Why Water Barometers Aren't Wearable

The weather isn't just a source of small talk. We are all dependent upon and at the mercy of it, which is probably why we've tried to get so good at predicting it with varying degrees of success. Technology plays a huge role in forecasting these days, but it doesn't necessarily have to. Remember seeing your teacher make water barometers in school? Something as simple as a bottle filled with water with a plastic tube inserted into it can predict weather changes, and weather glasses (as they're called) have done just that for centuries.

Portable barometers followed and, as Suunto's success has shown, are still both popular and incredibly useful. Each of Suunto's wrist altimeter watches features a barometer, as well. These include:

• Core
• Lumi
• Vector
• X-Lander
• T6
• X9Mi

With storm alarms, weather trend indicators, graphs, and barometric history logs, you can become your own meteorologist. The reasons why this would be useful out on the trail or the slopes are obvious, but these tools are just as helpful when you're home or shopping or on a road trip.

Today's barometers use a digital sensor to determine air pressure, from which you can see coming changes in the weather. Unlike the water barometers of old, these high tech versions don't need liquid to function (which makes them much more portable, of course). Athletes and outdoorsmen have relied upon Suunto's accuracy for years now. For these altimeter watches, giving you weather data on the run is just one part of what they do. Thanks, Suunto, for keeping us ahead of the storm.