Mountain lovers can now enjoy the latest technology on their routes thanks to these modern trekking watches.
More technologically advanced, these mountaineering watches help us with an altimeter, a barometer, a compass, a GPS and other features. They also allow us to determine our average speed, the number of calories we have burned or the distance we have left until we reach our destination. Built with modern and contemporary designs, these trekking watches can be used by mountaineers, backpackers, travelers or any lover of outdoor activities. That is why, today we bring you an analysis of the 8 best hiking watches of the year so you can see the news, the differences between them, their characteristics and their designs.
Also, read our other guides on the Casio G-Shock watches, modern cuckoo watches, altimeter watches, and sports watches.
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The top 8 best watches for hiking, camping and trekking
If you decide to start your career as a hiker, you have to understand your surroundings and make predictions, such as changes in climate. This is where an ABC clock (altimeter, barometer, compass) can be useful.
Hikers now have many tools for situations like this but for the most active adventurer, few are as concise and useful as the best trekking watches that I am going to present to you.
With the advances in technology, you can now have the technology of GPS maps on your wrist with the safety and durability to go anywhere, even underwater.
Garmin fēnix 5X Plus
The Garmin Fenix 5 X is definitely one of the best watches you can find in the market. It is not a toy that you would buy for your children. It’s for walkers who take it seriously!
This high-tech watch has absolutely all the navigation features you may need in your routes: compass, GPS, topographic maps, altimeter, barometer, rechargeable battery, WIFI software, Chroma screen, IQ compatibility for custom applications and many more.
In addition to being fully equipped with the latest technology, the Garmin Fenix 5 X has a sophisticated and elegant design. It is perfect for hiking, athletics, swimming, skiing and other outdoor activities.
This is the watch that I have and I could not be happier. The quality of the maps is very good. Probably the best mountain clock of the year!
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Garmin Tactix Bravo
Garmin Tactix Bravo based on the Garmin Fenix 3, this amazing watch comes with some additional tactical features.
It has an elegant design, totally black, non-reflective and resistant, designed for the tactical environment. Its dual-mode operation optimizes the screen for normal use during the day or night vision when it gets dark.
It comes equipped with all the features of Fenix 3: compass, GPS, altimeter, barometer, rechargeable battery, WIFI software, Chroma screen and high strength sapphire crystal. In this version, in addition to the lens, the strap is also super resistant to scratches, making it a very durable watch.
For a few dollars more, you can have the sapphire crystal and the scratch resistant strap in black.
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SUUNTO Ambit3 Peak GPS Watch
The Suunto Ambit3 Peak, like the Garmin Fenix 3, is a true ABC hiking watch (Altimeter, Barometer, Compass) that also includes a GPS function.
Movescout.com allows you to upload your trips, routes and all your fitness data while allowing you to download applications that you can create or that other people have created, all for free.
This trekking watch provides a very accurate altimeter that records the data points every 15 minutes and at the push of a button will show the last 24 hours in a profile chart format.
The compass works at almost any angle, so unlike a magnetic compass, the wrist does not need to be level to get an accurate reading.
You can use Movescout.com to load points of interest on the watch and use GPS to navigate to these points. The Ambit3 also shows a digital map that shows the way. If you wish, you can register the speed, distance and route to Movescout.com. A great feature for runners or cyclists!
No matter what you need GPS, hiking, biking, kayaking or marathons, the Ambit3 is a great option. The watch is also rated for more than 300 feet (100m) so you can use it even for snorkeling or diving.
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Casio Men’s Pro Trek PRW2500T
At a reasonable price and full of fantastic features, this watch can be the sweet spot for travelers on a budget. In summary: five alarms, solar energy supplement, altimeter, compass, barometer, and thermometer make this model an unbeatable beast. In addition, it has a more traditional design so you can use it on any occasion.
The useful life of the battery is good outside the chain, with a nominal capacity of 7 months with a single charge. Keep in mind that the solar charge function means that you can easily extend the life of the battery almost indefinitely.
The storm alarm is a great feature for any watch with a barometer and the Casio Watch does not disappoint. It is one of the best hiking watches in the market.
Access the menu with a single touch, easy to navigate, ideal for quick access to critical and frequently used functions such as the compass, the barometer, and the temperature.
Huge improvements in the hardware compared to the previous model of altimeter watches so you get a superior candidate (if we were awarding prizes). Casio claims up to 90% reduction in energy consumption. Unfortunately, it does not have a built-in GPS.
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Suunto Traverse
This is another of the best hiking watches on the market. The sleek design and advanced features make the Suunto Traverse a great mountain watch.
It has most of the characteristics of Suunto Ambit 3 and some additional features such as vibration alerts, backlighting of the flashlight and activity monitoring that calculates the steps and daily calories. On the other hand, it does not have advanced training analysis or multisport mode.
You can synchronize the watch with your phone via Bluetooth and access all the information. It also comes with the Movescount application that allows you to import data to track.
A great hiking watch with all the most important features, including GPS, and a very attractive design.
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Suunto 9 Multisport GPS Hiking Watches
Possibly we are facing one of the best mountain watches with GPS that Suunto has if not the best. The Suunto 9 Baro can compete perfectly with the Fenix 5 in quality and functions, although it exceeds in price.
