Gear Reviews

I love weather. That’s why I was excited to finally get my hands on and review the Kestrel 2500 Wind Meter.

The Kestrel 2500 is a small waterproof weather station that fits in the palm of your hand. It’s designed to accurately measure wind speed, air or water temperature, wind chill, barometric pressure including pressure trend and altitude.







The unit is very simple to operate. To measure the wind speed, you just point it into the wind and the built-in impeller will give you the speed in several different scales including MPH, KPH, Knots, Feet per Minute, and the Beaufort Wind Scale. It also measures the current, average and maximum wind speed.

When testing the unit, I took it out in both strong and light breezes. Compared to other wind measuring tools I used in the past, I was very impressed with how little wind was necessary to register on the meter. According to Kestrel, the impellor is mounted on high precision jewel bearings which allow it to spin at very low speeds; even down to 1km/h (0.8 mph).

For those who are keen on long-term accurate measurements, the impellor can be easily replaced in the field with no tools required bringing the unit back to factory calibrated accuracy.

Paddlers will appreciate the fact that the unit is both waterproof and floatable which will enable you to quickly get an accurate water temperature while on the go.

Canoe and kayak trippers out on multi-day excursions can make use of the built in barometric presser sensor and recent pressure trends information which can be helpful in helping to predict short-term future weather patterns.

I would recommend this item to anybody who has a budding interest in weather or is keen to get some accurate wind/weather measurements. It sure beats wetting your finger, sticking it in the air and taking your best guess.

More info: nkhome.com