Highgear's AltiTech 2 is an excellent companion for hiking, climbing, mountain biking and other outdoor activities. This sophisticated device is an altimeter, barometer, compass, thermometer, chronograph and watch, all rolled into one compact unit. Available in black or hunter green, the AltiTech 2 has an extra-large (1-1/4-inch) face and an anodized aluminum clip-on carabiner, so it can hook onto a belt loop, backpack or pant strap. The carabiner is hinged, so you can easily tilt the face up for viewing. You can also set the unit on a dresser, nightstand or other flat surface and flip the face up at a 90-degree angle for easy viewing.

The AltiTech 2 displays excellent construction quality, including a rugged, water-resistant plastic casing to protect the internal components and sensors. The altimeter has working range of -2,305 feet below to 30,045 feet above sea level, and it can store data readings with altitude, date and time. The altimeter shows the maximum and accumulated altitude since the last time they were reset. After a few seconds, the top line shifts to a graphic indicator of altitude changes. The center line shows current elevation in feet or meters, while the bottom line shows time of day. Like all of the other components, the altimeter can be regularly calibrated to a known altitude for optimum accuracy.

The watch function is surprisingly capable. The AltiTech 2 lets you set two alternate time zones, which is great for trips, and it offers three different screen views with varying combinations of day/date, time, temperature and local barometric pressure, among other options. Each screen also sports an icon displaying a visual representation of the current weather, and the current time is shown in large, easy-to-read numerals.

The AltiTech 2's compass function displays the current heading in degrees as well as the approximate bearing (N, NW, ENE, etc.) in half-cardinal points and degrees. North and south are always displayed in the form of dashed line segments, but they can be a bit hard to see. The compass can be calibrated for accuracy and to account for the magnetic declination (the difference between the magnetic and geographic north) in your area. There is an automatic shutoff feature that keeps the compass visible for 30 seconds to conserve battery life, and you can quickly reactivate it with the press of a button.

The barometer screen acts as a miniature weather station, showing the local barometric pressure, an estimate of what the weather will be like for the next 6 hours and the barometric pressure for the past 24 hours. Other elements include time, current temperature and local unadjusted barometric pressure. For advanced users, the AltiTech 2 has the ability to adjust the sea level and current barometric pressure settings.

One of our favorite features is the chronograph, which lets you time a workout run and save the data. The screen displays both lap time and split time simultaneously, and you can record up to 100 lap times for 30 different workouts. The AltiTech 2 also shows the average and best times for each workout.

Perhaps our only complaint is that the clock alarm is a bit too soft to hear if there is any background noise. Other than that, the Highgear AltiTech 2 is an advanced device and a must for any dedicated outdoors aficionado.


Pros: Multifunction device is very accurate, numerous advanced features
Cons: Complex controls are not intuitive, alarm is too quiet

Warranty
2 years, limited