Casio PRO TREK PRG340-1

Most hunters have a desire to intimately know the terrain they’re hunting on. This can include the approximate altitude as well as the barometric conditions. This is not because of hunting at extreme altitudes or routinely taking long-distance shots, but more of a personal interest. The practical implication of altitude differences in hunting terrain is to determine how strenuous a hunt is likely to be. However, carrying an altimeter and barometer would be yet another bit of kit to carry.

Recently, I came across a beast of a watch that had everything, including GPS, compass, barometric function, a suite of fitness tracking options and Bluetooth phone connectivity. But that’s where it lost me. I have no interest in fitness trackers and even less in anything that unduly drains the battery of an electronic device.

Seeing this ‘watch’ did pique my interest in hunting-related benefits though. It’s amazing how much functionality various companies manage to pack into what are essentially huge watches. The Casio G-Shock range is widespread, but they have another line called PRO TREK. In a nutshell, these are ‘watches’ that cater to mountaineers and people doing long treks who need reliable and functional gear without much ‘fluff’.

The ‘PRO TREK PRG340-1’ (PRG340-1) offers everything I want for hunting, which are an altimeter, barometer, compass and, theoretically, endless battery life. Those, and then ‘nice to have’ extras, with none of the fitness tracking fluff. There’s plenty of other functions of course, but let’s focus on the ones that serve us best when out bush.

Casio is a notable Japanese electronics company, best-known for their quality watches. They do, however, manufacture in various other Asian countries, including Thailand, where the PRG340-1 is made. It’s not equipped with all the bells and whistles of some of their higher-end watches, but it includes a lot of functionality that serves hunters well.

While not as beastly in size as other offerings, it is substantial, with a case size of 54.7 x 51.7 x 15.1mm. Do not let you put this off though. The case is made from environmentally friendly bio-based resin and is surprisingly light for its size. At 54g, the whole watch weighs less than many ‘regular’ watches.

The strap consists of a soft urethane material (rubber) and has a double joint at the lug side of the watch. This extra end-link allows the strap to slope down nearly vertically, meaning the PRG340-1 wears like a much smaller watch but with more rigid straps.

The watch is 100m (10 bar) waterproof and has a mineral crystal. Beneath this is the duplex LCD, providing separate layers for the compass function and the time or other options. Overlaying the compass means the other function remains in display at its full size.

For use in the dark, the watch is fitted with a ‘super illuminator’ or backlight. The PRG340-1 does many more things than I would ever need it to, but the key functions are a triple sensor array (digital compass, barometer/altimeter and thermometer) as well as a rotating bezel and a potentially indefinite battery life due to solar charging technology. For a full overview of other functions like alarms, countdown timers and so on, please refer to the Casio website.

The PRG340-1 has been my companion on a several hunting and fishing trips, as well as on a number of hikes. Just to be sure it would not break on me, one of my first outings was a trip to the ocean, where I swam with it for an hour. I reckoned that if constant exposure to salt water did not break it, it would be fine. From there, I wore it for a few weeks to get a feel of it.

As mentioned, there are a lot of functions, but all the ones I was really interested in (altimeter, barometer, compass, regular watch) have dedicated buttons. This means you always have easy access to them.

The electronic compass is accurate; I repeatedly compared it to my trusty old analogue compass and north was pretty much dead-on. The built in compass shows as an overlay over the watch face and is easily legible.

The PRG340-1 is also fitted with a bi-directional rotating bezel. Rotating bezels are great and once used to them, many people wonder why they didn’t use them sooner. They serve as an indispensable tool to navigate and are useful to count down time or measure duration. This is why piloting and diving watches have them. Unfortunately, the implementation on the PRG340-1 seems like a bit of an afterthought. The bezel is a friction-fit design. This would have been okay if there had been a way to lock it firmly in place, but there isn’t, meaning it’s prone to movement. If the bezel is set for you to know the direction back to camp, the consequences could be serious.

The barometer seems adequate for reading the temperature, but I must admit I haven’t compared it to any analogue device. The weather station in the kitchen is also electronic and reported comparable values whenever I checked.

This brings us to the altimeter, one of the main reasons to get the PRG340-1. While an exact reading isn’t essential, it’s good to have a consistent and reliable one. The PRG340-1 delivers this, but with an important catch. The altimeter, unlike a GPS device with a detailed map that reports altitude based on your exact location, relies on barometric pressure to provide an altitude reading. Obviously, this is no substitute for a GPS reading that reports the known altitude for that specific location, but it can provide a good indication.

On day one, when I got the watch and set it up, it reported my altitude at 504m. I was quite chuffed with this because our property is at 501m, so this was within one percent. Or scratch that, I was on the first floor and when I went outside, the reading was 501m. Terrific! So, I went for a long walk with the dog and wherever I repeated the measurement I got incredibly accurate readings.

Then, the next day, a dense fog had rolled in. Great conditions to see about stalking a pig or two, so I headed out. Just as I left the house, I checked and suddenly I was at 534m. I repeated the measurements in a few places and consistently got a higher altitude than expected. So, I checked the barometric pressure, which had dropped considerably. That made sense with the fog and drizzle moving in, so no worries. Anyway, I reset the altimeter to 501m in front of the house and it happily reported correct altitudes wherever I went that morning. And this is the important catch. The PRG340-1 is capable of surprisingly accurate altitude measurements; however, it needs to be calibrated for changes in barometric pressure. Not recalibrating typically got me readings that were between four to eight percent off. It’s easy enough to reset the altitude, but it’s a bit tedious and you need to know the correct altitude at a given spot to recalibrate.

Battery life is important, particularly when relying on a device for crucial functions like a compass. Fitness tracking, GPS and Bluetooth all consume a serious amount of power, and without them, the battery life is nothing short of fantastic. Besides the fact that I have not really noticed any drain, the PRG340-1 has a solar charging function that generates more power than the watch uses.

It’s easy to recommend the PRG340-1. The watch is comfortable to wear and can handle harsh conditions and proper use. It has become a regular companion when I go out bush. Particularly when I go to unfamiliar places or hunt areas with significant differences in altitude. Over time, my routine with the PRG340-1 has become to (re-)set the altimeter in the morning if necessary. To make sure I can do this, I take note of the altitude of my campsite or another fixed point when I arrive. With this routine, I am comfortable that I get correct readings. The solar charging function is the icing on the cake. It keeps the battery constantly full. Of all the other functions, the only one I use is the world timer. With the push of a button, you can switch between two time zones. Things like alarms and a stopwatch are wasted on me but the sunrise/sunset display could come in use for some hunting.

The watch is available from your local retailer and you can check out casio.com for the full PRG340 range. While not necessarily equipped for life and death situations, the PRG340-1 can serve as the primary device for many hunting scenarios.

Specifications
Case dimensions (height x width x depth): 54.7 x 51.7 x 15.1mm
Weight with batteries: 54g
Water resistance: 10 bar/100m
Battery life: ‘Endless’ if the watch is exposed to light
RRP: $599 but often available around the $350 mark