Maybe.

Much like a Garmin eTrex or Bushnell BackTrack, my Fenix 2 displays low resolution, black-and-white maps, plus your location, track, and any waypoints you’ve ported in. You can navigate to a stored waypoint, and the watch will display an “as the crow flies” route.

Waypoints and routes can be created through Garmin Basecamp software from your computer or phone. You can also load custom maps onto the watch, much like you can with handheld GPS units. But the display, frankly, is so low quality that enhanced mapping isn’t very helpful. Not that you really need it.

Last September I spent three weeks chasing elk. I used a paper topo and compass more than anything, but the watch GPS was helpful in pinpointing where I was on that map, especially when deep down in the timber. I probably used the digital compass on the watch and the alarm to wake up more than the GPS, but getting my exact latitude and longitude was an awesome extra feature to have without the weight of a full-sized GPS. I would have been wearing a watch anyway.

While we love the convenience of a smart watch [Purchase a Fitbit Blaze Smart Fitness Watch Here] and feel for basic situations, like trying to find your way to a theater or store, it may be terrific. However, we personally are still a little leery about wandering the wilderness with one.

There is that battery life situation but we also have to wonder if the device is perfected. Can something go wrong? Do we really want to put our safety in the hands of a smart watch? Some may say definitely. They feel it is all they say it is. We, on the other hand, want to see a little more testing. We will never say never but we want to hear from more survivalists who have used it and the smart watch worked for them!

To read more go to Field and Stream.