We conducted a long-term test of Casio’s PRG-340B Pro Trek watch and came away with some interesting results
By Dan Sanchez
The Casio Pro Trek PRG-340B is the company’s newest line of outdoor watches that is designed with all the functions outdoor adventurers need. It combines practicality and precision within a robust and a lightweight package, but it’s also manufactured with the environment in mind.
Its key components are made of bio-based resin, a material expected to help reduce environmental impact. In addition, the wristband is made of CASTLON®, a 100% plant-derived Nylon 11 fiber produced using castor oil plants, which gives it better wear and chemical resistance than conventional Nylon 6 bands. Along with the band being incredibly more comfortable to wear, it’s also treated with a flame retardant finish.
As you would expect, the Casio Pro Trek PRG-340B, has a variety of functions we like to see four use in hiking, camping, backpacking, etc. Its key features include:
World Time
The PRG-340B has 31 time zones, accommodating 48 cities along with Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The daylight saving on/off function makes it highly adaptable for globetrotters who need to keep track of time across different regions.
Sunrise and Sunset Display
A particularly useful feature for hikers and campers, the sunrise and sunset display offers precise timings for a specific date. This functionality ensures better planning for activities like trekking, photography, or setting up camp before nightfall.
Stopwatch
The 1/10-second stopwatch with an impressive 999 hours, 59 minutes, and 59.9 seconds capability, and with measuring modes such as elapsed time, split time, and 1st-2nd place times.
Timer
The countdown timer provides a measuring range of up to 24 hours, with increments as precise as a second. You can set the countdown start time in either 1-minute or 1-hour increments, making it versatile for various activities, from cooking on a campfire to timing a challenging ascent.
Alarm and Hourly Time Signal
The watch includes five daily alarms, one of which comes with a snooze function. This ensures that users can stay punctual even in the most remote locations, whether it’s waking up at dawn or setting reminders during the day.
Our Test
The Pro Trek PRG-340B is a robust and thoughtful choice for us Fresh Air Junkies who need a specialized outdoor timepiece. This particular model is Olive Green with the CASTLON® band that is also green. Other models are available such as the PRG340L which is Coyote brown with a faux leather band. While it may require some time to familiarize oneself with its functionalities, this watch proves to be a reliable and sophisticated companion for those who thrive in the great outdoors.
The watch operates like most and is easy to change modes, date, time, etc. When it comes to other functions, we found it necessary to scan the QR code in the booklet included in the box, which takes you to the ProTrek website and gives more detailed illustrations on how to do things such as change measurements from meters to ft., calibrate the altimeter, and other functions. We thought it was important to know how to do these things before heading out onto a hiking trip in the Zion NP backcountry.
We liked that it’s solar powered and simply wearing the watch while driving, gave it enough sunlight to keep it fully charged. When we weren’t wearing it, we kept it on our desk near the window to give it enough sunlight.
We used many of the functions and found them easy to use. We used the stopwatch on our hike, to know how long it took us to hike in 5-miles, and thus know how close we were getting back to the trailhead and our car when hiking back.
The LED is bright and makes it easy to see the functions on the dial at night. The intensity can also be adjusted. We set the altimeter to graphically display the altitude variance while on our hike, and we used the compass mode to stay on trail with our topo map, when the trail wasn’t clearly marked.
We’ve tested other outdoor watches in the past and models with similar functions were much thicker and heavier. The Pro Trek PRG-340B was light and very comfortable. It’s really what we liked the most about this watch as others felt cumbersome. The CASTLON® band really makes a difference in the comfort wearing this watch. It’s super soft and easy to put on. The Pro Trek PRG-340L-5 retails around $260.
PROS And CONS
Pros: Sunrise/sunset data tailored to specific dates is ideal for outdoor planning. We liked the stopwatch and timer functionalities for use on long hikes.
We also liked the fact that it’s solar powered so just driving to your destination or campsite, it’s getting recharged without worrying about battery-life. The CASTLON® band is extremely comfortable and wearing it over an entire week, we hardly noticed we had it on. The watch is also much lighter than previous model Casio watches we’ve reviewed.
Cons: While feature-rich, some users may find the learning curve steep for mastering all functionalities. Before using the watch, we had to go to the website and learn how to set the functions. If you just want a casual timepiece, it’s not for you.
For more information, visit Casio.com.