
Join Remi Warren and Cody Rich as they explore the journey of developing the Bridger Watch, a revolutionary hunting smartwatch. Discover the features, challenges, and future possibilities of wearable tech tailored for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts.
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Remy Warren
Foreign.
I'm Remy Warren and I've lived my life in the wild as a professional guide and hunter. I've spent thousands of days perfecting my craft. I want to give that knowledge to you. In this podcast we relive some of my past adventures as I give you practical hunting tips to make you more successful. Whether you're just getting started or a lifelong hunter, this podcast will bring you along on the hunt and teach you
how to live wild.
If you really want to utilize a lot of this information from the podcast in the field, one of the best
ways to do that is to be physically ready for the hunt.
And that's really why I've partnered with Mountain Tough. So if you aren't familiar with it, Mountain Tough is an online training app designed for hunters with a ton of added benefit. In addition to the fitness programs built for that backcountry hunting, you also get
access to nutrition and recovery guides for
on and off the mountain mental toughness training and this really great in app community that connects you with other Mountain Tuft.
This app is packed with value. To help you stay ready to get
started in the journey, go to mountaintuff.com that's m t n t o u
g h dot com. Well everyone, welcome back to Live Wild Podcast. Now this week we're going to dive into some new gear and new tech for hunters. I'm joined by my good friend Cody Rich, he's the founder of Bridger Watch. Now, as many of you know, I really enjoy being able to get to test out new gear, especially in the field and be a part of that development process. And one of the cool things about the Bridger reckon is I've got to be able to test it for pretty much over a year now. It's really cool to be able to see where this product is started and then where it is now and also knowing where it's going. So this week we're actually going to go down the journey of building a smartwatch, which is, I think, a really hard task to take on, especially a smartwatch designed for hunters. And then we're going to take a deep dive with Cody into the world of Bridger Watch, as the first run of these watches is going to be able to start to ship pretty soon. Cody, thanks for joining me, man. I know it's been a long, awesome and wild journey for you, especially being on this side as somebody that's, you know, got to be able to see it from ideation, I guess, to actually having, you know, product and watch on the wrist and being able to run it on hunts and in the field and on workouts and all those things, it's really cool to see where, where it started and where it's going. I know for a lot of our listeners, they love the story aspect, but also I think it's cool to understand some of the features and things of how some of this stuff even became. As far as like, some of the features and things on this watch that I think are definitely people are going to like. It's one of the things I've worn a watch out hunting since I can remember. And I always tried to have the latest and greatest, but none of them did exactly what I wanted for hunting. And so when you guys said, hey, we're going to build this watch for hunters and it's going to have your maps on it and it was just this wild idea. I think I met you in a restaurant in Bozeman. Cause I was just there for just a mountain tough event or something like that. And I think what did you. You came with like a 3D printed version and like some notes and you're like, this is what we're thinking, man. What do you think? And I'm like, yeah, that's awesome. If you can do that. That seems like a very, very hard thing to do.
Cody Rich
So yeah, thanks for having me, man. But yeah, like, honestly, like it's, it's been a journey and it's so cool that you know, from the early days, like you said, I think you and I connected, man. It time ago and I had like this 3D printed version of it. Like, and at that time that was like, oh, wow, this, this could be cool. Like, you know, we were so pumped about that 3D version, impressed by it. You know, you look back at these things and you're like, wow, that was, that was a long time ago and a lot of iterations ago and just so early. But I think you and I connected on kind of the same concept, which is like when I got to the smartwatch space, like I got one because I wanted to track runs and my mountain tough and like all of these things. So you kind of get a smartwatch and like of hunted with watches and you know, had one, I never spent the money, right. And so when I first got, I call it a fancy watch, like I got a real watch, right? And it was like, okay, I, I went, I upgraded because I thought it would like do all these things for hunting. And I'm like. And I spent a ton of time in the woods. It'd be Kind of cool to have all these features. And I was very frustrated, very frustrated. And you know, this is one of the things you and I talked about super early on was like, man, none of these things were really built for what we do or how we, how we do it. And I, I felt that way. And I remember like the idea for this entire thing came when Onyx had just launched CarPlay. And I remember I had just gotten a fancy watch and I'm out kind of using CarPlay. And I was turkey hunting actually and I'm like hiking to this glassing knob or this knob that I want to go like look for turkeys at. And the whole way I'm like pulling my phone out a hundred times, you know, just like it's kind of cooly country so you're like, you have to follow the terrain a little bit to get to the glassing knob. And I'm doing that. I'm like, man, it'd be so cool if I, I could just look at my watch to see this, like all this money I spent on a watch and I can't do that. And then, you know, it was just kind of a half baked idea. I called my buddies at Onyx and I'm like, hey, could we put Onyx on a watch? Is that a thing? And they're like, man, funny you say that. Like it keeps coming up but there's never been a solution so like it just hasn't really materialized. And that's when it like starts to like, you think about it. And then I was on a spring bear hunt and me and my, who's now a co founder, Travis, you know, we're on a hunt together and was like, oh, what if it did this? What if it did this? And like you start, you know, like how businesses start. But to build a smartwatch is like such a big endeavor, right? And I think you're like, wow, when we first met, you're like, yeah, that would be crazy. But I don't like, is that, can you just do that? Is that a thing? You know? You know, like it's