Altimeter

[cburnett]

on a PCT thru hike did anyone find an altimeter necessary for trailfinding? benefitial?


which one did you use?

[cburnett]

from pct-l

Good question, Casey.


In 2004, I wore a Suunto wrist altimeter/watch. I was glad I had it. The major benefit was that I had a good idea of how much of a climb/descent I had left, with the advantage of planning breaks, meals, and campsites. The major drawback was the oft-mentioned fact that the Data Book does not necessarily list the top of a climb or bottom of a descent.


I replaced the battery before starting, and I am still on the same one (four years). No criticism I can think of.


Jim Keener ( J J )
http://oldmanwalking.net

[cburnett]

from pct-l

Casey,

You don't need an altimeter since elevations are clearly indicated in the guidebook, but I found it's a "nice to have" item. I really enjoyed monitoring the information, and having a sense of where I was on the climb or descent.

My first was a cheapo Timex from Campmor, and it was worth what I paid for it (not much). It did make me get hooked on the data, though. My current hiking watch is a low-end Suunto, which also has a barometer (very useful) along with a host of other features. It's amazingly accurate, and I am very happy with the quality and performance of the tool.

L-Rod

[cburnett]

from pct-l

did people need an altimeter for their pct thru?
Absolutely not


did people benefit from having an altimeter for their pct thru?
Yes.
In my opinion altimeters are only useful if (1) you want or need to know how far up or down you have come (or have yet to go to reach your objective), or (2) you are triangulating your position on a topo map and need the extra accuracy to establish your exact position more precisely, or (3) are trying to hit or identify an objective (like an obscure unmarked trail junction) along the trail at a given altitude . Otherwise, IMO, it's just extra weight to carry. Be advised that number 1 can prove to be maddeningly frustrating and demotivating on a long, hot climb when your altimeter tells you that you have not come anywhere near as far as your body feels it has and therefore this God-awful hill will probably continue for the rest of eternity, or at least the rest of your lifetime. Sometimes, it is better not knowing such things.


which did these people use and what is their critic?
I have an altimeter built into my AVOCET wrist watch.
http://www.avocet.com/vertechpages/vertechalpin.html

[Magnet_]

I also used the Timex (I believe the model was the Helix). I saw several others using the same watch - probably because it was heavily discounted at campmor. My batteries died in under a year. It was more fun than useful for me and I probably used the thermometer more than anything else. It wasn't a necessity for trailfinding and I never used it to make any decisions. Even when calibrating it as often as possible, mine wasn't very accurate. I will probably bring one again next time (a better one).

http://adventureonthepct.com/photos/data/500/medium/0321.jpg

[cburnett]

from pct-l

Good morning, Casey,



I carried an altimeter for all of the Oregon and Washington portions of the PCT, but not in California. I have several altimeters, but the one I prefer is a Peet-88 analog model, which weighs 3.6 ounces. It didn’t make the cut for California because: 1) It’s not really necessary, 2) The weight, and 3) I carried a GPS with the same …. but less accurate …. function for about the same weight.



Quite a few hikers use the digital wristwatch/altimeter combination and find them useful. I owned an early-technology digital, and while I liked it, it wasn’t as accurate as the Peet, and it died at a young age. That was over 20 years ago, and I think the current technology is much more reliable.



Most altimeters, be they analog or digital, are really nothing more than aneroid barometers scaled to read altitude rather than pressure. Since they are driven by the constantly-varying value of barometric pressure, they require frequent readjustment to whatever the current, local barometric pressure may be. Their accuracy is only as good as their calibration and, on a many-day hike, calibration will depend upon the user finding a reliable altitude on the ground or from a map.



A GPS will usually calculate and display the altitude based upon Nav-Sat triangulation, but GPS altitude is generally not as accurate as a GPS latitude/longitude position. Some high-end GPS models have a built-in aneroid barometer …. with the associated problem noted above …. as an admission that GPS altitude based upon triangulation is not very accurate.



As Jerry mentioned, an altimeter will help provide location on a topographic map, even when a compass sighting can’t be made or when thick trees or a deep canyon preclude the use of a GPS.



If I’m bushwhacking through confusing terrain, as I often do, I carry ‘topo maps, a sighting compass, a GPS and the altimeter. If I then get lost, it’s because of “cockpit error”.

Steel-Eye

[cburnett]

from PCT-l

I have used a Suunto watch altimeter since 2000. As someone said, the altimeter is only as good as its barometric calibration. In recent years I have started carrying a Garmin 60cs gps which also includes a barometric altimeter.

Same problem. Sometimes I recalibrate it several times a day. This brings up another problem. Many trails have the altitude at milepoints. I have found the reported altitudes to be incorrect many times (Usually after I have recalibrated my altimeter). So I started using the topo lines on maps as suggested by Jerry. But I find the maps are also inaccurate at times. One example on the Tahoe Rim Trail - My gps location plotted on the map showed me on the south side of a small ravine. The map showed the trail north of the small ravine. I have also found that the base USGS maps that underlie most maps are not consistent between different scales. The inconsistency may be related to the ages of the maps. On older maps the topo lines as well as the trails were hand drawn. The USGS only updates these base maps based on demand. We found base maps that haven't been updated since the 1920's. In the end you have to use your good judgment about where you are on a map and what your elevation is.

Good judgment seems to grow with experience

Ken