New GPS Watch
 

Hi All,
I know there are a lot of outdoorsy people here, so I thought that I'd share that I recently picked up a Garmin Epix 2 watch and that it's pretty awesome.
I put it to the first (simple) test last week at Diana's Baths where I used the "track me" and "return to start" features. What this essentially does is track the route taken and then, on the way back, signal when off trail, etc.
Though I can download my own routes, the trails I used were already loaded in the device, which was neat.
I'll be using it to bag a 52WAV Saturday (Blueberry) and can report with any results people might be interested in.
I'll add, also, that the device's health reports have helped me consider my sleep patterns and training hours, etc. I especially like the "morning report" that gives me a sleep score, training battery reading, weather report, etc.
Finally, I can control my music from the watch or even download music to avoid using my phone altogether—this came in handy last weekend when we were in Tamworth without service for a few days.

Please add any info or tips you have or ask any questions!

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Very interesting. Does it need a cell signal?

I was interested in Dan's(?) post a few months ago about the emergency beacon on Amazon that is not cell dependent, and I think I saw the new iPhone 14 has an emergency satellite link. Hoping to settle on some sort of electronic safety net before hiking solo this spring. Thanks

It only needs a cell signal for "smart" functions like notifications, music control, etc.

It comes with Garmin's maps installed, and you can download your own custom map or maps from Alltrails, etc. (Garmin calls them "courses") to be independent of cell service.

For example, I just downloaded a custom route for Monadnock and a Spotify playlist—that will allow me to go in the woods with just my watch and get GPS tracking and off-trail/missed turn notifications as well as be able to listen to the Spotify playlist, track my physical statistics and hiking times, etc.

It's not really a replacement for a PLB, but those haven't proven as reliable as people think they are—the Warden's Watch podcast episodes about Kate Matrosova go into that a bit—and the only time I'm out solo is when the weather is more...forgiving. In the winter, I always hike with at least one other person and never on routes or in weather that are outside normal risk.

Why I think it's so great is that it's also an excellent daily watch that gives me good data to make decisions on. For example, the sleep score has gotten me to pay attention to a more regular, and longer, sleep routine that has definitely paid off in the last two weeks.

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Added: the models included in my research were the Fenix 7/7S/7X (regular size, small, large), Epix 2, Enduro, Tactix. The main differences between these are size of display/case and battery life.

The Fenix 7 usually gets the nod given the overall balance of battery life and performance, but I just couldn't forgive the dim display vs. the Epix 2 that is the Fenix 7 regular size with an (awesome) AMOLED screen.

These models all have multi-band GPS that independent studies are showing crazy accuracy with—most reviews put accuracy at 3 meters even in challenging conditions, such as tall buildings, tree cover, etc.

Oh, a note on crystals: having had a host of "nicer" timepieces over the years with mineral glass crystals that have scratched way more easily than promised, I only buy sapphire.

Garmin uses sapphire on their higher-end versions and Gorilla Glass on the midline ones.

NOTE: the Epix 2 comes in two versions, steel/Gorilla Glass and titanium/sapphire. Only the latter comes with multi-band satellite.

Any other questions?!

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Thanks, Think.

On Monadnock--I am not sure I have posted this before, but the back trails at Monadnock are excellent and all but deserted as the hordes ascend up White Dot. You can go 2/3's of the way up before you see another person, even in the summer. Best to start with the ones at the far end of the main parking area. The other parking areas may have semi challenging drives to reach them.

(You will definitely need a map (and the watch!), and in the off season an adult hiking buddy. Trail markings are not perfect. i would not go above treeline in the winter)

I think this is the best Monadnock route:

Old Halfway House -> Monte Rosa -> Smith Summit

White Cross -> Smith Connecting -> Cliff Walk -> Parker -> Old Toll Road

Ever done that?

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That's what I'm talkin' about! it has been 2-3 years and I often improvise as I go, so i cannot remember exact route, but I have been on each of those trails. Cliff Walk and Monte Rosa are particular favorites. Isn't it amazing how there are hundreds of people on White Dot and White Cross, yet you're completely alone on Parker, etc?

Absolutely. Last time I did that route, I didn't see anyone before or after the summit. PERFECT.

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You had me thinking about the Epix gps watch. The I googled it and saw the price. Yikes!


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$900 for the titanium w/sapphire crystal right now. I actually opened an Amazon card for a $150 gift card, bringing it to $750 and, with the 5% off for using the card, ~$715.

Cha-ching!

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Update: I did not know that Garmin makes two options similar to the Epix but more specialized.

The Mach 1 is for aviators.

The Quatix 7, which some people here might be interested in, is the marine version. It has sailing/boating features built in and (I'm not sure if the Epix can do this) the option to install Garmin's Lakevu maps. That's a pretty cool backup!

Edited to add: though I didn't install the Lakevu maps, I played around a bit to see how it might look, and I think the watch is just too small to be legitimately useful.

Trails work because they're a singular line with only a certain radius to be concerned about. When looking at a larger area, however (other than just finding the location), the display seems too small.

For data, though—tides, weather, wind direction/speed, pacing, etc.—it might be useful.

I'd be interested to know if anyone uses a watch for this purpose.

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This is interesting. I have an Apple Watch that has similar capability for land, although I do not know how it would work on water or hiking trails--maybe some but not others? I can ask my watch orally for walking directions and it will plot the route and vibrate on my wrist at each turn. Then when you look at the watch it will say something like "turn left in 100'". So the size of the display is irrelevant, at least for the most important info. Easy to see how this could be combined with Garmin data

I got a Coros Apex 42mm a bit over a year ago. In my case I didn't want it to interface with my phone beyond syncing data, and decided that I didn't want/need installed maps either. Finally, I wanted a more manageable size to wear every day, my watch also comes in 46mm. Because it doesn't have all the functionality of the Garmin's etc. you mention it is less than half the price too.