one thing to go from a 3D printed idea to like developing all of these things, which I would. I mean we've just been so lucky in the team. The team that we have somehow acquired through like serendipity timing or whatever you call it, like it just has like materialized over the years of like we just kind of get a players to come on board and help us. Like I always say we're just a bunch of dumb rednecks. But we keep convincing really smart people to help us do this thing we're trying to accomplish, which is like 90% of life. But, yeah, you know, you. We met and you were like, yeah, like, this would be cool. Like, what if I could do this? Like, all these things? And so, like, you know, you bounce around these ideas, and the really, really cool thing is, like, it starts with, what's the one thing it has to do? And then I what's the. Like, you know, must haves. Nice to haves, like, all those. And honestly, just over. Over the years of developing and tweaking, again, great people, but, like, so many things have fallen in our favor to be able to, I say, like, do all of the hunt features, right, and be able to do the things we actually want, right? And so a lot of people ask me, like, what's the difference. What's between. Difference between this and, you know, my Garmin or my Apple or whatever. And when I say hunt features, to me, though, the two things was like, I want ability to use my maps and have a backup to my maps, to have, like, the ability to look at my map, maybe not pull my phone out 100 times, not trying to replace the phone, but just not pull my phone out quite as much, and ideally have a backup to my phone because I've lost my phone, and that's a bad situation. So mapping was the number one, right? And then it was like, ballistics would be cool. Like, I have my home screen is saved as my ballistic card, right? And there's lots of ways to do that, but, like, ballistics would be sweet. And, you know, some other features, like flashlights, you know, the redshift thing, Those were kind of maybe, like, in a dream scenario. In a few years we'll be able to get to that, but it's like all of a sudden we have this watch that's not just good at mapping, but now it's like, oh, it does fitness. So it works with my mountain tough. It does ruck tracking, run track. It does all the things you would expect from a fancy watch. And it also does, like, mapping better than anything in the world, which I think it's kind of like the biggest unlock for us was like, a couple of dumb rednecks just went and said, okay, well, here's how we use our maps. Here's how it works. And all the engineers told us, you can't do it that way. There's no way to do that. You can't do what you're trying to do. Maybe it was luck. Maybe it was just good timing and technology and all those things. But that's the thing. We've done better than anyone else and somehow managed to also get insane battery life, which was a North Star for us, was like, it's got to be able to last, right? And, and as hunters, we know like all these tools are only as good as, you know, they're, they're going to last you or be able to, you know, stay in the mountains. Right? Um, you of all people, like spend a ton of time in the mountains and burn through a ton of gear. So it's gotta be able to last, gotta be durable, all these things. So, yeah, long winded way of saying, yeah, we created a thing built for hunters because that's what we wanted, is like a product that was perfect for what we did, which was hunting and just living in the outdoors.
Remy Warren
Yeah, like, I like that. You know, I was on my wife's mountain goat hunt and it's one of those things where it's nighttime, right? You're, you're walking down, it's. You've got a heavy pack on, you have to find your way through the mountains. And every time you go like my phone is actually dying with batteries and I track the route or whatever and it's like every time you pull that phone out, you lose your night vision because you're blasted with the whatever. And it's, it was like almost a constant needing to navigate. Whereas the way this is set up now, one of my favorite features is you can turn it upside down in your wrist, right? So you can have it actually facing inside with the screen up. You can have the red shift on so it doesn't mess with your night vision at all. And you can say, oh, am I on my track? Oh yeah, I'm on my track. Cool. All it is is just a little check in. And I think it's awesome to be able to have that ability on the watch. I really like, I remember this is a long time ago. I actually had one of the first like cards in a GPS for Onyx because at the time I was, I was working as an editor for this, this local magazine out of Missoula called Real Hunting Magazine. Not sure if you ever saw it or anything, but it's called Real Hunting Magazine. And then somebody had, you know, somehow connecting like, hey, look at this new thing, right? And so I got one of these, I went and got one and I remember you could pick them up at Bought like is pretty much you could just get them in like Hamilton, Missoula, whatever. Is like, literally no packaging, nothing. You know, just a little card. Put that in. It was like, this is. It changed the game. Places that I used to hunt, and it took me years to find, like, where exactly was his access point. And reading maps and going like, summer scouting to find the, like, actual, like, forest service marker in the ground and be like, oh, I can get through this here, and this connects, and it's not a corner crossing, and I can get behind this property there. And it was just like on this gps. And then the next development was like, now it's on your phone and you've got 3D maps, and you can take that into the field. And then like you said, the car. I use the carplay. Like, I just drive around. I've literally just pulled off the side of like, wait, that's like somewhere I've big road trip. Like, this is public. Okay. I got to look into this. And I really do think that this is like that. That next iteration in that technology to be able to have it on your watch. Because I thought the same thing. I'm like, okay, it's in my car. Why can't you just put it on a smartwatch? But the thing is, the battery life wouldn't last. It just never would work right. So you had to build hardware and software simultaneously. And for me, that's. That's too much to think about. I mean, like, I'll gladly use it, but that's way out of my realm. I love being. I love tech stuff, actually. I love new gear. But to think of it in that realm of like, we got to build the actual thing that holds the thing. I mean, that's. That's so many stuff because I remember, was it like, probably February or like around sheep show last two years ago? Or was it 20 in 20? Was that 20, 25 or 24? I can't.
