Comparison of the RT3 Research Tracker and Tritrac R3D Accelerometers during a Backpacking Expedition by a Single Subject

Abstract

This study compared the RT3 Research Tracker accelerometer and the Tritrac R3D accelerometer in a field setting. A six-day backpacking expedition (122.4 km in length) was completed by a single subject in the Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. The overall correlation between the counts of vector magnitude activity for the RT3 and R3D was moderate (r = .75, p <.001), with the overall calculated bias [mean difference (RT3 minus R3D) and standard deviation of the differences] across all six days estimated at 235 ± 436 vector magnitude activity counts. However, agreement between the instruments is problematic; the RT3 might be 201 activity counts below or 671 activity counts above the R3D in assessing physical activity during backpacking.

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