Page 44 - 2021 AMA Summer

REVIEWS
EQUIPMENT
GARMIN FENIX 6X PRO
USED FOR 9MONTHS BY SEAN MACKEY
The eagle eyed among you will recognise that I wrote a piece on the Garmin Vivoactive 3 a couple of years ago and said it was an excellent watch for the outdoors...and it still is. My decision to change was mainly due to too much time spent online browsing outdoor websites during the first lockdown and a lenient wife. After shopping around I found a deal for £499 (with a 15% military discount) and made the investment switching to a Fenix 6 Pro and I haven’t been disappointed. The Garmin Fenix 6 range is vast with solar charging options, different screen materials (gorilla glass or sapphire) and sizes to name a few. I went for the 6 Pro in a 42mm case with gorilla glass, which was one of the mid-range options at the time. The cost for what is ultimately a digital watch isn’t cheap- The bottom of the range starts at £529 goes up to £899 depending on the model.
The lightweight and sleek design hides a whole host of different features, which will enhance your time on the hill, rock face or in gym. The robust design does not have a touch screen, but carries on the Fenix tradition of push buttons that allow the user to flick through menus of options and choices. My biggest gripe with the Vivoactive 3 and some watches from other brands was the touchscreen watch face. While it looks fancy and does allow easy navigation through the menus of options it isn’t fully optimised for winter mountaineering where gloves are essential and preventing its use. Similarly, I found raindrops or a wet jacket sleeve could register as finger touches and have the watch performing functions you didn’t ask for and wasting the battery.
The Fenix 6 is slimmer and lighter than its older siblings in the Fenix 5 range. For example its depth has been reduced by over 2mm compared the the Fenix 5plus in the same 42mm size. So I feel it probably works better as an everyday watch too for those with slim wrists and
hands who don’t want a massive wrist top computer. The screen fills the entire of the watch face of the Fenix 6 rather than having a boarder around the edge like the older models. It comes with a silicon rubber strap as standard, which I swopped for a more comfortable leather option. After a fortnight of wearing
the silicon strap my wrists had become quite sore, but there are metal bracelet options too.
The metrics for running,
hill walking, cycling and all
other activities are pretty
universal across the range.
You can add ‘widgets’
with the particular data you
want (GPS position, altitude
and heart rate to name a few)
or use the preloaded settings. Personalisation is simple via the Garmin Connect app with hundreds
of options with different watch faces and activities. You can also download some music from amazon music so you don’t have to carry your phone on a run and simply link your Bluetooth headphones. I have particularly enjoyed connecting with other users on the Garmin app I know and competing against them with steps, runs or workouts. It was a welcome distraction when working from home for most of 2020.
The biggest two changes from the Fenix 5 is an the inclusion of an expedition mode and a Pulse Oximeter. The pulse oximeter allows users to see the percentage of oxygen in their blood and is ideal for
altitude
sation when you can’t
decide if you’ve spent long enough at a certain height to adapt. I have worn it with a medical grade finger pulse oximeter and it was spot on for accuracy. The expedition mode extends the battery for up to 30 days with a reduced func- tionality. Normally the battery will go for 16 days with a fairly heavy use.
Will it make you a better climber or mountaineer? In simple terms no it wont. It is a tool to be used in conjunction with other things to make your performance a little easier.
44 / ARMY MOUNTAINEER
acclimati-