Cody Rich
It's 24.
Remy Warren
Yeah, 20, 24, 25. It was like you had the. This is what the watch is going to look like. And then a giant pelican case with this. Like, that ran the soft is the software. Like, this is the watch, but it's in a giant case. And now we're going to shrink that down. So we've got the watch, we're working on the hardware side, and then we've got the software side over here. And like, programmers working on fixing things in the case in real time. It looked like. Look like you're carrying nuclear launch coats
Cody Rich
or whatever all over the country.
Remy Warren
Oh, yeah, dude. I mean, it's a cool journey to See where it started and then like to actually have this physical product and now have all that stuff put in, it is pretty cool to see. I mean, I'm definitely impressed by it. My favorite features, like, when you asked me, I think it was probably last year, you're like, what features do you like? And I was like, flashlight. And I like to know sunrise, sunset. And I'm like, those are both in there. Man, I am set so out. That's outside of the, the maps. And now you guys have. I know this was one thing where it kind of always had that, that thought of being able to use Onyx on the watch, and now that has actually come to fruition where the, the Onyx is integrated, or I guess, how would you say it, like integrated or accessible through the watch is like in the platform.
Cody Rich
Yeah. So, I mean, that was always the North Star. Like, how do, how do you have Onyx on your watch? Which is. Yeah, that was kind of like the impetus for this whole thing. And then, you know, you had to build. In order to do that, you had to build everything from the ground up, because that didn't exist in the world. And so we did that. And along the way we realized that, like, hey, if we're going to be the best wearable form mapping, you know, we want to, we want to have our own maps. Like, we can't, we can't solely rely on an outside party. Like, we just can't be. We can't compete with the big dogs if we're going to do that. So we did do our own mapping and we've been pretty fortunate. You know, we. Our mapping is amazing. And I actually think there's a. There's a kind of a gap in Topo for a wearable. And so, like, one of the things we learned along the way was like, you know, Topo on a very small screen is different. It's kind of like topo from your desktop to your iPhone, right? And now you take it down a notch and it's like, now it's like this 1.97-inch screens, like iPhone One, a little bit smaller than iPhone One. It's very different. Right? And so we always knew we wanted to have our own mapping just for, you know, we wanted to be the best at that. Right? And so we did that and we have amazing, I would say, high definition topo. And the major difference between us and anyone else out there is like the ability to, when I say use your maps, like, so anyone who's owned another device is like, when you try to Move your maps. Like, you can't really do that. You're stuck where you are. And the topo is not great. So remember, like, the really old Garmin Rhinos, where, like, the topo was so big that you couldn't even tell, like, if you were on anything remotely flat. Like, you couldn't tell where you were. And the world is just like this orange screen and, like a dot in the middle. You're like, that's cool, but I don't really have it a reference. That's kind of how most companies treat wearable maps. Because, I mean, like, nothing against them, they make them for people who live in the city and run the streets. Like, they don't need the topo that we need. And so we knew we wanted great topo maps to be able to navigate, be able to be able to pan, right? So with the way we built ours is like this offline mapping to where you can actually move the screen and look around and navigate, right? Like, that was crucial. And, you know, but we obviously, all of our information is in Onx and those things. And so if we did land the partnership with Onx to be able to integrate with Onyx, which means you can easily push all of your waypoints, tracks, markups, all of those things. So just for clarification, it's our maps integrated with Onx, so you'd be able to move your waypoints, tracks and all those things. And that's really important because that's where our data is. And another frustration I had with other wearables was like, I was living in two different systems, right? If I wanted to set a waypoint on my watch just in case I lost my phone, A, it's very difficult, but B, like, it just. I don't have all the other information from this other device. So now very easily I can just click and send the whole folder for, say we're elk hunting in unit 1234. Now I can send the whole file over and it's in my watch and have it as a backup. But now when I look at my map, I can also see like, oh, that's that rub from last year. Okay, I know it's just up over this hill to where that wallow was, you know, and things like that, where it's like, be able to integrate with all your waypoints, tracks, all that stuff. And there's more coming too. Like, I think that's just phase one. There's really cool stuff coming as far as, like, what you'll be able to do with that integration in the future. So again, it's like, it's an evolution of, of growing. And I think we're the first people to really put usable maps on a wearable device and like focus on that piece of being the best in the world at that, that specific thing.
