subject: Why Waste Your Dollars On An Altitude Watch? [print this page] No matter what outdoor activity you think you may be engaging in, there are various altitude watch products to suit your needs. Just like with other sports venues, where you can get golf watches and even watches hockey players can use to time the periods, there are just as many variations among altitude watches to suit the needs of anyone from a hiker to a serious mountain climber.
Skydivers even use an altitude watch as a primary or a backup. Skydivers are freaks for information - how high up they have been and how longer freefall time. Having altitude watch is not only stylish in sports like this, but it also gives necessary information, which is a great combination.
But, why should you spend the $300 or more that it will take to purchase an altitude watch?
The most important reason is safety no matter what sport you are doing. It is always better to have more information than less information. By purchasing an altitude watch you have a wealth of information about your trip in a small device strapped to your arm. While certainly you won't be using only your watch, as a matter of fact, you will have a number of primary instruments, like a compass, that will be what you operate from, it is still quite comforting to know that you have all that information available to you in a backup device.
If you're spending any significant time in the woods safety is of course a concern. While maps and GPS systems may be a great way to get around, they're not 100% reliable. It is a huge advantage to be able to measure elevation when you're on a trek like this.
The reason your elevation of such a critical number is that by measuring it you can correlate terrestrial information like latitude and longitude with altitude and validate your understanding of where you actually are.
Possibly the biggest advantage of having an altitude watch though, is the underlying science behind the predicting the weather. What I mean by that is your barometer is what actually drives the altitude function on the watch. The barometer is also the primary instrument used in weather prediction. Many altimeter watches allow simple prediction of the weather by virtue of extrapolating barometric pressure trends.
So, by having an altitude watch strapped to your arm, you have a powerful ally with you on any outdoor event. Being able to sense your environment with your watch is extremely helpful and safety enhancing. When you look at it this way, the $300 or so you will pay for an altitude watch is very cheap. It could just provide the information that saves your life one day.
