HARDWARE
In the wild, information gains clarity. The only mission-critical data involve location, direction, and especially weather, since the caprice of cold fronts can turn the smallest faux pas into a major misstep. Enter the Sherpa, a digital weather center no bigger than a Zippo that combines barometer, altimeter, thermometer, and anemometer (a kind of speed trap for wind). The rugged, die-mounted chip inside keeps track of all the readings for 16 hours.
Although it's compact and buoyant - I tested mine by throwing it off a boat - the Sherpa isn't real good around water; after a few dunkings in New York's Block Island Sound, it began spewing out bizarre readings. The manual warns that water-resistant isn't waterproof, but drying the battery returned everything to normal. Another limitation: The Sherpa measures altitude by barometric pressure, so if a low-pressure system decides to accompany you on your climb, there's no way to know if nasty weather is on the way.
Aesthetically, the Sherpa's a winner - it's sleek and simple, with just two buttons and an intuitively arranged interface. A quick glance at the little readout and you're in the know.
The Sherpa: $169.99. Brunton: +1 (307) 856 6559, www.brunton.com.
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