Remy Warren
Yeah, I know that's the first thing when I show somebody and they're like, oh, let me see. And I show them like what the maps look like. I think that's the. Everybody's pretty shocked. I know I was, you know, because everyone's like, yeah, this is what we're going to do. And I'm like, it is substantially better. It looks exactly like something that I would see on my phone, on my, on my desktop, but it's still usable and functional. You can, you can scroll around, you can look, hey, what's up there? What's back here? What does it look like? If I go two canyons over and then go back to where you're at and say, okay, this is, you could like, you could actually use it for navigation, for figuring out your routes, for understanding where you're at. Like, it's completely functional because it's, it, it's very easy to see and identify land features and you know that all the lines are in there and it's clear and it works really well. And I think that's the thing that I think most people first notice is like, wow, that's, that's great. Like, I didn't, wasn't expecting that because we haven't seen anything close to it in other wearables really well.
Cody Rich
And you, I mean, like, I think it is tough too. Like if you've had an older garment or anything. Realistically, you know, you're like, you can't imagine what maps on that thing would look like because like say the instincts or something like that, the, these new AMOLED screens and like, we're not the only ones using amoled, but you know, like, they're like a high definition smartphone screen essentially and they're, you know, they're touchscreen. So like you can use it like you would a phone. And I think that's like the thing that most people don't understand is like, oh, the gap, the jump in technology that has happened just in the last two years of screen technology is like night and day different from what it used be to, to me.
Remy Warren
Yeah, no, definitely. And I know there's a couple other things is like not only was it built for hunting and hunting feature sets focusing, I think it's like very map forward focusing on Maps first. But then there is also those other features that you find that hunters will use outside. Because like you're, I mean, I'm in the field a lot, but not everybody's in the field as much. So it's like, okay, well I'm gonna be out hunting, whatever on weekends or on my big hunt that year. But I've got something that's on my wrist and I want to be able to use it for my everyday stuff, for preparing for the hunt, for everyday features and functions. So it's not just a mapping software solution watch. It's also an everyday wearable where you've got all the things that you might want outside of that. You know, for me, it's like my biggest thing is in the field, obviously. You know, I want those things like the alarms, the sunrise, sunset maps. It's nice, handy to have the flashlight, those kind of things outside of the field. I use it mostly for running fitness tracking, stuff like that. Where it's like I enjoy knowing, okay, how far did I go, what's my heart rate, all that kind of stuff. And that's also built in the. So it's like you had to, you had to get something that competes with everything out there, plus really focus on the hunting stuff, which is very impressive.
Cody Rich
But like the other part is like you have to be able to get a 30 day battery life. 38 day battery life.
Remy Warren
Right? Yeah.
Cody Rich
And one of the cool things, we actually, we just did a partnership with True Med, which gives you the ability to use HSA FSA funds. And so like, what other piece of hunting gear can you use your HSA funds on? Like that's pretty, you know. And like the reason is, is because like it is, you know, it's a, it's a device that can track your health and fitness. Right. And you have to like, be careful with that. Just as far as like, you know, calling it a health device. Uh, but at the end of the day, like it does sleep tracking, it does health tracking, it does gonna do, you know, all the things you expect from a full feature smartwatch. And it doesn't very well. Like, you know, this is not like we built a mapping watch that kind of does these other things. Like we legit, like if we're gonna, if you're gonna play the game, you have to compete at the highest level. So like, it was just kind of like, I'm not doing it unless it's gonna be great. So that was, that was a big thing for us. And so, yeah, it's been such a journey. I mean, you've been a part of. You've seen the iterations, you've seen rough versions, and just finally it slowly, slowly chip away. It gets better and better. And now it's like, wow, this thing's crazy.
Remy Warren
Yeah, I know. There was a time where it was like, I couldn't even keep up with the updates because some of those original versions you'd have to plug in and whatever. And it's like two hours later, there's already a new version that's way surpassed the last version. But it's been cool to be a part of that process and see kind of the behind the scenes of building something like that for me and knowing. I always think it's cool because at the end of the day when you just get like a product, right? Whatever it is as simple as a water bottle or a shirt sometimes. But anything that utilizes something new and some kind of new technology, you just get it and you kind of assume that it's. It's the thing and it works and whatever. And you never see all the stuff that goes into it behind the scenes. And you actually get to see that you have so much more appreciation for the things that you use because you're like, wow, actually a team of people and all these things went into it. And there's like, I know there's features that I'm sure, like, came out of you using it in the field and being like, dude, I need it to do it this way. Right? Like a little bit of a. It would be so much better. Like, you don't even know sometimes how you use things until you start to use them.
