Brunton WindWatchÆ
By Jeff Porcaro

The WindWatchÆ is a powerful instrument for the outdoor enthusiast whose activities can be affected by wind and temperature. This hand-held instrument reports wind speed and temperature. : The ability to know the speed of the wind will give any avid pilot, paraglider, an advantage.

The watch will display all standard wind speed units - Mph, Knots, Beaufort, Km/h, and m/s. The WindWatch will also keep track of the peak wind speed. Once you know the wind speed you can also determine the wind chill. The WindWatch uses an internal temperature sensor, which increases accuracy. It displays temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius.

The WindWatch includes a rugged casing that is waterproof and floats. This instrument was made to take a beating. The rugged and waterproof construction is a must for water sport enthusiasts. Our testers used the WindWatch in many situations from a warm summer afternoon on the lake to a frozen winter night in the Wasatch Mountains.

The wind-chill feature was a favorite of our testers, being able to accurately brag about how cold the night was on your last campout is important. However, when exposing the instrument to moisture and then using it on a freezing windy day, one of our testers found that wind propeller would freeze up and not spin.

We were disappointed that with the name WindWatch, the device did not actually tell the time. We also wanted the unit to have a backlight for nighttime excursions. Another tester wondered why the temperature and wind speed are not displayed on the same screen.

Summary:
With the advent of high technology there are, and will continue to be, great new gadgets that make for a safer backcountry experience. The WindWatch could be one of them with the aforementioned enhancements. We found this unit to be rather pricey for what it currently does, but given a few modifications it will be worth the price.

The suggested retail price is $112.00.

Jeff Porcaro is a Contributing Editor at GearReview.com, and co-founder. He specializes in stoves, GPS navigation, mountaineering, and trips to Utah's remote backcountry.

For more information, contact:
Brunton Company
620 E. Monroe Ave.
Riverton, WY 82501
(307)856-6559 (800)443-4871
support@brunton.com