Altimeter Ski Watch

[Bravosarah]

Can anyone recommend a good one? ($200 limit, although I'd like to pay less )

What should I look for in one? (I think I'd like one that is easy to use and can add runs per day and vertical per day)

What do you put to use most on yours? I've been looking at them and they basically all seem the same, but I know small differences can be a big deal.

Thanks in advance
Sarah

Edit:

Another question, when an altimeter measures vert does it measure straight down or what you actually skied, considering the turns on some runs?

 

[Lori_K]

I have a pretty basic one I got a couple years ago, the Timex Helix watch. https://www.modernoutpost.com/gear/details/tx_helix_abt.html

It doesn't track vertical, but does have an altimeter and a thermometer. I actually don't wear it on my wrist (can't get a good temp. reading there!), but I hang it off a loop on the bottom of my jacket. The altimeter reading is based on barometric pressure, so I have to re-calibrate it every time I use the altimeter reading. Not a big deal, just set it to the correct altitude when we get to the ski hill. I think some of the more sophisticated ($$) watches use a more accurate method of calculating altitude.

The next thing I want to get is a heart-rate monitor watch. I'd like to see how many calories I'm burning, and what my heart rate is after climbing Kachina peak. *gasp*

 

[lil mountain girl]

i know SUNTO makes some really nice watches of various kinds with built in altimeters, barometers, logs, etc.

SUNTO also makes a clock with built in gagets that is not in a watch form -- it kind of like a small pocket watch.

whatever choice you make, keep in mind that often watches with added computer gizmos and gagets often are bulkier than regular wrist watches, so TRY IT ON FIRST!!!!

you might not like the way it feels on your wrist and it might get in the way of jacket sleeves/mitt or glove fit . . .

as for an ALTIMETER:
altimeters measure the vertical distance you've traveled, not the horizantal -- that means 300m or 1000ft means you've traveled that distance straight down (or up)!!!

i hope this helps!

 

[Jilly]

Sunnato, by Amer Sports. I spent a day with a gear head would had to know, how many runs, how much vertical and time spent/run. I decided I didn't need one of these. I'm not sure what you can get for <$200.00. Check with MEC too.

 

[HotChocolate]

Sarah,
I ordered a Highgear TerraTech Altimeter Watch on steepandcheap.com this week. With shipping it came to $68.72. I cannot give a review on it until after I try it out. But I will let you know if you are not in a hurry to buy one.

Try the following places if you haven't already:
backcountry.com
squiggly.com (swatch dealer)
rei.com

You can also keep an eye on the SAC site or send them an email to inquire about the watch I ordered, maybe they will let you purchase it at the same price if it is something you like.

 

[lil mountain girl]

OOPS!!!

i ment Suunto, not sunto . . . i don't know what gives with the spelling but you can find these products at MEC (mountain equiment co-op), it's the Canadian version of REI.

 

[abc]

Perhaps you should tell us what you expect to get out of this new addition of your gear?

I have one, by Suunto, one that has a lot of features, for navigation in mountaineous regions. But I've never bother bringing it to ski trips.

So, tell me what you want out of it. I'll tell you if it'll give you want you want.

 

[tradygirl]

Sarah,
I ordered a Highgear TerraTech Altimeter Watch on steepandcheap.com this week.

I bought my husband a highgear watch from SAC and he's really enjoyed it. It doesn't have a ton of features, but he mostly wanted it for BC skiing to check elevation and aspect. For the price, I don't think you can beat it. Keep an eye out on SAC - they post altimeter watches all the time.

 

[Bravosarah]

Perhaps you should tell us what you expect to get out of this new addition of your gear?

I have one, by Suunto, one that has a lot of features, for navigation in mountaineous regions. But I've never bother bringing it to ski trips.

So, tell me what you want out of it. I'll tell you if it'll give you want you want.

Mostly, I'm looking for something where I can keep track of the vertical feet I ski per year (or per season). I don't need much more than that.

 

[Kano]

BRavosarah --

I have this watch: https://www.avocet.com/vertechpages/vertechski.html

DH got it for me for Christmas several years ago, after enjoying HIS so much! (I found it for him while in a ski shop here, and thougt it would be JUST the thing for his gadgety, competitive, keep track of things nature)

I like it -- just cuz it's fun. He's just SO into keeping "score," and I do a GREAT job of "losing" to him every outing.