Cody Rich
Yeah. And like, that was, I mean, so many. So much of it too is like, man, it'd be cool if it did this. Or, you know, like the redshift being able, like, you know, to switch those, like, you know, the maps to redshift. Right. Like, that's a huge thing. And like, there's all these little things that, like, throughout the journey, you're like, oh, that would be cool. And some things there's worse. I mean, there's still some things that'll be coming out over the next whatever. And the cool thing about the watch and kind of tech products, I would say is, like, it's like building a Tesla, whereas if you build the hardware, the firmware, right, like, you can just update the software. And so I think there's a lot of people that are like, oh, well, you know, if this new version is going to come out or this better, you know, update or whatever. It's like, well, poor Remy had to go through the era of like updating everything manually via cable. But no one else is going to know that in the world. So they're all going to get just instant wifi updates. So like it'll just push to their watch and like they'll like, hey, do you want the update? And they're like, yeah. And all of a sudden you get this new feature and we're similar or we're used to that in like an Onyx situation where it's like how many times like we always get Onyx updates and it's like new software and that was kind of, that's how it moves forward. So not everyone is going to have to plug their phone in like Remy did for the last year and get updates every couple of days and then be Cody texting and be like, dude, you have to get this update. You have to get this update. He's like, you know, I don't even have my cable or whatever. So that, that won't be the case for everyone else. It'll just be WI fi updates. But that's the cool thing is like, you know, we, I would say almost overbuilt the hardware just because we knew it was like, hey, here's all the things we ever want to do. You have to do that in the beginning and so it's like spend the extra money, go the extra mile. You know, if it takes six more months, then like do it right. Because then every update after that is like a software update. It's a push and it's like, cool new feature, cool new feature, cool new feature. Which is, you know, it's like when you build arrows, right? Great, great example is like you get kind of one shot at that and that's what it's going to be for, you know, however long. And then it's not like you can just send a, a wifi update to my day six arrows and be like, hey, we actually changed this. Which I'm sure there's times where you and Brian are like, hey, I wish
Remy Warren
I could do that sometimes. Sometimes you wish you could update a mid flight, you know what I'm saying? Like, oh my God, it's going a little low. Send update. Yep. Okay. Adjust the, adjust the trajectory. Right. That doesn't work with a lot of things, but yeah, it's cool that you know, you guys did put the time and energy into the hardware and now it's like going forward, you know, I know I've seen some of the road map of the things that you guys want to add to it and other stuff. And yeah, it's just gonna. It's just gonna build from there, which is really cool. So I think I'm excited about it. I know. I know you guys are excited about it. It's been a long time coming. You guys did. So you had a pre order, right? And then those are going to be shipping pretty soon. So everybody that got on that pre order, are those pretty much sold out right now for that, for that first pre order?
Cody Rich
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we sold out. So we did a pre order and we ended up getting a few less than we expected, but I still thought that was going to hold us over till, you know, like, July. And so, I mean, basically since we announced the Onyx partnership, it's gone gangbusters. And so it's, yeah, sold out. With that said, we have another batch coming at the end of May, and we're going to do a special pre sale. So if you want to lock in your unit, you want it in an May shipment, we're going to do a little special for your audience. And I'll set up a landing page. We'll put a link in the show notes, and, you know, we'll do. We'll do a band. We'll do the special bands as well. So if you sign up for the pre order right now, we'll send you the leather band strap, the regular band strap as well. And so we'll give you some extra perks and lock in your watch, make sure you're going to get it. Because we talked about doing this podcast and then we ended up selling out before we actually got to do a podcast, which is a good thing. But, yeah, we'll lock it in for your audience to make sure they can get one on the next order. Yeah, but that's coming probably the end of May, so if they want to lock that pricing and they're watching, then we'll. We'll give them a special discount or. Awesome.
Remy Warren
No, I appreciate you guys doing that. I know. That was like. I think that was the reward for me being the guinea pig for so long is like, all right, I want people to be able to get the watch, some of our. The people that listen to the podcast and stuff, to be able to jump in if they're interested, because I'm kind of always that type of person. I mean, people that listen to this podcast know I'm the kind of guy that I like to jump in on that new technology in the first wave because I'm. Because, you know, I get it. And then I'm so far ahead by the time everybody else, you know, decides to adopt. I mean, it's like I was a big proponent of the 7mil back country and I'm like, man, dude, I love that thing. I can't wait to see what else they make, you know, something similar to like that and you know, back in the day, short mag or whatever. And the same goes with watches. Like, you know, when those first smart watches popped up, I was like all over that. And, you know, I'm super excited about this and the fact that, that I think people are really gonna enjoy using it. I think there's a lot of things that are really cool about it. And then the other fact is it's a great timing as far as getting in and being able to utilize it preseason, get familiar with it. Cause anything that takes, you know, everything takes a little bit of time to understand, to get used to, I mean, it's not, it's pretty intuitive. But just before the hunt and like, use it training, use it on your day hikes, use it, it, whatever leading up to the hunt and then being able to have it in hand for the, this upcoming hunting season is going to be pretty cool.
