Folks -- I'm looking for a small, lightweight thermometer with a feature I haven't seen for some years: the device tells current temp but also records overnight lows. Any thoughts?

I haven't seen those for awhile either. They were u-shaped type that recorded both high and low. Can't exactly remember how they worked, but you tapped them to reset them. Nowadays the answer would be to go digital, but the old ways were way cooler I think.

My Google search turned up some hits. There were some glass ones as JAK referred to (mercury is heavy) and there were various digitals. Try search terms: thermometer min max

I also saw a bimetalic strip type with that high/low feature.
Also try: thermometer high low

I think a digital type might be lightest, and the battery should last awhile.
Being battery free is a cool way to be though, psychologically speaking.

Ahhh...one of my favorite pursuits...the golden fleece of lightweight, mini-max thermometers. See this 100+ post thread for one of the WB discussions; http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=16571

I've tried a few mini-max and have not been truly happy with any of 'em, however...:D

Just today I received two LaCrosse Technology "See-Thru Outdoor Window Thermometers" (model WT-62U). Why two and why a kind of bulky mini-max? Because these have a good range for the trail which is hard to find, -22°F - +122°, and because I got 'em from Woot! for $5 each, plus S&H. I'm currently testing one of them now against a high quality Oregon Scientific mini-max thermometer to judge their accuracy.

A neat feature of the LaCrosse is that once the time is set, it records and holds the temp range for 24 hours. The min temp resets daily at 8pm and the max resets at 8am or the readings can be reset manually. Another feature I like is that the current, min, and max temps are displayed simultaneously. Temps update every 10 seconds.

With it's single AAA battery, the thermometer weighs less than 3oz. It's 3¼ X 2 3/4 X 3/4"(at its thickest).

Possible cons: I wouldn't trust this thermometer to be water proof. And the temps are portrayed as LCD black digits on a see-through screen. Without holding it up to light or providing a light background (e.g., index card) the numerals will be hard to read. Since I want to know temp ranges on the trail and I'll have it in a tent or in a hammock the 'wet' should not be an issue. Nor do I expect the visibility of the readings to slow me down much.

Although I think others have recommended them I frankly wouldn't have chosen this thermometer at the store...they normally run $12-$15. But a two-pack for $10 was cheap enough to make me pull the trigger. Now that I have 'em, I think I may like 'em. This week's testing will tell the final story.

Woot! only sells their items for a 24-hour period so these are gone from the site (for now). But maybe you can find similar pricing elsewhere on the 'net.

FB

i have this one i use sometimes, when i'm testing the lower limits of my hammock system...


http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=35013178&memberId=12500226&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1

Radio Shack carries a digital one that I used to use to record the highs and lows inside my Iguanarium (hence my name ;) ).

Here ya go:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=79632-53921-00886GTSB&lpage=none

I have this one only because the one listed above was out of stock when I went to by it:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=21243-1308-00887GT&lpage=none

http://www.growerssupply.com/farm/supplies/prod1;gs1_monitoring_meters;pgca100.html seems lite enough

i have this one i use sometimes, when i'm testing the lower limits of my hammock system...


http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=35013178&memberId=12500226&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1

Accurate? Battery life OK?

I use an Extech RH-250 Temp and humidity logger to monitor the conditions where I store instrumentation tape. Very accurate.

Accurate? Battery life OK?

accuracy seems pretty good. it measures in 10ths of degrees, and closely matches both my indoor thermostat (also digital) and the mercury thermometer on the porch, so i think it's close enough.

re battery life... it's got a watch/alarm function that i never use, and without using it, it's lasted me about 2 years so far.