Kano

 

[abc]

Mostly, I'm looking for something where I can keep track of the vertical feet I ski per year (or per season). I don't need much more than that.

The Suunto will keep track of you total vert each day. But...

You can't see how much you've "accumualted" until you push "end". So you can't keep running it multiple trips.

For yearly total, you have to add them up with a log book of some kind.

 

[Lilgeorg]

I don't usually chime in on the gear talk, but I feel compelled this time. My hubby has the Avocet mentioned. We got it for hang gliding but use it all the time for counting verticle and runs. When the first Avocet died after 10 years, we tried the Suunto that cost so much more but was supposed to deliver so much more. It was big, bulky, and inaccurate. It was so bad that we gave it away to a friend and bought another Avocet.

The Avocet is light and easy to read. The only draw back that we have found is that you have to return it to have the battery replaced. But, that only happened to us after 10 years!!

 

[abc]

You brought up a good point. The Suunto eats battery for lunch!!! (though to be fair, you can replace it yourself)

 

[Kano]

The Avocet is light and easy to read. The only draw back that we have found is that you have to return it to have the battery replaced. But, that only happened to us after 10 years!!

We have replaced batteries -- and didn't return it to them for the replacement. We just went to the local jeweler!

KAno

 

[SkiMave]

Response to Lori K : "The next thing I want to get is a heart-rate monitor watch. I'd like to see how many calories I'm burning, and what my heart rate is after climbing Kachina peak. *gasp* "

You'll be shocked at how many calories you burn in one day of skiing (there's a reason you're so hungry when you come off the slopes). I wore mine once a couple of years ago and I burned over 2,000 calories in one day!!

Have fun!

 

[Lori_K]

Response to Lori K : "The next thing I want to get is a heart-rate monitor watch. I'd like to see how many calories I'm burning, and what my heart rate is after climbing Kachina peak. *gasp* "

You'll be shocked at how many calories you burn in one day of skiing (there's a reason you're so hungry when you come off the slopes). I wore mine once a couple of years ago and I burned over 2,000 calories in one day!!

Have fun!

That's about what I figured, rough estimate. I managed to lose 10 pounds between January & March last year, with no other changes to diet, just skiing and/or hiking turns every weekend. Unfortunately, it all came back over the summer....:(

 

[HotChocolate]

Sarah,
I just received mine it today. It is bulky on my boney wrist, however the strap is adjustable and I like big!

The display is large and very easy to read, no eye strain which I love. I will take it to Breckenridge on Saturday and give it try. I started tackling the manual, it may take me a while to learn all of the functions.

FYI Steepandcheap.com offered it on again but for less $$ since I purchased mine.

 

[dloveski]

I [HEART] MY SUUNTO T6 with GPS pedometer and heart monitor for running. I can no longer fool myself, thinking I went faster and farther---the data don't lie.

 

[sibhusky]

I've been tracking my vert for about 18 years or so, therefore, I've had some experience with these things. During that time I've had three Avocet watches, two of version 1 and one of version 2. The FIRST one was great, very accurate. I got the second one "for my daughter" while I sent the first one in for the battery change because naturally it went dead during winter. The second one was WAY HIGH from the get go. It would record 900 feet for an 800 foot hill (and you KNOW resorts don't underestimate their vertical). In time, I went back to the first watch. Then when after its third or fourth battery change, it suddenly went haywire and was close to useless. Having had experience with their "repair" center on watch number two (multiple trips, all of which I had to pay shipping and repair costs with no improvement in accuracy), I bought watch number three which was a Vertech II. The first year was wonderful, then all of a sudden, it started to "reboot" during year two. You'd be skiing along and suddenly it would be totally reset, time, date, vert, everything. Yet, I couldn't MAKE it reset by shaking in, squeezing it, etc. It would reset just leaving it on a counter. So, deciding to cut my losses with the Avocet, I now wear a Brunton, which hangs on your neck INSIDE your jacket. I think this protects it from the weather, which may have been an issue with the Avocets because I wore it over my jacket sleeve. I calibrate it each season by recording exactly which lifts I take all day for about 8 days, then compare the "error rate" for the watch compared to the actual lift vertical (up should equal down, although down could be slightly higher for trails with rollers). If the error is over 4%, then I adjust the vertical recorded all season for that amount. Otherwise, I just accept it.

The nice thing about the Brunton is you ARE ALLOWED to change your own batteries.