Multifunction GPS Watch

Hi-tech gadget lovers will thrive on downloading routes and creating their own routes, then tracking their speed, distance and later reviewing their route on the Sunnto X9i watch. Travelers who love to explore the wilderness but aren’t particularly interested in tracking every step may never have a strong urge to own this watch.

It takes time and some patience to set up and learn how to use the Suunto X9i. It’s not as easily an intuitive process as learning how to use a digital camera, for example. You need to have an interest in downloading or pre-planning a route if you want to use the navigation mode, set up the GPS mode, make sure the compass is calibrated properly before every hike, and check that the altimeter and barometer are set, for starters.

We took it on a hike through some remote canyons in Mesa Verde National Park and even the guide, who had a GPS with her, couldn’t quite figure out how to set up the watch so we could track the trip. (Suunto has a service department that will answer questions about using the watch.) On the flip side, according to some of the reviews on the Suunto website, some of the soldiers in Iraq are using the watch and love it.

Suunto has also released a new version, called the Suunto X9M/i, which was designed specifically for the military.

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