Compasses

B

Buck268

Joined
Nov 5, 2006
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I have a basic Sylva model from when I was younger that still works well but would like to pick a few extra compasses up for use in emergency kits. Just looking for something durable and reliable that won't break the bank.

Always liked the look of the folding lenstatic ones but never used them, just the orienteering style. Any recommendations?
 
I keep it basic for general and emergency use, just standard Silva baseplate compasses. They are cheap, durable and plenty accurate enough for general use. the last thing I want in an emergency kit is something fragile that has broken, or something so complicated I cant remember how to use it, or something I need a mapping table and protractor to use.
 
As far as I know, Suunto and Silva are both owned by the same company now (or one bought the other) anyway, as far as I know, those are still as good as they have always been (but the general customer service and warranty is as it always was.. not great) Buy one you like. I think they both have a "beginner" compass that is a bit smaller than normal. I couldn't find them in a southern hemisphere needle at a reasonable rate, so I just have a standard silva baseplate. I have a brass lensatic I got from Lee Valley that is quite good, made by a Japanese company. but its a survey compass, weights half a pound.
 
There's an app for that... Back when I was in the army, in the 60s, we were trained to use the lensatic compass. This is likely the best for actual navigation, but you really need the appropriate maps to use it effectively.

We had to do a nightime compass course at one point, shooting given azimuths to arrive at groups of little poles stuck in the ground and if you had done it right you were supposed to have arrived at the correct pole for each stage.
Almost no one passed. In fact, the guys who did pass confessed that they had just guessed at which pole was the right one.

Then, later, we found that the course had not been laid out by guys with compasses, but by guys sitting on thier butts using an "artillery aiming calculator". This device did no compensate for the magnetic deflection that affects real compasses so if you did the course "right" it was not possible to get a good score.
 
There's really no need for lensatic compasses. If you like them and can use them cool but a sighting compass is really the most accurate compass you need. The kind with a folding mirror on them. That's what I carry. That said, a basic baseplate is just fine. Not sure what's on the market currently as I'm using the same one from the 90's. :D Silva Ranger.
 
I like Suunto or Brunton. Make sure the one you get is adjustable for magnetic declination. I know both of those companies have basic base plate that is adjustable and will do the job for $10. A base plate compas is superior for working with maps. no need for a separate protractor or ruler.
 
Shotgun said:
There's really no need for lensatic compasses. If you like them and can use them cool but a sighting compass is really the most accurate compass you need. The kind with a folding mirror on them. That's what I carry. That said, a basic baseplate is just fine. Not sure what's on the market currently as I'm using the same one from the 90's. :D Silva Ranger.
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Years ago, the only compasses I ever saw were lensatic compasses. I think that's what my Dad had and if you were trying to buy something cheap then, that's what you got. Never could figure out what the markings around the dial corresponded to. These were not 0-360 or 0-90 degree markings typical of other compasses. I later got a Brunton pocket transit for work and have a couple other less expensive sighting compasses. I like the little Victorinox compass as well as a inexpensive Brunton.
 
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This is the one I use:

military-grade-compass-7710.jpg



...and here's the Official US Army Field Manual on Map Reading and Land Navigation. [FM 3-25.26]

http://www.uvm.edu/~goldbar/FM3_25.26.pdf

...and here's the video version [15 min video is quicker than reading a 209 page manual]

[video=youtube;a7rfibJMEv0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7rfibJMEv0[/video]



However the manual is in PDF version and thus, is printable :)
 
Shotgun said:
There's really no need for lensatic compasses. If you like them and can use them cool but a sighting compass is really the most accurate compass you need. The kind with a folding mirror on them. That's what I carry. That said, a basic baseplate is just fine. Not sure what's on the market currently as I'm using the same one from the 90's. :D Silva Ranger.
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Silva Ranger is better than a lensatic compass even for sighting. If you need that much more precision you need a Brunton which the Army used as a back up to the M2 aiming circle. The Brunton can be had for about $200 or more. That said, there is little reason for anything more than a Silva Ranger
 
Suunto is what I suggest. I like the Suunto A10 and A30/Woodsman modes. They can be had for $15-$20.

Please stay away from the US made Silva compass offerings. Do some web searching on them. JUNK.

There is a channel on YouTube, Crawling Road, that does some good compass reviews and training videos. Well worth looking into.
 
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I've been in the army and learned how to use a compass.
But in real life when working with maps I never needed one.
I worked a lot with maps. Finding crop fields, gras lands and swamps to measure them with GPS and take soil samples. While the GPS helped me to measure the plots I had to find them first using maps. Often hand drawn.
The most frequent task was to decide which field road or path to take at an intersection. Since they weren't at very steep angles to each other all you need is the sun to get a basic idea of direction and you are good to go. Even that is not required if you know where you are coming from. Look at the map identify the intersection and pick the right path to the target.
If there was no sun some village or mountains were good enough to point the map in the general direction.

