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When I hike, I start the watch when I leave the trailhead and stop it upon my return...is that how everyone else who times their hikes does it? I was just curious if anybody stops and restarts their watch at rest breaks/snacks/photos etc...just curious..

I usually go for start to finish times. Usually I have a camera along so my times usually include time for photo ops and some exploring (flora & fauna) trailside. It is amazing what you can notice if you are not watching the clock and trying to do a personal best everytime you hit the trail.

Usually return trips go quicker -- all photos are done unelss the lights's perfect.

Powerhiking is fun when you set your mind to it!

I always use a watch to calculate distance travelled. I lets me know how far to the next junction, etc.

But, now that I bought a GPS I hope it will be much easier.

Joe, what kind of camera do you use? I've seen some that look like pretty high quality on here, I'm wondering if they are yours.

I keep an eye on my watch for break purposes. Stop every hour, swap out pairs of socks, kick back, enjoy the sounds. Once I reach my destination, take a half hour to hour rest.
Although a thought occurred to me. When hiking in the Grand Canyon its a good idea just to toss the watch over the side. I tell newbies who plan to hike the canyon for the first time, forget about time, it means nothen hiking out

I went for a long hike today, and I must report that I lied - I guess I do check the time periodically. It was either "hey, I'm making pretty good time" or "jeez, I can't believe it took that long to get up here".

At one point on the way back to the car, I was going down a steep mountainside, when my foot rolled on a rock and just turned under me. I went down forward, and couldn't recover. I came down hard on my right knee on a sharp rock.
The good news is, I suffered no damage whatsoever because, as I said somewhere before, I wear construction kneepads when bushwhacking. This fall would have put me out of action for weeks, maybe permanently, if not for those knee pads.

I really, really recommend them!

Time? That's something I loose track of when I hike. When the suns starts getting low, I know it's time to get back. If I see a point I want to explore, I power hike at it. Until I see something visually interesting. Then I stop and look for a while. I become so sidetracked that tangents lead off into places unplanned. Time dissapears.

I include rests, food breaks, and photo breaks in my total hike time. Since I use a gps, I don't have to use a watch.

The only time that I am concerned about is the check back in time when I get back.

Sredfield wrote:Joe, what kind of camera do you use? I've seen some that look like pretty high quality on here, I'm wondering if they are yours.

Currently I use a Sony DSC-F707
Upgraded a year ago from the 505 & I love it!

back to topic, I soooooo look forward to the Hooli life of "time doesn't matter, what should I do today"... unfortunately, I'm only half way there
It doesn't help when I'm reading member profiles of thirty-something year olds listing "retired"

I think that qualifies as a double whaaaaa!

The first thing to come off within five minutes of hitting the trail is my watch. I find the wearing any kind of jewelry or watch to be very uncomfortable on the trail. My compromise for my fellow hikers (trekkers) is putting the watch in my pocket or a place in my backpack where they can get at it. The only time I am really concerned with is "Teh" time (otherwise known as a Backpacker Maragarita). All my points are well marked on the map I take and I have a good idea about how fast I hike.

me too (we hike with each other)

Depends on the type of hike. For a regular hike like Camelback, I start the stopwatch at TH and stop at the top. That way I can establish a personal "goal" to shoot for.

For day hikes, I time the total hike time, noting the amount of time for photos, exploring, etc.. That way I'll know roughly how fast I can do it without taking breaks for the next trip.

charles97 wrote: That way I can establish a personal "goal" to shoot for.

For day hikes, I time the total hike time, noting the amount of time for photos, exploring, etc.. That way I'll know roughly how fast I can do it without taking breaks for the next trip.

Thanks to "charles97" for bringing this topic back to life!

We try to keep track of our times on various hikes. Not that we try to set a new record each time we do a particular hike but just to know. The Bell Rock-Courthouse Butte Loop is a classic example.
Our personal best there is 1:18:07 but on Friday February 28th we did it in 2:42!! Someday, we hope to break the three hour mark for that hike! (But it's still fun to do it fast, too.)

Today, we did the Cibola-Soldier Pass-Brin's Mesa Loop in 2:13:40. As far as we can tell, our previous best time was about 3:35! It gave us great statisfaction to shave that much time off a route!

We think timing your trails and routes is a great thing to do. If you are a "fitness hiker," it's the only way to go. But even if you are regular people like us, it can bring unexpected satisfaction to your day. For example, we weren't hiking the Cibola-Soldier-Brin's Loop today for time. It was chilly and blustery and threatening rain and we felt like walking fast to stay warm. When we finished the loop with that time we amazed ourselves and felt extra good about the day.

That's what we think "timing" can do for hiking. Kinda add some nice extra "bonus feelings" to a hike.

Sure hope this topic continues. It's a good topic for discussion. What are your thoughts?

J&S

I have been using the Timex-Garmin speed-distance system for a while now. It seems to accurately measure my pace/speed and distance over any type of terrain. If I hike, the fastest I can walk over mountainous terrain for 3-5 miles is just over 5 miles per hour. If I run, I go considerably faster, unless it is off trail scrambling. I was using a Fitsense computer but it was not accurate when it came to mountain trails. Do any of you know of the Timex system?

Syd, I'm familiar with the system...had it been around when I purchased my Suunto Advisor, I would have considered it. Several AR athletes I know have similar reports on the timex system as you indicate.

Is it cumbersome?

No..one does not notice it at all. One downside is the 10 hour battery life of the transmitter. Other than that, it seems quite accurate, even on steep climbs.

I am generally trying to escape the confines of time when I go out. The sun tells me when to start and when to stop...I have a watch but never look at it.

I basically look at my watch when I get out of the car and look at it when I get back in. So all breaks, photos and snacks are timed as well. If we are out backpacking, I only count the time we are on trail, after we make camp I stop. It helps out for the next time a come to a certain place I know exactly how long it takes me and I can plan accordingly.

I dont count my chat time or my stopping to learn to breath time.
I figure when I get in shape someday I will try to make it without stopping. For now I like stopping to chat, take pictures, and rest.