I couldn't be happier with it. It has modes for all the things I do, hiking, biking, skiing, paddling, many more. When I'm done it tells all the various metrics of the event. For me, it's a perfect match of all the functions I want without the ones I'd disable anyway.

Though it lacks maps, it does have a return to start mode so if lost you can use it to navigate back to where you started using a bread crumb trail.

Coros gear gets great ratings, especially in terms of customer service and ongoing product support.

Since my primary goals were for hiking and biking (mountain and bikepacking), maps, turn-by-turn directions, and the best GPS systems were primary. Coros (Vertix 2) gets lower ratings for all of those (vs. Garmin).

For health and fitness monitoring, there Coros Pace and Apex Pro are supposed to be awesome, especially in terms of value.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

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Two more notes/updates:

* Used my GPS and maps for the first real time last week when we hiked Blueberry. We usually download Alltrails maps and screenshots before heading out, but we lost cell service long before we thought we would. As a result, we had to rely on distances in our heads...and my new Epix 2. The summit of Blueberry is off a dogleg turn that we would've missed if not for my watch's maps—it was pretty awesome how easy it was to navigate from the car to the summit and back with fine detail of all the trails in the area...without having to do anything else but pull it up on the watch. Accuracy was within a couple feet, which is pretty amazing, though I'm not sure what that'll be with more tree cover.

* Straps. The watch comes with a standard black silicone strap that has a thousand knockoff replacement options. I tried two (to add some color), but they were both uncomfortable—the buckles dug into my skin—and gave me a rash. I'm used to concealed straps on my past Rolex Sea-Dweller and current Omega Seamaster and Tissot T-Touch, but they don't make (cheaply) for the Garmin, so I ended up trying an Abanen nylon strap that people rave about. $13 on Amazon, and it's...AWESOME. No buckles to dig in, it breathes well, infinite adjustability, etc.

Peace!

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Cool that it worked so well for you! I download Alltrails maps so I can use them without cell service, but to be honest find the app so quirky that I don't actively navigate with it. Sometimes we stop and pull up the map and it accurately locates us, so no complaints there.

I've been amazed with the gps resolution on my watch. I remember my early 2000's handhelds needing to be held out toward the sky at times, or not reading well in the woods. This watch never seems to lose signal, yet it's on my wrist under a sleeve and collar of my gloves. I don't get how it does it, I think you'll find no loss of accuracy when in the woods.

I did the same on the band, went to a nylon mesh one with a velcro closure. the velcro is some different kind that seems to last forever, really like the band. I was ok with the silicone for a while but once weather got warm last year I began to really dislike it.

Great to know about the long-term use of the band—I was wondering about that. Thanks!

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Just an update for anyone who's been thinking of jumping in: I bikepacked the Northern Rail Trail (total of 70 miles or so) with my son's Scout trip this past weekend using solely my watch for navigation, and it worked perfectly.

Though we were mostly on the trail, we needed to navigate to the places we camped, so I created day one and two courses on Gaia (for free) and installed them on my watch, which gave turn-by-turn directions and captured complete ride data including distance, speed, average speed, elevation, heart rate, oxygen level, etc. along the way. *A special note that the nylon band discussed above allowed me to slide the watch up my arm a bit to clear my gloves, which was an unexpected benefit.
*A note on battery. Though Apple watches barely get singular days out of their batteries (while in use, especially), a whole day of riding—from 7AM to 3PM or so—used about 20% of my battery. So, I'd be able to ride/hike for around four days before needing to recharge (assuming standard draw the rest of the time).

Three "imperfections" I discovered:
1. Having the device on my wrist meant having to take a hand off the handlebars for a second, which, on a hike, rail trail, or road isn't really an issue, but while mountain biking could be. I believe there's a setting to vibrate or beep at turns, but I don't think there are different cues to indicate left/right.

2. There are multiple screens to scroll through when using this mode. One gives an elevation map, one is all the data, one is the map with highlighted route, and another is remaining mileage, etc. Scrolling through those with Always on Display off (my usual setting mostly for battery conversation) falls under the "hands off the handlebars" issue, but longer than just taking a peek.

3. The touchscreen loses a bit of sensitivity when soaked. In a light rain, there were no issues, but in continuous downpours, I reverted to using the buttons. Being able to do both, of course, is very handy.

Please do ask any questions if interested in this discussion!

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70 miles in a weekend? Really?

Watch sounds great. I love my Apple Watch, but I agree that short battery life makes in unusable for more than a day. You bring a map too, right?

70 in two days was actually a pretty easy run, as it was almost all well-packed rail trail under 2% grade. We did 120 in three a couple years ago in NY, which was more challenging because it was looser sand in many areas.

No map for this trip. The rail trail is as clear as it gets and the turns were mostly in populated areas. With the Gaia course on my phone and watch, and with the watch being able to operate independently without cell, it was a no-risk proposition.

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Doh! I'm too vain to wear reading glasses with the laptop. I read "bikepacked" as "backpacked". 70 miles seems much more reasonable now, haha

I biked 10 miles north and back starting in Boscawen last Sunday, we do that end of the rail trail fairly often. A week ago we went to Littleton and did about half the Ammonoosuc rail trail. That one is different, more rutted up due to ATV use though still really enjoyed it. On the way back we split up and of course I turned out of the trail in the wrong spot, had to use nav to find my way back on the road, only a mile or so. The reason I mention it is I have a nice cell phone mount on my stem, so easy to pull up a map and look down while riding. With my eyes, no way I could use my watch while riding, I'm wearing sunglasses with reader bifocal inserts which allow me to see the phone, without the readers I'm lost.