Watches? What are people wearing out there.

Looking for an upgrade. Wondering what everyone is wearing or if there is any suggestions anyone has. Looking for elevation stats in real time mostly. Thx!  https://1921681254.mx/  https://100001.onl/    

I use a Suunto 9 peak. The newer watches (vertical?) let you download an actual map instead of just a track. Good battery life, I can’t live with a watch that needs to be charged daily. Small enough to not be annoying. Elevation stats are shown depending on the activity you choose. 

Suunto ocean 

Tracks great.   Used on multiple week and longer trips this year and would last a week with heavy usage.
And excellent scuba watch too 

Garmin instinct or fénix. I recently tested my 5 year old Garmin instinct 2, and it was 3 feet off elevation. There are solar iterations that I’m not very familiar with, but general consensus is that it is not worth the extra $100. The instinct series comes at a reasonable price, approximately $300 and the Fénix are a bit more expensive. There are options of case size and screen, but I would recommend the e-ink version, as it lasts around 2 weeks on one charge. My watch has a 45 mm bezel and could survive being shot by a tank.

I’d second the garmin Fenix. I’ve been rocking the 5x plus for about 7 years, still performs top notch. I’ve got friends with the new fenix and they’re awesome, if it’s within the budget I go for those but if not find a used fenix 5! I use it a ton for elevation stats and it’s accurate. I’m also a pilot and have gotten to test it during un-pressurized flights and it gives me the correct altitude. 

Coros vertix 2S! I logged over 12,000 miles on my garmin fenix line and switched to coros 2 years ago. Significantly more accurate tracking by a large margin and has a bunch of climbing specific functions that no other watch brand offers. Highly recommend!

+1 for Garmin.

I've got a Tactix Solar that I've had for several years.

Battery life is about 2-3 weeks.  Durable.  Good screen.  Lots of apps for training, navigation, et.  

I'm sure the newer models are better.  

Coros Vertix line is great. Coros software isn’t nearly as bloated as garmin yet so still very user friendly. They’re teasing a new Apex for next week that seems worth a look.

Casio w-218H That I found in j tree like 5 years ago

• Still on the original battery
• Backlit
• Tells the time
• Tells the date
• Tells the day of the week
• Has an alarm 
• Tough

I use a Fenix 7 pro for all my activities (trail / running / hiking, climbing, mountaineering...), it's been great so far with custom maps (Maprando), the flashlight might look like a gimmick but I use it everyday now.

Whatever brand you get, if you want good GPS tracking, aim for a multi gnss dual band feature, it makes a big difference in vertical terrain or deep under trees. The Fenix 7 / 8 and enduro models are still very expensive but Garmin is the only manufacturer to provide on-device map routing (useful for trail running or hiking, not so much for mountaineering with a base .gpx trace). You can also look at more affordable alternatives from Coros (apex 2 / pro is fine, but a new apex 3 has been announced), or Suunto (the Race has everything, race S for a small format, Vertical solar titanium for huge battery).

If you don't really care about the maps and the connectivity and want only elevation, the entry level models would be ok as long as they have a barometric sensor, or something like the Air'n Theia (Theia II is anounced).

Recently switched (6 months ago) to the Coros Vertix 2S after 10+ years with various Garmin watches. Super happy with Coros, both the device, features, simplicity, and app. The battery life is insane. Wouldn't go back to Garmin. Highly recommended.

ZT Gwrote:

Casio w-218H That I found in j tree like 5 years ago

• Still on the original battery
• Backlit
• Tells the time
• Tells the date
• Tells the day of the week
• Has an alarm 
• Tough

My Casio F-91W has served me well, never have to worry about the battery dying on a multi day trip or cracking it on a rock or ruining it from cave mud. 

I’m not a watch wearer, I can’t get past the snag factor and grinding when climbing flared or bigger than tight hand cracks. I do somewhat understand the appeal of tracking info though. I wonder why one of the companies doesn’t make a slimmed down pocket device or a fob device of some sort. It seems like this would be well received by climbers and mountain athletes. 

I think some Coros models do have a mode where you clip the watch to your harness with a little carabiner and pair it to a heart rate monitor on chest or bicep. 

Daniel Shivelywrote:

I’m not a watch wearer, I can’t get past the snag factor and grinding when climbing flared or bigger than tight hand cracks. I do somewhat understand the appeal of tracking info though. I wonder why one of the companies doesn’t make a slimmed down pocket device or a fob device of some sort. It seems like this would be well received by climbers and mountain athletes. 

Same, as a trad climber I absolutely cannot wear a watch or I'll destroy it. But Coros does make the Vertix 2S which can be mounted on a special locking carabiner accessory that they conveniently also make for an eye watering $79. Maybe it's just me but charging $79 for a carabiner is just offensive. Spending $699 for the Vertix 2 and then getting smacked with a $79 carabiner cost on top of it is wild. I'd be interested in the watch but I have to say, that really rubs me the wrong way. That's neither here nor there though, it's supposed to be a solid product and here I am giving them free advertising despite saying I'm turned off from buying it.

https://coros.com/carabiner

Cosmic Hotdogwrote:

Same, as a trad climber I absolutely cannot wear a watch or I'll destroy it. But Coros does make the Vertix 2S which can be mounted on a special locking carabiner accessory that they conveniently also make for an eye watering $79. Maybe it's just me but charging $79 for a carabiner is just offensive. Spending $699 for the Vertix 2 and then getting smacked with a $79 carabiner cost on top of it is wild. I'd be interested in the watch but I have to say, that really rubs me the wrong way. That's neither here nor there though, it's supposed to be a solid product and here I am giving them free advertising despite saying I'm turned off from buying it.

https://coros.com/carabiner

Wow! I wonder how many of that combo Coros has sold. This confirms my long held suspicion that I’m completely out of touch with modernity. lol

$79 is absurd. Do you need that model and carabiner specifically? Could you use any model that pairs to a heart rate band and then clip the watch band with a regular carabiner?

Tanner Jameswrote:

Coros vertix 2S! I logged over 12,000 miles on my garmin fenix line and switched to coros 2 years ago. Significantly more accurate tracking by a large margin and has a bunch of climbing specific functions that no other watch brand offers. Highly recommend!

This.

I was a Garmin dude for soooo many years but switched to the Coros for the longer battery life about 5 years ago and I've never looked back.

So much better than the Garmin in my opinion but ymmv.

James -wrote:

$79 is absurd. Do you need that model and carabiner specifically? Could you use any model that pairs to a heart rate band and then clip the watch band with a regular carabiner?

I think you could create your own fastener system and throw it on a carabiner. I have a Garmin Fenix that I removed the wrist straps from, leaving only the little bars where the wrist band used to attach. I took a few zip ties and wrapped them around those bars, cut off the excess tails, and put a carabine through the zip tie loops I'd made.

Carabiner attachment for a smartwatch using only the wristband:

https://www.reddit.com/r/GarminFenix/comments/1lerbne/quick_hack_for_those_who_climb_with_their_fenix/

I have a garmin instinct 2 solar and works just fine but the altimeter can be off by a metre at times.