What I learned about the Microsoft Band and Moto 360 during laser tag

When wearables first showed up to the tech party, I thought they'd be gone within six months, a passing fad to be forever forgotten in the land of an industry infamous for vaporware.

Boy, was I wrong. Android Wear is still alive and kicking, working hard at perfecting its operating system for the army of smartwatches that support it, like the Moto 360 and LG G Watch R. With the Apple Watch almost here and many other companies like Fitbit and Jawbone already on third and fourth generation fitness trackers, wearables aren't going away anytime soon.

I've also used enough smartwatches and fitness trackers to see they are slowly but surely getting better. Still, after reviewing a bunch of wrist-ware, I feel like I haven't given you, dear reader, a chance to see what it's like to actually use one "in real life." In fact, I think there are still a lot of unanswered questions about this very thing.

For example, how sweaty will my wrist get after a five-hour hike? Does a wearable get super dirty while camping? What's my heart rate like after a roller coaster ride? How many steps would it take to walk across San Francisco in one day? How handy are notifications while adventuring in the great outdoors? Can I even get notifications in the middle of the woods? I think you get the idea.

That's why every two weeks for the next two months, whether it's hiking, rock climbing, camping, kayaking or full-day city excursions or trips to amusement parks, I'll chronicle my experience with a smartwatch and fitness tracker to see what it's really like being tethered to yet another gadget.

I also won't bore you with the metrics. Instead I'll focus on the experience as a whole, though I will throw in numbers if they are relevant and interesting. Ready? Let's go!