Question - Compass

[ukmase]

I am in dire need of a compass, i recently bought a cheapo Tesco compass for £1.99 and it is absolutely rubbish. The needle just will not settle.

So with that in mind, i am looking for compass of quality. Money does not really bother me too much, i would normally rather buy a quality product which will last 20years and has great build quality.

My problem is i dont know the difference between a good compass and a wet sock.

Any help would be appreciated, cheers

[mike knipe]

Wet socks  only point North at random intervals....

There's two popular makes of compasses which are usually pretty good.

These are Silva and Suunto. I dont think there's much to choose between the two.

To be really useful - and apart from pointing magnetic north -   a compass needs  a flat see-through base plate which is at least 2 inches long so that its easy to handle and can be used as a protractor. I find that small compasses are less easy to use for taking map-ground bearings than bigger ones. I take a small one as a spare, though in case I lose my compass or drop it/tread on it etc.

Other things to look for are, (not in any order):

Flourescent markings on the direction of travel indicators on both the base plate and the housing (round bit), and either side of the North indicator in the housing. (for night time use) and the North end of the needle.

No bubbles in the housing.

1:50k and 1:25k "romer" markings for taking or locating grid references.

100 metre distance measurer for 1:50k and 1:25k

a magnifying bubble

soft inserts on the underside for making it non-slip on maps

nice, clear degrees markings and parralel lines inside the housing.

Movement of the compass needle is dampened.

make sure the needle points mag north!

Probably something I've missed.

[Snowman]

Firstly, I have two compasses (well actually more than that but I only use 2 on treks).   One is a Suunto, which uses the ‘Mils’ scale (I believe NATO issue), while the other is a Recta which uses the ‘degrees’ scale.    This latter compass comes with a declination adjustment, but I haven’t used this since I bought the compass as declination has not in recent years been particularly significant.   Declination is the difference between true north and magnetic north, and is currently around 3 degrees, which, bearing in mind that keeping on a straight line when walking across moorland or fells is pretty difficult, isn’t going to put you significantly off track over the relatively short distance a walker travels between known navigation points.

I’d also give serious consideration to the Silva compasses.   I don’t own one but my walking buddy does.   You should be able to get one or all of these makes from most serious outdoor shops.

Considerations are:

Get one with a reasonable length plate as it makes the direction arrow clearer.

Get one with plenty of grip on the dial.   Some have quite chunky dials, which is very useful when your hands are wet or you’re wearing gloves.

If it’s got an air bubble - it shouldn’t have.

I like the Romer scales.    These are the scales on the face of the plate that help give more accuracy to OS grid references.

Many compasses also have a magnifying lens, which can be extremely useful when looking at part of a map which is a little ‘crowded’.    Some also have stencils so that you can mark your map but I’ve never really found a use for them.

If money is no object, then think about a sighting compass, as they are useful for taking bearings.    I don’t have one because I also have a Suunto Vector ‘watch’ which is excellent for taking bearings.

S.
 

[howardfernlover]

I wonder how many members of this forum take much notice of magnetic north?
After taking a bearing from the map (for the benefit of the original enquirer, this is so simple, you just place the compass on your map, line the edge of the baseplate of the compass between where you are and where you want to go to, twist the rotating bezel round till the lines under it are parallel with the north-south grid lines on the map, then you hold the compass and turn it till the floating arrow points to north on the rotating bezel, and you walk in the direction of the arrow that is marked on the baseplate.  Even writing this makes it sound more complicated than it really is) I just line up on true north and walk that way.
I've done this on a few occasions in thick Welsh mist, and I've always ended up very close to where I wanted to be, without messing about trying to work out how many degrees magnetic north is, and which way I should turn the compass to allow for it.

[mike knipe]

Declination for mag north gets more significant the further away from Mag North's longitude you go  - eg It will be quite a small difference in Portugal, but a massive one  in Lapland  We're going through a period where, in the hillwalking areas of  England and Wales, the difference between mag and true North is probably small enough to ignore over short distances, though I do tend to adjust for it.  Its more significant in places like the cairngorms than, say, dartmoor.  This is just a temporary situation which will only last a few years, though, depending on where mag north decides to go.

[howardfernlover]

Can I add that you must keep your compass well away from your mobile phone or GPS.  I'm not sure of the technicalities, perhaps it de-magnetises the needle, but it will render your compass permanently useless.

I used to put all three of the above in the lid pocket on top of my daysack, where I could get at them easily when I wanted them, and my compass became about 90 degrees out.  I confirmed this by comparing it with new ones in a shop, and when I commented on it while I was paying for a new one, I was asked straight away, "Have you kept it near your mobile phone?"
Now I keep them well away from each other.

[ogy]

I have a recta, It's probably a little out but it gives me a general idea of direction

I think when I replace it I'll go silva though as these seem like the mutts nuts and you get fantastic cases to keep them in
probably go for this one next http://leisure.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/leisure/ItemDetails.jsp?item=silva_compass_ND.exp4
It's got everything I need.

Ogy

[Wilko]

One of the most popular is the Silva Expedition 4.

It has everything Mike lists, has a slightly longer baseplate and comes in around £24.

http://www.silva.se/templates/Products____79.aspx?epslanguage=EN&productId={28079803-C9CB-401D-ACE9-F411DEBB2B0E} [nofollow]

You can spend more on a compass for extra features such as sighting but I think it's going a bit overboard (unless you're a sniper  )

David

[wontolla]

I agree with WILKO. Silva Expedition is the one to go with. I have had mine for  years & it gives sterling service. (It WAS recommended by Rossendale Search & Rescue)

[titaniumdude]

I vote for that one too.  Had mine for 25 years nad it's still working good as new.

[summerfield]

personally i would go for the Silva expedition (type)4 as recomended by Montain Rescue teams as part of thir kit. it is of ruged design with good features as aready stated. they also do a cheaper type 3 but this is smaller and less features ive had my type 4 for about 10 years and still going strong.

[walkinggirluk]

I got an Silva Expedition for christmas....  And would recomend they are really good compass.... 

[Mr Sam]

I have an aldi unbranded compass. Wouldn't recommend it either. It broke and I fixed it with superglue however since I rarely use a compass I haven't replaced it yet.

[Highlander]

I've had 2 reasonably expensive Silva compasses that after a few flights have developed large bubbles in the housing (from air pressure changes).  This has the effect of reducing the dampening and also means you're never really sure if the needle is pointing north.  Have now bought a compass without liquid filling: Cammenga.  It's American and you can buy over the web. Also the easiest compass I've ever used to take a quick bearing & set a direction.

[CoCo]

I went and got a Silva and it works great