This is a very resistant watch built with first-class materials, such as the stainless steel bezel and the sapphire crystal.
Its immersion capacity is 100 meters as the watches we have seen but in this case also with ISO 6425 certificate, a guarantee of resistance.
It also has all ABC sensors, heart rate monitor on the wrist and GPS with GLONASS and QZSS (support for the Japanese satellite network), as well as tracking and training plans for over 80 different sports
Although the most remarkable thing in terms of the mountain is the Heatmap function, a system that shows the most traveled routes by other users of Movescount, which can be easily imported to the clock.
The connectivity, in this case, is Bluetooth, which makes it a smartwatch with notifications and all kinds of intelligent functions that can be extended with the Suunto App.
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Garmin epix
The best hiking watch with a real GPS system. This watch has a very different and practical design. Definitely not as elegant and attractive as some of the previous models, but it is probably the watch with more features than you can find in the market.
It has a high-resolution 1.4-inch touch screen, 8 GB of internal memory, a multi-activity option for hiking, running, surfing, swimming, indoor training and much more.
The main difference and advantage is the touch screen that shows a GPS with a real integrated map. It is equipped with other features: step counter, activity tracking, altimeter, barometer, thermometer, digital compass and much more.
A practical option for those looking for a good integrated GPS with real map.
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Casio Men’s Pro Trek PRW-6000Y
This is a beautiful sports watch with multifunction dial and analog and digital display.
It has a triple sensor altimeter, digital compass, barometer, thermometer, world time (29 cities), five daily alarms, LED light, 100 meter water resistance, 1/100 second stopwatch, energy saving function and timer. The battery is recharged by a solar panel.
It is a good option for those looking for an elegant and attractive mountain watch, with all the main features, except GPS.
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Considerations to consider before choosing the best hiking watch:
Characteristics
There is a wide variety of watches on the market with many different characteristics. Therefore, it is very important to know exactly what you are looking for. For example, for people who practice hiking, it will be very important that the watch is equipped with an easy-to-read GPS, with a large and easy-to-use screen.
It is also important that you can access an App to download maps of the area where you are going to go hiking, as well as routes made by other people. In these cases, devices that have a storm alarm, that warn us when it seems that time is going to get ugly, are also very useful.
If you need a watch more adapted to athletics, running, and fitness, you should look for other different characteristics. In this case, take a look at the models that monitor heart rate, steps, distances traveled and calories burned. Many allow you to download all the data to fully track your activities and your evolution.
For hunters, fishermen, military, some models include information about sunrise and sunset, about tides, fishing and hunting calendar, lunar phases, etc. These models also tend to be especially resistant to withstand harsh weather conditions and possible impacts.
The main features are:
GPS
Possibly, the most important function of all, the GPS helps us to locate our situation on a map and to be able to orient ourselves easily through the mountains. GPS works through information received from different satellites. These satellites are synchronized with each other and inform us about their exact position constantly. In this way, they act as reference points for land navigation. The GPS receiver detects and processes the signals from the satellites to show us all the information on a map.
The main disadvantage of watches with built-in GPS is the duration of the batteries. The location system consumes a lot of energy and in some cases makes the batteries for only a few hours. Fortunately, these models include rechargeable batteries.
Also, keep in mind that GPS does not always work well. For example, when one is going through deep canyons or thick forests, it is possible that the signal does not arrive correctly and provides inaccurate information.
Altimeter
The altimeters work in a different way. They use a pressure sensor that measures the actual atmospheric pressure. In this way, they make an approximate calculation of the height in relation to that atmospheric pressure. The height measurements are made according to the ISA (International Standard Atmosphere) values. In many cases, you can download the data of the route and see all the differences you have made during the trekking.
Barometer
The barometer is very useful to understand the climate that awaits us. It measures atmospheric pressure and indicates climatic tendencies. The higher we climb on our route, the lower the barometric pressure. When the atmospheric pressure increases, it is very likely that it will improve the time. When it descends, it is possible that time will get worse.
Compass
The compass is also very useful to guide us. Based on the earth’s magnetic field, it incorporates a sensor that uses this field to mark the direction with great accuracy. Most models include a three-axis digital compass, although some models (not included in the list) incorporate a real compass attached to the strap.
Thermometer
Many models incorporate a thermometer function that can be helpful in some circumstances. In addition, they also help us understand and foresee the time ahead. Most models can measure in a range of -10º C to 60º C.
Monitor of the cardiac rhythm
Many models include a system to control the pulsations of your heart. Most work directly by taking the heart rate from your wrist. However, in some cases, it is necessary to incorporate a tape that is placed on the chest. They offer very valuable information to track your fitness activities.
Waterproof
Obviously, all trekking watches are water resistant. The only difference is the depth they can withstand: most are designed to withstand 100 meters.
Durability
We have to look at quality and durability. These watches are specially designed to withstand extreme situations, scratches, impacts, low temperatures and water.
Conclusion
If it is within budget, I recommend the Garmin Fenix 5X for its design and features. In addition, it is one of the few that have quality topographic maps.
Another great choice, and probably the best design of the year, is the Suunto Spartan, which comes very well equipped.
If you are not interested in having a GPS but you want a timepiece with an attractive design, the Casio PRW 6000Y-1AER can be your watch.