The Apple Watch is a wearable computing device that provides the convenience of your assistant right on your wrist.
Apple Watch was first released in 2015 and since then it has been making waves in the tech world. It has been used by many people as a tool to help them stay healthy, monitor their fitness levels, and motivate themselves to exercise.
Can You Use an Apple Watch for Hiking?
Is the Apple Watch a good hiking watch? Yes, but there are some things you should keep in mind before buying one. Let’s take a look at what you need to consider when deciding whether or not an Apple Watch is the best choice for your next hike.
Hiking is an activity that involves tremendous physical exertion in the outdoors. If you are looking for a watch that will help you keep track of your progress and also serves as a safety tool, then an Apple Watch is worth considering.
Apple Watches can be used as powerful outdoor hiking watches! They have some excellent features when it comes to outdoor activities. But considering its price range, some might question whether the Apple Watch is worth the purchase.
But if you are looking for a GPS watch with good battery life and features, then the Apple Watch is perfect for your needs!
I decided to see if I can use my Apple Watch for hiking. I was pretty sure that the watch would be able to perform some of the functions that are typically performed by a GPS device. However, there were some questions about how effective the device would be at this activity, and about what features it does and does not have.
Several features make the apple watch a great hiking companion. Its lightweight, water-resistant design makes it perfect for outdoor activities.
It also has GPS and a barometer so you don’t have to stop and check your phone for directions. The barometer function is important because it helps keep track of altitude changes when you hike up a mountain or down into a valley.
How Do I Save Battery on Apple Watch While Hiking?
When you are hiking, you want to conserve your battery as much as possible. To help you with that, Apple has created a new feature called “Auto-Brightness.” This feature lets your watch know when it is dark out and adjusts the brightness based on what is happening in the environment.
The best way to conserve battery while hiking is by keeping your watch in a dark place like your pocket or wrist strap. You can also use “Night Shift” mode if you need to block out light while watching videos or playing games.
To conserve battery, turn off the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios on your watch before starting your hike.
Since the Apple Watch is not a standalone device, it needs to access your iPhone or iPad to perform certain tasks. You can conserve battery life by disabling certain features.
You can save battery on your Apple Watch while hiking by turning off notifications, the Digital Crown, and haptic feedback.
How to Take Your Apple Watch on A Hike
Whether you hike regularly or not, it is a good idea for hikers to have their Apple Watch with them. With its features, including exercise tracking and navigation, the Apple Watch is an essential hiking accessory.
Whether you are new to hiking or already have experience, here are some tips on how to take your Apple Watch on a hike.
These include how you should prepare for your hike with your Apple Watch and the things you should do while wearing the device.
If you’re planning on taking your Apple Watch on a hike, you need to prepare for the hike ahead of time.
Apple Watch Hiking Tips:
- Make sure that you have plenty of battery life before heading out on the trail
- Set up your watch’s GPS to record your location while you’re hiking
- Track how much energy you have left before heading back
- Turn off notifications from apps that can interrupt your hike
- Set up alerts for when you need to refill on water or rest
Apple Watch is one of the most popular smartwatches. It can be used for many things such as tracking your activity and heart rate, monitoring your health, and many more. Apple Watch can also be used to help hikers with its features such as taking screenshots of your hike and tracking elevation changes.
Apple Watch Hiking Features
Here are the characteristics of the Apple Watch that make it ideal for hiking.
- When you’re out on the trail, having a GPS is crucial. The Apple Watch can plot your position on a map and a GPX track line to see if you’re on the route or off it. To effectively use the trail mapping, you’ll need to employ a hiking app (more later), but even if you don’t use it, your position will be tracked by the GPS. The GPS works well (and truly utilizes GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and QZSS to find your position). You can’t choose which satellite navigation system to use, but the Watch will automatically use the best one(s) available. If you do use an app, you can see your current position on a map and/or your GPS track.
- The newer Apple Watches have a barometric altimeter. This means that you can get an altitude without GPS. Remember that this altimeter is not as accurate as a professional one, so use it as a ballpark estimate. Another thing you can do with the Apple Watch is track your hike by displaying your elevation gain and current elevation.
- The Apple Watch 5 and higher models have a magnetic compass. This means that the watch can tell which direction you are facing. It is helpful to have this information, for example, if you get lost. Another app, such as Maps, can use the compass in the background to improve its direction.
- The Apple Watch 6 has a blood oxygen sensor. This can measure how much oxygen is in your blood when you are at a higher elevation. The air at these altitudes has less oxygen, so it will be interesting to see how this affects your body. Remember that the Apple Watch doesn’t have a feature like the Garmin Fenix 6 that tells you what altitude you’ve acclimatized to.
Best Hiking App for Apple Watch
Hiking has been a popular activity for a long time, and anyone who wants to start their adventure can do so by getting an app for their Apple Watch. Most people use it as an additional tool alongside their phones to help them track progress and stay aware of upcoming obstacles.
Hiking apps are indispensable when you’re going on a hike, with many different features like distance logged, elevation tracking, and routes mapped out.
To enjoy your hikes more, you need a hiking app that is optimized for the Apple Watch. There are a few apps that are worth checking out.
Best Hiking Apps for Apple Watch:
1) iHike (free)
2) Backcountry Navigator (free)
3) AllTrails Navigation (free)
4) Viewranger US Topo Maps (free)
After you download one of the best hiking apps for your Apple Watch, you will be able to track your progress while on a hike. It also allows you to see what other people are doing in different areas and how they are doing it. With this app, you can compare your progress with others and see what routes they are taking at any given time.
Hiking apps are also great for people who want to take their workouts up a notch by incorporating their activity into them.