Cody Rich
Yeah, man, we're excited. And like, so far, like we've had, I mean yourself and I think almost a hundred beta testers right now. You know, feedback's been awesome and so we're stoked. I, I And you know, the crazy thing is like, I didn't expect, I thought this would be more like, I don't know, western big game hunters, but it's like I was just talking to the Onyx guys and I think 40% of our sales are like east coast midw. Like, dude, turkey hunters from all over, which is crazy to me. Like, I thought it would be mainly western big game, but like, so far I think if you're a watch guy, you get it because you, you just know the frustrations that you've seen with the watches. And so it's like there's people all over, you know, whitetail owners, turkey hunters, whatever that are like, oh, this I've been dreaming of this. This is what I wanted, you know, And I think that, like, you know, you and I weren't the only ones that were frustrated with a product that wasn't, you know, there's nothing wrong with the other products. It's like they're just, just they're everything for everyone, right? And they get like, that's what they have to do to, you know, these, you know, Big tech companies have, like, they. They build a watch that does everything for everyone. And so nothing is really the focus. And so, like, that's kind of been our thing is like, hey, we just want to focus on doing this really well. And so far, the, you know, people emailing or calling in are like, thank you so much for building this. Which is like a crazy, crazy thing. When we were at expo, like, we, you know, you. We were in your booth and like, I don't know how many people came up to us and were like, like, thank you so much for building this. I've been like, dreaming about this for a long time. Like, I just been so frustrated, and I'm just glad someone's finally doing it. And it was like, that's such a. As an entrepreneur is a good feeling. And it's like, you're like, oh, cool. People. People like it.
Remy Warren
Yeah, that's awesome. And it. It's great when I like those events too, because you can interact with people and show people. Like, people could actually get it in their hand and see something. I mean, for us, we had our day, six arrows and other things. People, like, I've heard of this, but to actually get it in your hand and see it is a completely different thing. And you're like, oh, yeah, that's. That's. That's what I was like, that's how that looks. That's how that works. That's how that's what that is. I mean, and with something like this, it's cool to be able to. To hear that from people in real time. I'm excited for this, this first shipment and for people to get them in their hands. I'm excited for you guys too, because, I mean, how long, like, that goal's been out there? For a while. This wasn't just, you know, something that started yesterday. You know, I mean, we. When I talked to you, you had already gone, you know, you'd already been in it pretty deep to even get to that point. And that was what, two, almost two years ago probably, right? Yeah, maybe more so to. To see that, like, process and where it is and then to kind of get to this. And I know that that's not a finish line for you guys. This is just the starting point. It's kind of like. It's kind of like a bow hunt, right? Like, or a bow hunter rifle. It's like where the. Where the rifle hunt ends, the bow hunt begins. Like, I think you're just starting your bow hunt now.
Cody Rich
Yeah.
Remy Warren
But it's cool to see you Know that definitely the process and the development of, of the watch is really cool.
Cody Rich
One of the cool things I'm excited about, I don't know if you and I have even talked about this yet, but one of the cool concepts that I think, you know, we're working on right now is like you're familiar with Whoop. And I think a Whoop is really good at managing you from a day to day. Like a Garmin is really good at managing you for a marathon or like an event, right? Like you're managing your performance. So like say you and I go do a half marathon and we're like, okay, I want to keep my heart rate here, I want to keep my pace here. All those things. One of the things that's never really been done that I think would be really cool. And I think we're very, very close to this already. But it's like this concept of like what is whoop for hunters look like. So you know, Whoop is good at managing your day to day. They're managing professional athletes, but no one's really like managing you on a 10 day goat hunt, right? So let's say you and I go on a hunt and we're going on this mountain goat hunt. The first day we do 12 miles in and 3,000 vert, right? Like we absolutely crush ourselves. Like a wearable has this data. To be able to like manage your performance over a 10 day expedition. Not to be like in the best performance of your life, but like how do you maintain, right, how do you maintain at 90% efficiency over a 10 day hunt? So like first day, you know, based on your hrv, based on your caloric intake, based on the mileage, the heat, like all these factors like can't could this watch manage you your performance for like a 90 efficiency is like hey, staying glassing. Maybe today like sub six miles, whatever it is is like how do you, how do you maintain that? The other cool piece that kind of comes with that is like this version of call it a hunt readiness. So you and I do mountain tough all summer. We're going on, I don't know, a sheep hunt, right? If I'm going on a sheep hunt, how ready am I? Maybe it's a Montana elk hunt, right? I'm going to hunt with Remy on a Montana elk hunt. And I'm, I live in Ohio at a hundred feet of elevation, but I've been doing mountain tough. Now I can plug in my hunt and say like how, how ready am I for that hunt that's going to be at 9,500ft and based on the hunt plan, right? Like, am I ready for this hunt? Like, your, your hunt readiness is at 8, 80, whatever it is. Like, and so like all these cool things that a wearable developed specifically for hunters could do, in theory is like, basically everything that like Whoop and Garmin are already doing at a very, very high level for elite athletes and or ultra runners. Like, no one's ever done that for a multi day expedition. And I think that's like some of the really interesting cool things where we're headed towards.
