?

The reasons people need watches with altimeters are:

• Curiosity – we are just crazy for new information.  Hikers and mountain climbers even people who are riding mountain bikes up in the hills, want to know how high up they are.
• Practicality – if you get stuck up the creek, at least you will have this paddle to help report your position.
• Weather updates – many people want to know barometric pressure so they can predict storm fronts coming through before they arrive.  This is very helpful to hikers who are out in the elements may be exposed to severe weather.
• People just want to know more about our physical environment – same reason we want a GPS

How do watches with altimeters function and do what they do?

First of all, you’re not actually measuring “altitude”, per se. Instead, you are simply measuring the pressure of the atmosphere where you are. When you get right down to it, a watch with altimeter is a device to measure barometric pressure.

When I say pressure I mean the amount of weight the atmosphere exerts on you wherever you happen to be. What that means is a higher up you are the less pressure that’s going to be exerted on you because the atmosphere weighs less the higher up you go.

While the altimeter watch is not a toy it is also not a highly refined scientific instrument either. It needs to be calibrated every day and maybe multiple times during the day. You need to make sure it’s calibrated on a day where the weather is close to standard. You simply have got to know a reference point and reset the watch daily.

How accurate is an altimeter watch?

Altimeter watches measure in increments of 3 feet or approximately 1 meter.

Here are five tips and things to look for when you’re looking for watches with altimeters:

• Make sure the face the watch is made from scratch resistant glass. If you’re out in the woods you going to get scratched.
• Rubber band straps – better than leather if you are sweating
• These watches are larger than what you are used to, but you get used to them quickly
• Getting one with a heart rate monitor is not a bad idea either
• Don’t waste your money on something that allows you to download data from the watch and your personal computer – not worth the trouble