Apple Watch ¿Sí o No?

[kaixo]

I would like to hear your experience on the camino with/without your Apple Watch.

If you brought it:
- Are you glad you did? Why?
- Was it a nuisance? Charging, etc.
- Was it essential for you in some way?

If you left it at home:
- Are you glad you did? Why?
- Did you miss having your watch and regret not bringing it?

Best,
Anna

 

[Former member 92300]

I am bringing mine, as I did last year. Only had to charge it once a day - and can charge with my phone since my plug has multiple ports. Not a nuisance at all. I enjoyed tracking my days data on it. Came in handy when I needed GPS navigation and didn't want to keep my cell phone in my hands. Also came in handy to see who was calling me or texting me if my phone wasn't in airplane mode and I wasn't sure if I wanted to answer. Certainly not essential. But I like having it. I will also use it to make "video maps" of my days journey this year with the "Relive" app.

 

[AlexB]

I’m just on my way from London and left it, I didn’t want to bother charging it, I took it last year and truthfully it didn’t do much for me. Everyone is different

 

[ChrisPB]

I would like to hear your experience on the camino with/without your Apple Watch.

If you brought it:
- Are you glad you did? Why?
- Was it a nuisance? Charging, etc.
- Was it essential for you in some way?

If you left it at home:
- Are you glad you did? Why?
- Did you miss having your watch and regret not bringing it?

Best,
Anna

I brought mine and it is invaluable. I have a 2 outlet charger so I can charge my iPhone and watch together over night. Some albergues also have charging stations.

In the morning I start Hiking mode and pause it every time I stop and then finish when I reach the next albergue. Going up hills I can see my heart rate which is important for me at 70+ . At the end it shows me my steps, distance walked, heart rate over time and recovery times, elevation gains. etc. It's also useful when close to my destination to guide me to the right street.

I wouldn't be without it.

Chris

 

[Annw]

I happened to bring mine as I also like to track distance, health, and the like, and I was glad I did. Charged it once a day, sometimes at a cafe outlet, while I had my coffee. It wasn't a distraction or a burden and it earned its keep.

 

[DBC]

I would like to hear your experience on the camino with/without your Apple Watch.

If you brought it:
- Are you glad you did? Why?
- Was it a nuisance? Charging, etc.
- Was it essential for you in some way?

If you left it at home:
- Are you glad you did? Why?
- Did you miss having your watch and regret not bringing it?

Best,
Anna

Got one just before starting. Just on halfway through now and I like the distance tracking feature, also prompts me to keep hydrated via the Waterful app.

 

[Viva Terlingua]

Currently on the Camino but didn’t bring mine. Although I love it, I didn’t want to bring one more cable. Haven’t missed it at all yet. I put my phone in airplane mode while walking anyway because I don’t want to be distracted by phone calls and texts, plus the battery lasts longer.

 

[YvonneMP]

I brought mine and it is invaluable. I have a 2 outlet charger so I can charge my iPhone and watch together over night. Some albergues also have charging stations.

In the morning I start Hiking mode and pause it every time I stop and then finish when I reach the next albergue. Going up hills I can see my heart rate which is important for me at 70+ . At the end it shows me my steps, distance walked, heart rate over time and recovery times, elevation gains. etc. It's also useful when close to my destination to guide me to the right street.

I wouldn't be without it.

Chris

What Apple Watch charger did you use? I’m looking for a more compact one. Thank you

 

[ChrisPB]

What Apple Watch charger did you use? I’m looking for a more compact one. Thank you

I have a Muvit 2 x 2.4A USB-A charger. I use Apple cables and it works a treat.

 

[DBC]

What Apple Watch charger did you use? I’m looking for a more compact one. Thank you

I have 4x3A charger and use the cable that came with the watch. I also have a 2 outlet 10k battery in case there isn’t a plug near to my bed at night.

 

[YvonneMP]

I have 4x3A charger and use the cable that came with the watch. I also have a 2 outlet 10k battery in case there isn’t a plug near to my bed at night.

Thank you. I’ll see what weighs the least!! .

 

[Laust1n]

I didn’t bring my Apple Watch on the Camino last summer, and honestly, I didn’t regret it. Charging it every day would have been a hassle, especially since outlets were often limited. Plus, I kind of enjoyed disconnecting from tech for a while. That said, I did miss the fitness tracking and heart rate data.

 

[MikeJS]

I always bring mine as I use wikiloc and the watch warns me if I am off track. Never been a problem keeping it charged as I do it at the same time as my phone.

 

[henrythedog]

I had one and I’ve just given it away.

I wear a decent self-winding watch which tells me the time, I don’t need to be told when to have a drink - even of water, and the distance and physical effort I’ve had is irrelevant; I’m certainly not going to go further unnecessarily.

The Wikilok feature could be useful - although that’s following someone else's trail. Once on the CdMadrid I was clearly following someone with a weak bladder on my phone as I was directed off into the bushes from time to time.