Remy Warren
Yeah, I like that. That's cool. I've actually, I've never had like a apple watch, but I know everybody that has one is like, oh, my watch is telling me I gotta stand up. It's like, I'd rather have a watch that's like, oh, my watch is telling me I need to glass more.
Cody Rich
That's awesome.
Remy Warren
Do a little more glassing. I'm like, yeah, I'm in for that. Dude.
Cody Rich
I wonder if you check that next ridge.
Remy Warren
I'm like, okay, let's do this.
Cody Rich
I wonder if you could like measure time on glass. Like. Cause like, the watch will know if your hands are up, up like this. Like you're like, during a hunt. You could have like a breakdown. It's like, you know, minutes spent glassing
Remy Warren
versus like, that would be funny. I, I always wonder. I'm like, how long am I. I feel like some days you feel like you're like, I, dude, my eyes have been in this glass all week. Some days you're like, I probably should, you know, look a little harder. But yeah, man, I don't know. It's awesome. It's cool. I, I like the fact that you guys took on the challenge. You know, I'm appreciative of it because I'm a user of it. It's not a challenge that I would have ever taken on to do because I just, it. It seems like a behemoth. But you guys did it and you did it well. And I'm excited for you guys and excited about it. And it's been cool to be able to thank you guys for bringing me in. To be able to just kind of be a guinea pig in a way and say, like, here, try this, do that. I mean, I'm the type of person that has broken. Pretty much breaks like everything I ever touch. So I am like the absolute perfect person to test stuff. I'm the use case guy of what, like, if it, if there's something that can happen, I will make it happen. I'm the, like me and Murphy are pretty tight so I appreciate like everything that you guys and you guys have always been on back. Oh, okay. Do this update and all these things. So it's been cool to be a part of that process and I'm excited for where the watch is and then definitely where it's going. So I'm excited for you guys. For those interested and they're like, oh, this sounds cool. I'm going to check it out. Where's the best place to find you and you know, to get more information.
Cody Rich
Yeah, you can head over to bridgerwatch.com get all the information, all the specs, all of those things. Feel free to follow us on Instagram, reach out if you DM us. It's probably me answering it. And then if you want, we'll just set up a, you know, bridgerwatch.com forward/livewild and we'll set up a special landing page if you guys want that, that special offer.
Remy Warren
Awesome. No, appreciate that. And yeah, if you guys are already signed up for my email list or anything like that, Remy Warren.com you can sign up there and I'll be sending out, I'll send it out an email with some more information on it here pretty soon as well. So keep an eye out for those. Thank you guys. Thank you, Cody, for joining us today, for letting everybody know what's, what's in the works and what's going on. And I'm just gonna say I was like a good awkward goodbye. Oh, here we go. Until, until next time. We'll catch you guys later there.
Date: April 16, 2026
Guests: Remi Warren (host), Cody Rich (founder, Bridger Watch)
In this episode, Remi Warren is joined by Cody Rich, the founder of Bridger Watch, to discuss the journey of designing and launching the Bridger Reckon—a smartwatch built specifically for hunters. Remi shares his hands-on experience as a field tester throughout the product’s development, while Cody walks through the challenges, innovations, and unique features that set this hunting watch apart from other wearables. The discussion dives into technical breakthroughs (especially with mapping and battery life), real-life hunt applications, and the philosophy of building products by hunters, for hunters.
Gen 1 Frustrations:
Both Remi and Cody found existing smartwatches lacking for hunting, especially in mapping and navigation.
“None of these things were really built for what we do or how we do it… I was very frustrated.” – Cody Rich (04:50)
Idea Spark:
Cody’s frustration peaked while turkey hunting: he kept having to pull his phone out to check OnX maps – an inadequate solution.
“All this money I spent on a watch and I can’t do that.” – Cody Rich (05:56)
Vision:
The solution would be a dedicated hunter’s watch: rugged, with offline maps, integrated OnX, ballistics info, fitness tracking, and "must last in the backcountry."
“To build a smartwatch is such a big endeavor… but somehow managed to also get insane battery life, which was a North Star for us.” – Cody Rich (08:14)
Timestamp: 03:30–09:11
Early Prototypes:
Remi recalls seeing initial 3D-printed versions. Product development involved both hardware and custom mapping software, leading to iterations where the “watch” was a pelican case running the firmware.
