Latest Review
February 13, 2025 
Kat Shoulders is the Head of Content here at Worn & Wound, but she’s also a professional photographer, avid outdoor enthusiast, and bonafide gear junkie. We follow her on one of her recent adventures with her new overlander and three of the latest PRO TREK models, each with their own unique functionality and vibe. The models are: PRG340-1, PRJB001B-2, and the brand new PRW6900YB-3. PRO TREK has continued to create an array of watches tuned specifically for outdoor lovers and this latest edition of Tool/Kit has been a great way to get to know them better.
Finally, We did it! Yay. Thank you for joining us on the next edition of Tool/Kit. We’ve been trying to do this for some time. Can you remind our readers who you are, a bit about your background, and what you’re up to these days.
Sure thing! My name is Kat Shoulders and I’m the Head of Content and Senior Photographer here at Worn & Wound. I first came into this industry through a watch podcast I started 6 years ago with my now best-friend. I first picked up a camera to better my watch photography and haven’t been able to put it down since. When I’m not shooting photographs or hanging with folks in the watch community, I’m usually out on trails with my dogs or camping with family.
Can you tell us a little bit about how you got into watches and gear?
I got into watches at an early age. When I was a kid I was obsessed with gear and that included wrist-watches. I loved Inspector Gadget and Men In Black with all their fancy tools and such. I was always the kid in school who had the cool pens or pencil pouches. That love for gear never really went away. As I grew older and started to get into other hobbies, like mountain biking, I would go all out and stack up on all the gear needed. I suppose I sometimes enjoy the gear aspect of the hobby more than the hobby itself. Watches have been a staple in my kit for over 10 years now and I still view them more as tools than anything else.
As a professional photographer, what is your favorite kind of shoot?
Like I mentioned earlier, I got into photography through watches, but my favorite type of shoot is most certainly lifestyle focused. I love capturing people and emotions. It’s been a challenge to learn how to speak to our models or friends on set and trying to evoke the right emotion for the shoot. I do believe people can tell stories with their bodies and faces without ever having to say a word.
That being said, I really want to get into adventure photography and telling my own story through my travels and experiences. I often think if I don’t have a pretty location, or a perfect subject, I shouldn’t shoot and I really want to get out of that mindset. Instead of always focusing on the big picture, I want to start focusing more on the little details.
It’s clear that you love watches and the outdoors, what do you look for in an adventurous outdoors watch?
Sports watches are most certainly my favorite because they can usually take a beating and feel like I don’t have to baby them. So toughness is at the top of the list for sure. Water resistance is usually important if I’m taking a piece hiking or camping. One thing I definitely don’t want to have to think about is water somehow getting inside the case. I also think legibility is really important. It can be strangely more difficult to read certain watches outdoors due to high reflections on the crystal. That and having some lume is important too. Nothing worse than not being able to read the time at night. Which is a big reason having a PRO TREK is useful, they have light up dials and I’m never guessing the time when I can’t find my phone in the middle of the night.
It’s also clear that you love vehicles, can you tell us a little bit about your rig and what you look for in an adventurous outdoor vehicle?
Yeah sure. I’ve had several adventure type vehicles. From a Jeep Wrangler, to a Ford F150, to a Subaru Outback, to now a Toyota 4Runner. They all had their pros and cons but I feel like the 4Runner has really suited my needs the best. I recently picked this ‘21 TRD model up because I actually wanted a more dedicated camping vehicle. Something that was big enough for me, my husband, and the dogs if they came along. While I appreciate roof top tents and have had several, I’ve always found it more peaceful to sleep inside the vehicle and having the extra space in the 4runner vs other cars I’ve owned has been super nice. I like to have a hybrid tire that I can easily hop off roading a bit while still maintaining a decent MPH on the road. A rooftop rack is a must for extra gear if I’m not putting a tent up top. And additional 12V outlets are a bonus and come in handy when overlanding.
When you start packing for a minimalist overlanding adventure, what are some of the key pieces of kit you always want to bring?
My first thought is typically my bags. What am I taking my clothes and other knick knacks in. My goal in this camping trip was to keep it as simple as possible. A kit that could keep me going for 1-2 nights right out of the vehicle with no other outside storage. I used my Coyote Peak Design Duffle in 35L and the Everyday Backpack in the same colorway. This was the perfect kit for clothes, toiletries, and my camera gear. I also took along my Topo Designs Mountain Utility Tote for items I needed on hand a little quicker if needed. Like some food items, utensils, my Garmin InReach, extra waters, etc.
Since I’m camping out of the back of the 4Runner, something that is a must in either hot or cold weather is window screens. I love the ones I have from Luno that fit the 4Runner’s windows perfectly. This not only keeps the bugs out, but allows fresh air to flow through the car while maintaining privacy. I have them for all 4 windows and the back lifegate as well. A good place to sleep is super important, if not THE most important factor for me while camping. I recently picked up this Exped MegaMat which is self-inflatable and insulated so it keeps me super warm. It doesn’t feel like a typical air mattress and seems more like my normal bed. It takes seconds to inflate and is light enough I can handle packing it up solo too. I have the two person version but they do have a single mattress if you like to keep more stuff in the back of your trunk too.
