View Full Version : Fitbit, Nike Tom Tom, samsung watch, fitness watches who uses these?
I spent an hour or 2 at the store studying these watches that have gps, altimeter, and from what I gather most of them will tell you how far you go as applied to jogging. I jogged 7.8 miles and here is my route etc. Does anyone have experience with these cus I have a question. If it has a gps and can tell you how far you have been will it work on the AT?
Like lets say it is 8.8 miles to the next shelter and you have been lolly gagging along all day and you really have no Idea how much further it is to the shelter, can you look at Nike Tom Tom and it tells you you have been 6.8 miles you can figure I only have 2 more miles to the shelter. I want to know can these thing work like this? aside from giving your heart rate, calories burned etc.
From the one the GF has (fitbit) it tells you how many steps and possibly miles you have walked based on steps. So if you backtracked or took some blue blazes it will be off. Just walk till you hit the shelter. I will be taking the garmin version on my '16 thru to track total steps. Specs says it has a 1year battery life vs the fitbit being charged approx once a week.
I spent an hour or 2 at the store studying these watches that have gps, altimeter, and from what I gather most of them will tell you how far you go as applied to jogging. I jogged 7.8 miles and here is my route etc. Does anyone have experience with these cus I have a question. If it has a gps and can tell you how far you have been will it work on the AT?
Like lets say it is 8.8 miles to the next shelter and you have been lolly gagging along all day and you really have no Idea how much further it is to the shelter, can you look at Nike Tom Tom and it tells you you have been 6.8 miles you can figure I only have 2 more miles to the shelter. I want to know can these thing work like this? aside from giving your heart rate, calories burned etc.
GPS watches need constant recharging. Unless you are only planning on going out for a day or so then I doubt they'll be of much use.
Pedometers (Aside from having a very unfortunate name) are also highly inaccurate for backpacking. You'll always find them quite a bit ahead of you.
I think some standalone GPS units have the ability to download a trail map. If so then that's probably the way to go.
Shutterbug
01-29-2015, 12:57
I spent an hour or 2 at the store studying these watches that have gps, altimeter, and from what I gather most of them will tell you how far you go as applied to jogging. I jogged 7.8 miles and here is my route etc. Does anyone have experience with these cus I have a question. If it has a gps and can tell you how far you have been will it work on the AT?
Like lets say it is 8.8 miles to the next shelter and you have been lolly gagging along all day and you really have no Idea how much further it is to the shelter, can you look at Nike Tom Tom and it tells you you have been 6.8 miles you can figure I only have 2 more miles to the shelter. I want to know can these thing work like this? aside from giving your heart rate, calories burned etc.
I have Gamin Felix GPS Watch and a FitBit One.
The GPS Watch works just like any GPS. It accurately measures distance in a direct line. Trails don't usually follow direct lines, so the GPS usually underestimates the miles to a destination. My main complaint is battery life. If I leave the GPS turned on, the battery lasts less than 8 hours.
I keep a FitBit One in my pocket all the time. It is helpful to estimate trail mileage, but provides only an estimate. I have mine set for my "normal" stride. When I am climbing or descending, my stride is shorter than normal, so the FitBit overestimates the distance I have covered. Still, I find it to be a useful tool.
Bottom line -- when it comes to determining hiking distances, a map is still the best tool available.
The Solemates
01-29-2015, 13:15
i have a good deal of experience with these types of devices, although I must confess I dont really like them. but when your health insurance provider discounts your insurance by $600 annually if you take a certain number of steps on average, you learn to deal with the hassle and wear one.
handheld gps and watches have battery issues. they also lose signal very frequently, especially on places like the AT with heavy tree cover. mine loses signal all the time on a jog in my neighborhood, when I'm in civilization. however, if you can keep the battery charged and maintain signal these are the most accurate. fitbits and other things worn on the arm overestimate both true mileage and true steps. swinging your arms, lifting weights, etc...counts as steps often. pedometers, etc worn on the body or in your pocket count steps usually quite accurately, but extrapolating this to mileage is not as accurate.
I have the Guthook map with the trail and GPS waypoints in my iPod Touch, also available for smart phones and tablets, either iOS or Android.
I will purchase the Dual150A GPS.
It has bluetooth. The battery is rated for 8.5 hours continous use, recharges in 3 hours.
I can turn it ON or OFF conserving the battery.
This is the only "system" that makes sense for me: lightweight, good map information, actual location, immediately see how far ahead on the trail for water, etc.
The $$$ is reasonable for "multiple use".
The iPod Touch has multiple use.
The Dual150A GPS bluetooth supports up to five devices.
I will use my iPod Touch. I may want to add a tablet, as well, for the PNT.
If your hiking companion has a bluetooth enabled iOS or android smart phone and with map and trail software, share the Dual150A GPS.
buckaroo007
01-29-2015, 14:15
I used the AWOL guide book for a 1000 miles last year and found it to be close enough for every occasion.
What Garmin Version will you be taking?
From the one the GF has (fitbit) it tells you how many steps and possibly miles you have walked based on steps. So if you backtracked or took some blue blazes it will be off. Just walk till you hit the shelter. I will be taking the garmin version on my '16 thru to track total steps. Specs says it has a 1year battery life vs the fitbit being charged approx once a week.
What Garmin Version will you be taking?
damskipi
12-29-2015, 21:42
The GPS Watch works just like any GPS. It accurately measures distance in a direct line. Trails don't usually follow direct lines, so the GPS usually underestimates the miles to a destination.
I don't have a GPS watch so I can't speak to watch specifics, but "any GPS" receiver should be measuring actual distance traveled, not just distance in a straight line. How many satellites can your watch receive signals from at a time? I can't tell by the website but it says "high sensitivity GPS" so it's likely at least four. If you can receive four signals, you should be getting accurate distance including elevation changes. Terrain makes this more difficult of course, but theoretically it works.
Pedometers (Aside from having a very unfortunate name)
I laughed so hard my co-workers started looking at me funny. Thanks for this!
One comment - GPS Recivers (unless they are mil spec?) are not nearly as accurate as we could wish. You're better off to realize that from the start.
I have a cell phone, 3 different Garmin hand-held GPSs, and a Fitbit HR, expecting them to agree is a laugh and yes I did try several combinations over a known course.
As a general record, for "I went here, then there, and took so long" they are OK but if any one is accurate to within 100' I'm delighted.
I have an application on my android phone called "Pacer". The basic version is free and counts your steps if you have your phone on you. It can also do GPS, but then it uses more battery. If you are going to have your phone with you anyway, it works well. It even counts steps while in airplane mode, so the battery on your phone will last longer.
I like my FitBit Charge. I did not get the HR (heart rate checker) one because I have no blood pressure or problems with the heart.
I like the Charge over the lower model because it records the number of "flights of stairs" I climb due to the altimeter it contains. This is awesome for training purposes and for actual AT hiking. I loved seeing all the days I hiked that had well over 100 (or even 200) flights of stairs!
T.S.Kobzol
01-02-2016, 18:37
I use Microsoft Band 2