“This is the watch, but it’s in a giant case. And now we're going to shrink that down.” – Remi Warren (12:22)
Field Testing:
Remi was a core tester, using rough builds extensively – learning firsthand how much work goes into each feature and update.
Timestamp: 12:21–13:50
High-Def Custom Topo & True Navigation Ability:
Bridger Watch prioritized “map-first” design, with maps that are clear, scrollable, and truly usable on a watch-sized screen—far better than available from main competitors, and crucial for remote navigation.
“I show them what the maps look like… It is substantially better. It looks exactly like something that I would see on my phone.” – Remi Warren (17:24)
OnX Integration:
Not just overlaying, but full-waypoint and track syncing for seamless data use across devices.
“If we’re going to be the best wearable for mapping, we want our own maps. But we did land the partnership with OnX to be able to integrate all your waypoints, tracks, markups, all those things.” – Cody Rich (13:50)
Offline Mapping, Panning, and Clarity:
The watch allows users to navigate, pan, and use detailed topo—with crucial hunting data at a glance, overcoming longstanding limitations of other wearables.
“You can actually use it for navigation, for figuring out your routes, for understanding where you’re at. Like, it’s completely functional.” – Remi Warren (17:24)
Timestamp: 13:50–18:23
Redshift/Night Vision Mode:
Hunters can orient the display inward and use red light mode for non-disruptive navigation at night.
“You can turn it upside down… have the red shift on so it doesn’t mess with your night vision at all.” – Remi Warren (09:11)
Everyday Use & Training:
The watch covers daily wear, fitness tracking, running, and health data.
“Not just a mapping solution—it's also an everyday wearable.” – Remi Warren (18:59)
Other Essentials:
Flashlight, sunrise/sunset, alarms, ballistics display, and more are built in.
“Flashlight. And I like to know sunrise, sunset—and I’m set.” – Remi Warren (12:56)
Timestamp: 09:11–20:23
Long Battery Life:
Up to 30–38 days, addressing a perennial gear weakness for extended backcountry trips.
HSA/FSA Eligible:
Due to health and fitness tracking, the watch can be purchased using HSA/FSA funds.
“What other piece of hunting gear can you use your HSA funds on?… It is a device that can track your health and fitness.” – Cody Rich (20:24)
Timestamp: 20:20–21:30
Field-Led Evolution:
Ongoing software and firmware updates ensure the hardware will stay relevant, unlike most outdoor gear.
“We overbuilt the hardware just because we knew… every update after that is a software update, a push, and it’s like, cool new feature, cool new feature.” – Cody Rich (23:45)
Real User-Driven Solutions:
Many features (e.g., redshift, better mapping, improved panning) were directly inspired by field use and tester feedback.
Timestamp: 21:30–24:45
Preorders and Sellout:
The first run sold out quickly, especially following the OnX integration announcement. A second batch is due late May, with special offers for Live Wild listeners.
“Since we announced the OnX partnership, it’s gone gangbusters… sold out.” – Cody Rich (25:36)
User Feedback:
Surprised by the broad appeal across hunting styles (Western elk, Midwest whitetail, turkey, etc.), not just backcountry big game hunters.
“Turkey hunters from all over… I thought it would be mainly Western big game, but… if you’re a watch guy, you get it.” – Cody Rich (28:17)
Timestamp: 25:36–29:53
Performance Management for Hunters:
Unique potential for the watch to offer “hunt readiness” analysis: e.g., prepping for elevation, multiday hunts, and optimizing performance, akin to Whoop or Garmin but tailored for hunters’ needs.
“No one’s ever done that for a multi-day expedition… really interesting cool things where we’re headed.” – Cody Rich (33:20)
Fun Future Ideas:
Tracking “minutes spent glassing,” advanced health suggestions tailored to field activity, and more.
Timestamp: 31:13–34:20
On solving real hunt problems:
“I want ability to… not pull my phone out 100 times… and have a backup to my phone, because I’ve lost my phone, and that's a bad situation.” – Cody Rich (06:47)
On field testing and product evolution:
“I am like the absolute perfect person to test stuff… if there’s something that can happen, I will make it happen. Me and Murphy are pretty tight.” – Remi Warren (34:52)
Describing the journey:
“It's cool to see where it started and then… to actually have this physical product and now have all that stuff put in, it’s pretty cool to see.” – Remi Warren (12:56)
On hunter-specific innovation:
“I always say we're just a bunch of dumb rednecks. But we keep convincing really smart people to help us…” – Cody Rich (05:19)
On community response:
“People emailing or calling in are like, thank you so much for building this. Which is like a crazy, crazy thing.” – Cody Rich (29:40)
“It’s been cool to be a part of that process and I’m excited for where the watch is and where it’s going.” – Remi Warren (34:52)