Weather Instruments

Recent Weather Instrument Reviews

Kestrel 2000

This small device brings some advanced weather monitoring capabilities in your trips. It can measure the wind speed, air and water temperature, as well as wind chill. It may appear handy not only for special applications (like air sports), but for casual campers as well. Since ca. 2010 I like doing some sort of weather observations in my bicycle trips. I started with temperature sensor and altimeter in my bike computer, and quite soon I also got barometer (now in my Garmin GPSMap 64s unit) and remote… Full review

Midland HH50B Pocket Weather Alert Radio

Great little lightweight weather radio that runs on batteries, no charger needed! Fantastic for getting a weather report where there is no cell phone signal. As a member of another website, occasionally I receive a product in exchange for an honest review. This is one of those products. This is an amazing little piece of technology. It allows you to be disconnected from reality and technology while staying safe and alert. Or if you just can't get a cell signal, but you have to know what's coming… Full review

Proster Anemometer

A great lightweight gadget for folks who like to carry thermometers and are interested in wind speed as well—it has almost permanently replaced my little key chain thermometer. Accurate readings for what you pay, nice display, and easy to use although the two-button menu takes a little getting used to. Great for recreational use but spend more for extreme conditions or scientific applications. You get what you pay for in durability though. I was hoping to have this review done in time for folks… Full review

Garmin Tempe

Excellent weather instrument for all users of wireless-capable Garmin units. I've been using this sensor since its appearance in 2012 with my Garmin GPSMap 62s and now I continue using it with GPSMap 64s (see my review). I remember that in 2012 it was like a dream come true—wireless temperature sensor with log recording and making the graphs in Garmin Basecamp on PC! My temperature-equipped bike computer was very nice, but ability to record the data to track and review it later was amazing. Here… Full review

Garmin Tempe

I've been using the Tempe for walks with my dog. It takes about 8-10 minutes to go from 68 degrees to 30 degrees. I don't like the mounting options that Garmin recommends—clothing and shoes. Walking around town on roads I feel it is secure, but if you're going running, hiking, hunting, it is not secure in my opinion. I bought mine for winter hiking in the mountains. I will be putting the Tempe in the brain of my backpack, mounted to the key holder strap. Update 1/19/2017: Hiked Owl's Head with… Full review

Oregon Scientific Handheld Weather Forecaster with Alarm Clock

My portable weather heads-up. One of those things that never left my hip belt since I bought it. Accuracy. What is a weather station if it's not accurate? Fortunately this little guy's maximum deviation is 0.3 Celsius and 4% humidity compared to a traditional mercury thermometer. So it's super accurate in by book! And I tried a lot of weather stations over the years (although not a single portable one) for home usage and none delivered that accuracy. You also get alarm clock with snooze function,… Full review

Kestrel DROP D2

The Kestrel Drop 2 Datalogger is a tiny sensor that links with your iPad or iPhone to provide environmental measurements remotely. It is handy for checking the temperature when you are comfortable inside your tent or snow shelter and sleeping bag or for monitoring fresh food you carry for the first few days of a backpacking trip. Background: Have you ever been nice and cozy inside your tent and wondered what temperature awaited you outside your tent? Or, on the other hand, been roasting inside your… Full review

Brunton ADC Summit

It might be a nice piece of kit if the battery door didn't have 2 of the 3 tabs that hold it down broken off. I have to put thumb pressure on the taped on door to get a display. I bought it TODAY and have sent an email to Brunton. I bought this today at Gander Mountain half way across the state. When I got home I discovered that the installed battery was depleted, and I installed the second battery that was in the box. I immediately noticed I had to hold pressure on the battery door to get the display… Full review

Kestrel 2000

I bought my first one in 2010 for use in my kayaking business in SW Florida. The Kestrel worked fine for measuring temperature, but stopped working when left in a kayak cockpit with an inch of water for about 2 minutes. I returned it to the company as it was still under warranty and got excellent service as they shipped me another one right away. This one stopped working as well when in contact with water for no more than a minute. I want to believe the company has a great product but have found… Full review