Compass recommendations
- Thread starter Lened
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Great question! GPSs run out; a compass never will. Anyways. I carry two:
Cammenga tritium: good enough for US military … little bit heavy though.
Suunto clip-on for back up. It did save me, ah, some time, once.
("Indian not lost, teepee lost.")
I do have a Silva, forget the model (Ranger), from back in the day.
Highly recommended if you don't have: The classic book, Navigating with Map and Compass. It's in its 97th printing (hyperbole), think it's Swedish- love the dated photos of a couple in the wilds of Sweden.
AA
Cammenga tritium: good enough for US military … little bit heavy though.
Suunto clip-on for back up. It did save me, ah, some time, once.
("Indian not lost, teepee lost.")I do have a Silva, forget the model (Ranger), from back in the day.
Highly recommended if you don't have: The classic book, Navigating with Map and Compass. It's in its 97th printing (hyperbole), think it's Swedish- love the dated photos of a couple in the wilds of Sweden.
AA
I have a Suunto that I like, but don't use often. Mostly I go camping with my wife, and she doesn't like to wander far off the beaten path. I still take the compass just in case, but haven't pulled it out in a while.
Ad Astra ("Indian not lost, tepee lost") reminded me of a similar story I heard years ago. Once Daniel Boone was asked if he had ever been lost. He thought for a minute, and then said, "I don't believe I've ever been lost, but I was a mite bewildered for three days once."
Ad Astra ("Indian not lost, tepee lost") reminded me of a similar story I heard years ago. Once Daniel Boone was asked if he had ever been lost. He thought for a minute, and then said, "I don't believe I've ever been lost, but I was a mite bewildered for three days once."
I still have my Recta DP2.
Compact, difficult to break
I'm not sure, but I thought Recto was bought by Suunto some years ago.
Compact, difficult to break
I'm not sure, but I thought Recto was bought by Suunto some years ago.
Whichever one; but always, always have one.
100% of people will go in a circle, without.
AA
100% of people will go in a circle, without.
AA
I have both Suunto and Silva orienteering compasses. Lightweight and reliable.
For use with topo maps, I'm fond of an orienteering style compass. These are just a liquid dampened compass that rotate on a clear plastic base with a straight edge, but are fast to use. Just align with your map and set to the direction you want to go.
I've used liquid dampened lensatic compasses (that's what my father taught me to use), but prefer the military type with a straight edge for use with topo maps. They aren't my favorite, but that's just personal taste.
For work, we use sight-through liquid dampened compasses. These have a straight edge and a visible compass dial at the top, and you can set them on a topo map like an orienteering compass, but you can look through the compass with one eye and see the dial and line superimpossed on the terrain ahead. You can set the magnetic declination on the one I use at work, but that only works for sighting through the compass; the adjustment doesn't affect the alignment lines when you look down at the top.
A good brand like Brunton or Suunto probably counts more than type. I'm not disparaging Cammenga (and would love to have that type of lensatic compass), just that I've never used one. Maybe Silva compasses, too? Might have used their orienteering type about forty years ago. I've had the needles come off cheaper compasses, including liquid dampened ones. You can get good, cheap, compasses, but you don't know if they hold up until you actually use them.
I've used liquid dampened lensatic compasses (that's what my father taught me to use), but prefer the military type with a straight edge for use with topo maps. They aren't my favorite, but that's just personal taste.
For work, we use sight-through liquid dampened compasses. These have a straight edge and a visible compass dial at the top, and you can set them on a topo map like an orienteering compass, but you can look through the compass with one eye and see the dial and line superimpossed on the terrain ahead. You can set the magnetic declination on the one I use at work, but that only works for sighting through the compass; the adjustment doesn't affect the alignment lines when you look down at the top.
A good brand like Brunton or Suunto probably counts more than type. I'm not disparaging Cammenga (and would love to have that type of lensatic compass), just that I've never used one. Maybe Silva compasses, too? Might have used their orienteering type about forty years ago. I've had the needles come off cheaper compasses, including liquid dampened ones. You can get good, cheap, compasses, but you don't know if they hold up until you actually use them.
Oh, an important word about sight-through compasses: They're hard to use with glasses. At work, I take my glasses off to use mine, but that's not always an option.
I've been a fan of the Silva Ranger (mod 515 currently) since Forestry school. Also carry Non-mirror Silva's in small bags just in case.
Tom
Tom
Here in the UK the Silva Type 4 and Ranger models are by far the most widely used compasses. Easy to use and read, accurate enough for any real world navigational tasks and generally very reliable. I've used a Type 4 for a great many years and it's always got me where I wanted to go.
I have read in recent times that the quality of Silva compasses might not live up to what it used to be, following changed ownership, but I have no personal experience of this. A friend of mine was concerned enough by these reports to opt for a Recta compass after losing his old Silva. The Recta is Swiss-made and seems of very high quality.
I have read in recent times that the quality of Silva compasses might not live up to what it used to be, following changed ownership, but I have no personal experience of this. A friend of mine was concerned enough by these reports to opt for a Recta compass after losing his old Silva. The Recta is Swiss-made and seems of very high quality.
Recta was bought by Suunto in 1996. In 2009 Recta production moved from Switzerland to Finland.
I bought my DP2 in 2011, it's still a great compass to use.
Suunto - Wikipedia
Recta - Products / Compasses / DP 2
I bought my DP2 in 2011, it's still a great compass to use.
Suunto - Wikipedia
Recta - Products / Compasses / DP 2
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