Unless one hikes through areas without a map or in complete darkness or a feature less dessert or jungle without mapped paths I don't see much use for a compass.
And if you hike without a map then where are you going to anyways that you need a very accurate direction. How would you know which direction the goal is?
It's all cool for games where you get some prepared coordinates and have to find something without a map but in what kind of emergency does that happen?
Just can't come up with one.
Who can help?
 
The Suunto Leader is a good compass, probably the best for the money. No gadgets or gimmics, just a good quality basic compass.

We (archaeological surveyors) were sometimes issued the more expensive Brunton or Silva compasses with the folding pop-up mirrors. What a PITA. What I normally did with one hand and in a few seconds now took two hands and a half-minute. Somehow those mirrors always ended up breaking off... :rolleyes:
 
I'm using a Silva Ranger for years now. Besides being a good quality compass, it's widely available and it's affordable.
 
Bob W said:
The Suunto Leader is a good compass, probably the best for the money. No gadgets or gimmics, just a good quality basic compass.

We (archaeological surveyors) were sometimes issued the more expensive Brunton or Silva compasses with the folding pop-up mirrors. What a PITA. What I normally did with one hand and in a few seconds now took two hands and a half-minute. Somehow those mirrors always ended up breaking off... :rolleyes:
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Have yet to break/crack a mirror on my Silva Ranger or any Brunton and used them for couple of decades. Trick is to ensure mirror is on opposite side of pouch than the button. Snapping the pouch closed is what usually breaks the mirror. Another thing both have going for them is the availability of a clinometer.
 
leghog said:
Have yet to break/crack a mirror on my Silva Ranger or any Brunton and used them for couple of decades. Trick is to ensure mirror is on opposite side of pouch than the button. Snapping the pouch closed is what usually breaks the mirror. Another thing both have going for them is the availability of a clinometer.
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I think they broke on purpose.
So that what would take minutes and two hands would then take seconds and and one hand.
 
Jens Schuetz said:
Unless one hikes through areas without a map or in complete darkness or a feature less dessert or jungle without mapped paths I don't see much use for a compass.
And if you hike without a map then where are you going to anyways that you need a very accurate direction. How would you know which direction the goal is?
It's all cool for games where you get some prepared coordinates and have to find something without a map but in what kind of emergency does that happen?
Just can't come up with one.
Who can help?
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How about bad weather, like a snowstorm? Fog? dust storm? And, like you already said, night.

You are right, if you have a map, and are hiking in your usual conditions, you probably don't need a compass. BUT, on the odd chance, that the weather takes a bad turn, GPS batteries die, or someone is injured and you get delayed until after dark, you should have a compass to help, and the knowledge to use it.
 
If you have a map and have a reasonable idea of the terrain (meaning you are pretty comfortable), you don't need a compass. But, things don't always go as planned. I'll keep a compass with me. A compass is part of my field gear except when I am hiking a known area and know the relationship of a trail to the other geographic features. My typical compass I take with me is the victorinox mirror compass which I can use for sighting general bearings, adjust declination if I want to, but usually don't bother, and just general orientation.
 
leghog said:
Have yet to break/crack a mirror on my Silva Ranger or any Brunton and used them for couple of decades. Trick is to ensure mirror is on opposite side of pouch than the button. Snapping the pouch closed is what usually breaks the mirror. Another thing both have going for them is the availability of a clinometer.
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I couldn't say which models but I've definitely had more bubbles with Silva and Brunton than with Suunto (comparing same-price level models). The high elevations and extreme temperature swings are likely the culprit, but I find it inexcusable anyway on a brand-new compass.
A bigger gripe than bubbles, on some compasses the markings are merely printed on the plastic and not cut into the base. I've had a Brunton Eclipse, for example, that was a clear piece of plastic after a few days in my pocket. Some low-price compasses even have stickers, and you can guess how long those last.

s-DP-65-open.jpg

I also suggest staying away from these Suunto-marked compasses. They aren't actually made by Suunto (contracted to Brunton I believe), and have a real problem with bubbles. Ordered one brand new, it arrived with a bubble. Sent it back and the replacement also arrived with a bubble. Sent that one back and the third arrived with a bubble...

This is the style of Brunton that had the numbers rub clean off almost immediately:
Brunton_eclipse_8097azmithline.jpg


This is the sort of Brunton with the degrees printed on a sticker. Mine lasted a week or so before it was too faded and worn to read. (It did last longer than the numbers on the Eclipse).
408023Lrg.jpg
 
Well, I personally can use the sun and stars to navigate...but that presumes good weather or a clear night. I'm well versed in the woods I hike in...but I still take a toppo map and compass with me. I certianly can't remember when I used either, but I'd rather err on the side of a safe return.
 
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