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Highgear AltiTech II Multi-Function Carabiner Watch
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Highgear AltiTech II Multi-Function Carabiner Watch

Item # 707270

$150.00

Item qualifies for annual
REI Member Refund (typically 10%)

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With the Altitech II, you'll instantly know your direction, elevation, the forecast and much more with just a push of a button!

  • High-resolution digital altimeter with icon reports current elevation in 1 meter (3.3 ft.) resolution; updates every 2 seconds
  • Barometer with weather icon reports changing trends in the weather; 1mbar with 300-mbar to 1,100-mbar resolution
  • Digital thermometer reports temperature with one-degree resolution, Fahrenheit or Celsius (min. -4F to max 158F)
  • Digital compass with leveling bubble accurately reports direction; adjustable declination
  • Watch features time, day/date display dual time zone and two programmable alarms, as well as a chronographic stopwatch function
  • Backlit for easy viewing in low light
  • Small size and soft-grip surface make it easy to hold; carabiner-like gate clips to straps or lanyards easily
  • Water resistant to 10 meters (33 feet)

Imported.

Item 707270

Highgear AltiTech II Multi-Function Carabiner Watch Specs

Specification

Description

Analog or DigitalDigital
Date windowYes
IlluminationYes
Water-resistance10 meters
Face diameter1.25 inches
ConstructionComposite/anodized aluminum
Weight2 ounces

Highgear AltiTech II Multi-Function Carabiner Watch Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews
Highgear AltiTech II Multi-Function Carabiner Watch
 
3.4

(based on 9 reviews)

78%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

  • Reliable (6)
  • Accurate (5)
  • Compact (5)
  • Easy to set up (4)
  • Strong construction (3)

Cons

  • Inaccurate (3)

Best Uses

  • Day trips (6)
  • Backcountry camping (5)
  • River trips (3)
  • Reviewer Profile:
  • Outdoor enthusiast (6), Avid adventurer (5), Gearhead (3), Professional (3)

Reviewed by 9 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-9

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Apr

3

2009

(7 of 9 customers found this review helpful)

 
2.0

NOT for high altitude

By kdp1

from Seattle, WA

About Me Avid Adventurer, Gearhead, Outdoor Enthusiast, Professional

Site Member

Pros

  • Compact
  • Waterproof

Cons

  • Difficult To Read
  • Inaccurate
  • Not Durable
  • Unreliable

Best Uses

  • Day Trips
  • River Trips
  • Road Trips

Comments about Highgear AltiTech II Multi-Function Carabiner Watch:

I write this review understanding that the majority of purchasers will not need this product for what I put it through. Yet, I wanted to take the time so that people can make an educated decision based on what conditions they do expect to use it in.

I bought the Altitech to use as an altimeter/ barometer/ chrono for an Everest summit climb last year. I did so, mainly because it is splashed & promoted all over a bunch of Everest websites- not realizing at the time that it was more about advertising dollars for a product that looked cool than something that actually worked in that environment.

Moving up to EBC, I had to readjust the tool to report actual elevation several times. This is common for barometrically calibrated altimeters, but the frequency of adjustment did seem surprising to me. Once on the Western Cwm, I encountered difficulties with the barometer as well. Arriving at Camp IV on the South Col, I dumped the thing altogether because the screen whited out and the equipment basically died on me. This was not in -20 degree weather. It was warm, sunny and fairly pleasant at 26,500'. However, before it died, the Altitech was 3,000 vertical feet off in its reported altitude (reporting that I was somwehere in the neighborhood of 23,500').

Returning down to EBC though, I handed it to one of our cook staff who thought it was the coolest thing ever and wouldn't let it out of his sight for our out-trek to Lukla. So he got some use out of it, and did exactly what I did- saw a cool looking product that is in all honesty fairly eye-catching.

The mini-compass is functional, clock portion will keep 2 time zones, and it is easy to use botton/function-wise. So my thought is that if you are looking to use this for a basic adventure, it will perform. But I would never trust if for anything extreme or where you absolutely needed to rely on it for height or barometric readings.

  • Gift:
  • No

Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

(7 of 9 customers found this review helpful)

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Jan

7

2008

(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

 
3.0

ACCURATE WATCH

By BEAR2

from Windsor, CA

About Me Avid Adventurer, Professional, SAR Team

Site Member

Pros

  • Easy To Set Up
  • Reliable Performance
  • Simple Controls

Cons

  • Inaccurate

Best Uses

  • Backcountry Camping
  • Day Trips
  • River Trips
  • Survival

Comments about Highgear AltiTech II Multi-Function Carabiner Watch:

Large display is easy to read. Watch is very accurate. All other functions require daily recalibrating.

Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

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Jul

12

2009

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

 
5.0

how barometric altimeters work

By Chris K.

from Seattle

About Me Gearhead, Outdoor Enthusiast

Pros

  • Reliable Performance
  • Understanding physics or

Cons

    Best Uses

      Comments about Highgear AltiTech II Multi-Function Carabiner Watch:

      I'm confused by many of the previous posts -- any altimeter that functions on the basis of barometric pressure (vs. GPS) is going to fluctuate based on 2 variables -- altitude but also weather changes in barometric pressure. any change in the weather & puff, the altitude is wrong. that barometric pressure would be steady over several days is highly unlikely anywhere. expect to recalibrate altitude at least once a day, and perhaps several times unless the weather is very steady.