Another essential item is a decent table and chair. I’m not likely going to be standing or in the car the entire time I’m camped and it’s great to have a set of chairs to sit by a fire or look at the stars. For this trip, I brought along my CLIQ set of chairs. They’re incredibly comfortable and come in a set of two which is super convenient. I’ll add they do pack down very small too. Outside of food and beverages, a good cooler can really make your camping experience so much more enjoyable. I have a Blue Cooler I’ve used for years and it promises 10 days of ice. I’d love to upgrade to a small electric fridge in the car but this totally gets me by for weekend trips.
PRO TREK is known for their overbuilt Altimeter, Barometer, and Compass (ABC) watches. They outfitted you with one for this project in the form of the PRG340-1, which seems perfect for serious outdoor activities. Can you give us some first impressions?
Yeah, the PRG340-1 took me by surprise when I first laid eyes on it. It looked straight out of the 80’s or 90’s which I thought was super funky and cool. I immediately noticed retro design and kid Kat would have been in love with this model. I found it fairly intuitive to set up and it was certainly light on the wrist. The bio resin case is so incredibly light that it’s the perfect watch to go camping with. I’ve never been one to need a compass bezel but the light up display is very handy and the temperature and barometric readings were certainly useful, especially when you don’t have cell service. All packed into a solar powered watch that you can trust to not die on you out there.
This particular trip was all about minimalist overlanding and camping and Casio also supplied two of their more entry-level PRO TREK models, the PRJB001B-2 with that super fun bungee strap and the brand new PRW6900YB-3 on that drab green nylon strap. Can you give us some first impressions of those as well? What features stood out to you?
I was completely surprised by the PRJB001B-2 or as I call it, “The Bungee”. I’m a fan when Casio plays with colors and the color combo here is a lot of fun. The bungee-styled strap, while might seem strange to some, is so useful and light as a feather on the wrist. It’s able to accommodate almost any wrist size so you can pop it on and not get sweaty during the summer months or stick it over a jacket sleeve when it’s cold and still easily see your time at a glance. It also has a very unique bezel feature. It essentially acts as a way to protect the watch’s button from being accidentally pressed. Click it once to reveal the buttons, click back to protect them again.
The PRW6900YB-3 is radical too. It definitely gives off more of a tactical vibe to me but that’s not a bad thing. I think it’s very fun to have a stealthy watch like this in a collection. The CORDURA® re/cor™ band is the perfect choice for the black case and is super helpful as it is flame retardant to resist burn marks you might get from campfires. This is a watch I feel would look equally as cool in an urban setting as it does in the wilderness. Best of all, if you get in close, there’s a very unique, pattern engraved on the dial meant to mimic cast-iron cookware.
Talk to us a little bit about choosing the right watch for the right activity. What’s the thinking that goes into making that decision?
While I’m usually getting ready for my normal day activities, I typically go for something that always matches my outfit or vibe. But I have to say, when I’m choosing a watch to go camping or hiking with, my first choice is always “what’s going to get the job done.” I need something reliable and that I won’t have to worry about. A watch that I can throw on the ground if I’m covered in mud and need to change clothes on a whim, while not worrying about slinging it around. Casio has built the PRO TREK series for just this. They’ve taken some of the stellar technology we’ve come to love in G-SHOCKs and applied them to the fun outdoor cases that totally make sense for the outdoor enthusiast.
You also photographed all these watches. What did you learn about their styling, form factors, and fit as you shot them?
Something that I found surprising was that they all looked good with whatever outfit I was wearing. Whether that was a cashmere sweater or bright outdoor jacket, they always looked right at home. Styling them around my gear kit was super fun honestly, I loved playing with the colorful accents (which were red and orange mostly) as they really went with the vibe of the color I tend to gravitate towards. Each of these PRO TREKs were super photogenic and fun to shoot in their own way, whether it was through styling or how they play with light—legibility is a key factor for the brand.
Finally, was there something on your most recent trip that you wished you had brought? If so, what was it and why?
I really tried to keep this specific trip as minimal as possible so that folks could see that you don’t have to go spending thousands of dollars in gear. You really just need a comfy bed, a good cooler, a light, a way to cook a meal and that’s about it. You can camp right inside the car you drive everyday. That being said, I should have brought our water sprayer. We’ve got a few cheaper sprayers and they come in handy when you need to wash your hands, clean a dish, or even take a shower. They have some added pressure that’s much better than just dumping a cup of water on things. I’ll also add, if you have a battery charging jumper cable kit in your vehicle like I do, make sure it’s fully charged! My 4Runner battery actually died while I was out on this trip (unbeknownst to me, it was almost dead) and my jumper kit wasn’t fully charged. Luckily I was camping on my brother’s farm and he was able to come to the rescue. Lesson learned!
