When setting out for a weekend away camping, your equipment checklist is likely to read all the essentials: tent, backpack, stove, hiking boots, etc. However, does it include a specialist watch? There are so many timepieces on the market to meet the tastes of so many people that it’s sometimes easy to forget there are just as many watches purposefully made for campers and outdoor thrill-seekers as there are watches to make the wrist look pretty.
Detailed below is just a selection of watches that stand out as great ‘camping watches’. Thanks to some nifty features, these gadgets will make great wrist companions on your next camping trip. Here’s the top picks:
Casio G-Shock
The first entry for Casio in the list is the company’s famed G-Shock range. For over 25 years, Casio G-Shock has presented fans of camping with superior shock resistant watches. The original mission to create a ‘watch that never breaks’ has resulted in tough cookie watches that are perfect for happy campers. As well as the promised durability of shock resistance, most models have useful features such as stopwatch, countdown timer, light and water resistance. Meanwhile, the colourful Baby-G range is perfect for girls who want in on the action.
Timex Expedition
Timex Expedition watches are similarly rugged watches for the outdoor camping lifestyle. If you’re planning on an adventure hike while you’re camping, look no further. Ranging from military-style designs to sporty digital watches, these Timex Expedition watches are the ideal match for action men everywhere. Scale new heights and walk new paths with watches that boast features including altimeter, barometer, thermometer, compass and Indiglo backlight. In short, it’s a multi-functional tool kit in one watch-shaped package, perfect for if you’re trying to judge the perfect spot to pitch a tent or navigate a path up a mountain.
Tissot T-Touch
Touch screen watches offer wearers a world of technology with just a simple touch of the dial. Tissot T-Touch watches are the perfect touch-sensitive models for campers thanks to their wide range of features. Although their added expense means these Swiss quality watches might not be a wise choice for the most thrill-seeking of campers, the advanced capability is undoubtedly an advantage. The sapphire glass of each dial is a touch-accessed gateway to various functions including – but not limited to – compass, altimeter, barometer, thermometer, chronograph and alarms. One of these is sure to benefit your next camping trip.
Casio Protrek
The second Casio range spotlighted here is the Protrek range, a collection of watches that are again ideal for camping aficionados. While applications such as a bearing sensor and altimeter are geared towards the active mountaineer, other features including digital compass, barometer and thermometer can be applied to a more general camping scenario. Protrek’s tough solar power system is perfect for the outdoors and means your watch will never need a battery change, while a tide graph can aid those campers who like to fish while they’re pitched.