      • Gift:
      • No

      Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

      (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

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      Dec

      21

      2007

      (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

       
      3.0

      Good watch

      By guategordon

      from Snohomish,WA

      About Me Kayaker, Outdoor Enthusiast

      Site Member

      Pros

      • Compact
      • Easy To Set Up
      • Strong Construction

      Cons

      • Inaccurate

      Best Uses

      • Backcountry Camping
      • Day Trips
      • River Trips

      Comments about Highgear AltiTech II Multi-Function Carabiner Watch:

      I use mine when I Kayak. Being able to hook it to the outside of my PDF is great. Also like the big numbers making it easy to read.
      It does need to be reset quite often but that may be because I often travel by plane and that seems to throw it all off

      Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

      (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

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      Dec

      18

      2007

      (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

       
      5.0

      Great tool

      By trail buster

      from Hendersonville, NC

      About Me Avid Adventurer, Outdoor Enthusiast

      Pros

      • Accurate
      • Easy To Set Up
      • Reliable Performance
      • Strong Construction

      Cons

        Best Uses

        • Backcountry Camping
        • Day Trips
        • Survival

        Comments about Highgear AltiTech II Multi-Function Carabiner Watch:

        Great product, perfect for those of us that do not enjoy wearing a watch. I really like how the clip allows the product to rotate 180 degrees. I would like to remark on the temp rating, any digital product will not work as well below freezing due to the liquid screen and liquid filled battery. So this product is to standards for winter activities.

        Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

        (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

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        Nov

        10

        2009

         
        2.0

        "Not for Serious Use"

        By RDS III

        from Afghanistan

        About Me Avid Adventurer

        Site Member

        Pros

        • Accurate

        Cons

        • Complicated Controls
        • Short Battery Life

        Best Uses

        • Campgrounds
        • Road Trips

        Comments about Highgear AltiTech II Multi-Function Carabiner Watch:

        Initially I was pleased with this relatively inexpensive piece of gear, but after I began to use it for some serious mountaineering it began to show its flaws. I used the carabineer type latch to hook onto my pack's chest strap loop which worked very well. I was pleased to see that once calibrated, the altimeter was within a small margin of error as compared to topos and GPS readings. The problems began when the temperature dropped to below zero. The device clearly doesn't like to be cold, and mine reverts to a blank screen making the thing useless. I believe it still functions, but the screen seems to just fade away… weird. I decided to give it another try clipped to my trouser loop and found out quickly that it isn't very rugged. My harness found a way to push a series of buttons that activated some functions that eat battery life, and without the handbook I was unable to get it to reset to normal. Once the battery died, so did my interest in this product.

        • Gift:
        • No

        Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

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        Oct

        14

        2009

         
        4.0

        Accurate and Generally Well-Designed

        By Mountaineer Ordinaire

        from Bellevue, WA

        About Me Avid Adventurer, Gearhead, Outdoor Enthusiast

        Site Member

        Pros

        • Accurate
        • Compact
        • Long Battery Life
        • Reliable Performance
        • Strong Construction
        • Waterproof

        Cons

        • Finicky Buttons

        Best Uses

        • Alpine Climbing
        • Alpine Scrambling
        • Backpacking
        • Hiking

        Comments about Highgear AltiTech II Multi-Function Carabiner Watch:

        A year or so ago, after accidentally breaking my original bulky (but otherwise good) altimeter watch, I decided to forgo purchasing another altimeter watch and instead bought this one which hangs conveniently on the front of a backpack and offers a large digital readout.

        Accuracy-wise, it equals my former high-quality Polar altimeter watch. As with all altimeter devices, it needs to be calibrated before embarking on a hike, climb, scramble, backpack, etc.

        My only complaint (a minor one) involves the calibration buttons which are sometimes unresponsive (hence finicky) if not pushed "perfectly."

        Overall, this is a well-designed product which I use each time I enjoy time in the backcountry.

        • Gift:
        • No

        Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

        Images shared by Mountaineer Ordinaire

        North Cascades Sahale Mountain Climb

        Image Thumbnail

        Tags: Using Product

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        Apr

        7

        2009

         
        4.0

        Good, but construction could be better

        By LytseJehannes

        from Somerville, MA

        About Me Outdoor Enthusiast

        Site Member

        Pros

        • Accurate
        • Compact
        • Long Battery Life
        • Reliable Performance

        Cons

        • Sensitive to breaking

        Best Uses

        • Backcountry Camping
        • Day Trips

        Comments about Highgear AltiTech II Multi-Function Carabiner Watch:

        Up for my third [...] I must say that construction could be better. First one, the level ran out of liquid and the turning ring got stuck. The second one, the carabiner part broke at the hinge. Construction of the second one seemed more flimsy than the first. BUT, great product overall; nice if you dont like watches (like me), within easy reach and well readable. Though calibration is necessary for accurate performance (and this is sometimes annoying), I would definitely recommend it.

        Service and delivery comments:

        Excellent customer service at REI, whenever I had a problem they instantly replaced the unit.

        • Gift:
        • No

        Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

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        Dec

        5

        2007

         
        3.0

        Meets expectations

        By Teledar

        from Albuquerque, NM

        About Me Professional

        Site Member

        Pros

        • Accurate
        • Compact
        • Easy To Set Up
        • Reliable Performance
        • Simple Controls

        Cons

          Best Uses

          • Backcountry Camping
          • Day Trips

          Comments about Highgear AltiTech II Multi-Function Carabiner Watch:

          So far, the controls and measurements meet expectations, although the readout could have been better. The beeper (alarm) needs to be much louder to serve usefully. Clip is well constructed and I have no reason to doubt the quality of the device.

          Would have gotten 4 stars if price were lower.

          Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

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