If you’re on the Frances - as most are, sadly - you’ll not need an alarm; you’ll not need navigation and - honestly - who cares what time It is?

 

[Kathor1]

I would not even dream of wearing a different watch than the one I wear every day.

Charging an Apple Watch does not take long. And if it’s inconvenient or you have no time left before you leave a place with an outlet you can charge it from a tiny power pack or even your phone while walking. I had mine with me on the Le Puy this summer - I used it for checking the time, occasionally for checking my heart rate when getting out of breath on a step hill and for recording my walk - a click at the start of the day’s walking, two clicks during stops, one click at the end. It gives me enjoyment. Advocating against all this sounds so dreary to me.

And this is not what I’d call being addicted to tech or needing to switch off from tech. I know of course how to ignore or disable apps that I want to disable for a while …

PS: Occasionally, I’ve asked it to tell me when sunset is. So, yes, I do check the time. .

And an Apple Watch has an SOS Emergency button to call for help in an emergency.

 

[JustOneGuy]

I have a Garmin watch and use it to show my way on a very simple map when I walk through the "koomot" app (but there are many others). I think Apple is also compatible.

The good thing is that I can put my phone away. The watch vibrates to warn me of a fork in the road or a sharp turn. I can distract myself watching the landscape or thinking, without risking to loose the path.

I should add that I am walking on less beaten tracks than the Camino in Galicia, where, as I can see, the signs are everywhere and very clear.

On the other hand, I have to recharge it every 2 hours or so, which means cables and battery somehow.

 

[Kathor1]

I noticed that this thread was started two and half years ago.

These days, does anybody even waste a thought about this question . When out walking, I am more concerned about my shoe laces holding up to the challenge of not becoming untied than about the watch on my arm.

 

[MikeJS]

I noticed that this thread was started two and half years ago.

These days, does anybody even waste a thought about this question . When out walking, I am more concerned about my shoe laces holding up to the challenge of not becoming untied than about the watch on my arm.

If you worry about your shoe laces you need to get some lazy laces or similar. I have used them for more than 3000kms in my hiking shoes and they have worked perfectly.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

On certain brands of my Camino trail runners, the laces stay tied all day; on other shoe models, they can become untied. The simple solution is a double tied knot...voila.

 

[Kirkie]

I would like to hear your experience on the camino with/without your Apple Watch.

If you brought it:
- Are you glad you did? Why?
- Was it a nuisance? Charging, etc.
- Was it essential for you in some way?

If you left it at home:
- Are you glad you did? Why?
- Did you miss having your watch and regret not bringing it?

Best,
Anna

Believe me, if I had one, it would be glued to me! Apple, Mac, I would be the perfect guinea pig.
Many long years ago skin reaction to metal stopped me from wearing a watch. Until smart technology, I could tell the time to the minute!
Now, who cares? It is daylight or it is darkening. My phone tells me my steps, confirms my sense of the time, but it has diminished my time reading skills.
Oops. I now realise I have jumped in without paying enough attention to the questions. I have no Apple Watch, so disregard my post.

 

[MikeJS]

On certain brands of my Camino trail runners, the laces stay tied all day; on other shoe models, they can become untied. The simple solution is a double tied knot...voila.

But with Lazy Laces you never have to eto tie any knots again and they make the shoe more comfortable.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

But with Lazy Laces you never have to eto tie any knots again and they make the shoe more comfortable.

I know what they are and how they work. Bending over is good exercise for me so I don't mind.

 

[SeñorJacques]

Wore my Apple Watch on both of my Caminos and was very glad I did. It tracks my route, steps, and other information in more detail than my phone does, and provides helpful feedback regarding my heart rate and other biometrics. I also used it to pay for meals, accommodations, groceries, etc. whenever there was an option to do so via "tap to pay", which there almost always was, even in the smallest and most out-of-the-way of towns and establishments, which saved me the trouble of digging my wallet out of my bag and possibly leaving it behind.

It's also far from a hassle to charge, and ends up extending the battery life on my phone over the course of the day since I don't have to use my phone every time I want to check my direction or other information. (Oh, and it tells time, too.)

 

[Laust1n]

I didn’t bring my Apple Watch on the Camino last summer, and honestly, I didn’t regret it. Charging it every day would have been a hassle, especially since outlets were often limited. Plus, I kind of enjoyed disconnecting from tech for a while. That said, I did miss the fitness tracking and heart rate data.

Charging it every day would have been a hassle, especially since outlets were often limited. Plus, I kind of enjoyed disconnecting from tech for a while. That said, I did miss the fitness tracking and heart rate data. It would’ve been nice to look back on my stats after the trek! As a side note, I ended up wearing a Rolex Super Clone watch. I know, it’s not the same, but it was lightweight, looked great, and I didn’t have to stress about battery life or damaging something super valuable. These super clone watches are a fun option when you want a classic look without the worry. Curious to hear more stories—did anyone use a hybrid option like that?