Good compass?

T

Tin.Man

Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
876
looking for something durable above all else, although on the smaller side maybe oo accuracy kinda goes without saying haha. wguys have any suggestions? Had one from REI and it broke in my backpack lame.
 
Stick with something from Suunto or Brunton The new Silva compasses are of lower quality.
 
Suunto A-10 or better. I gots one, and I likes it. Its a rec base compass, but it works and works well. Moose
 
Best compass going from all that i have used
 
If you want something that is bombproof, get the standard USGI Lensatic, Cammenga is the current manufacturer. I have a Waltham Precision Instrument USGI Lensatic dated 12-59 and I have had it for 25 years. The radium paint has long since died but it's accurate and despite my best attempts to kill it in the mountains through stupidity, it keeps going.

Ease of use and accuracy I defer to Jeff. If you are a knucklehead in the woods, get a Cammenga. :D
 
Cammenga, for durability-you can run over the thing with a 5 ton truck and it will still give you as precise a heading as any compass out there. They're tanks, absolute bombproof. Really it's the be-all end all when it comes to durability and accuracy.
 
Stay away from Silva unless you happen to snag one made in Sweden. For most of my adult life I have had a woman tell me which way to go so from that respect dark hair, under 50, gainfully employed and likes old cars will work:)
 
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If you are needing something quick and simple, I would suggest the marbles lapel compass. They are super simple and tough as nails.
 
zrfunited said:
If you are needing something quick and simple, I would suggest the marbles lapel compass. They are super simple and tough as nails.
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Swam a few hairy rapids with one clipped to my PFD-it held out the water fine, but the face cracked on a rock. It lasted about four weeks. Still for 7 bucks they're a handy little deal.
 
MikePerrin said:
Stay away from Silva unless you happen to snag one made in Sweden. For most of my adult life I have had a woman tell me which way to go so from that respect dark hair, under 50, gainfully employed and likes old cars will work:)
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I have a blonde one that is still under 40 and will be for another 13.5 months, I have the Swedish Silva, too. :D
 
zrfunited said:
If you are needing something quick and simple, I would suggest the marbles lapel compass. They are super simple and tough as nails.
Click to expand...

Steer clear of Marbles, the new ones are pure junk. I had 4 of the neckers and 2 lapels stashed in my gear. I dug the one out of a ASK I had stashed away for a year and there was no fluid left in it, it was all in the ASK tin. I dug all of mine out and all 6 had bled out and had air bubbles the size of a dime. They wouldn't read true for nothing. Suunto. They are ones. Moose
 
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This compass is way tougher than any "manual" compass out there. It is more accuarate than some and less accurate than others. It also tells time, altitude, Barometric pressure, temperature and is solar powered.

It is a piece of gear that pulls double duty.
 
moosez45 said:
Suunto. They are ones.
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That Suunto Clipper Compass is tough as nails and accurate! Handy, too. K & M Matchsafes use the same Suunto in the lid of their matchsafe. That matchsafe is a great $25.00 investment and you can also get the extra length versions to accomodate REI Matches which are the best I have found yet.

imaginefj said:
This compass is way tougher than any "manual" compass out there. It is more accuarate than some and less accurate than others. It also tells time, altitude, Barometric pressure, temperature and is solar powered.

It is a piece of gear that pulls double duty.
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And it's not a bad idea at all. I have a Casio ROCK wireless phone that has a very accurate compass in it and the phone is pretty tough. But watches and phones are not replacements for real compasses. They're great for redundancy though!
 
It may be a pain to carry and a bit bulky, but overall you can't beat the USGI issue tritium (ie Cammengas).

You can abuse it and it'll ask for more. And the luminousity on the tritium is far better than any other model.
 
I have a bunch from TruNord. These are amazing little brass compasses that are bombproof and spot on. The same family from Minnesota has been making them for like 60 years. I gift these all the time.


http://www.trunord.com/
 
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