Posted: 4/9/2013 3:56:35 PM EDT
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The title of this thread may seem obvious and not worth discussing, the wrinkle is that the compass I bought in 2007 was a Suunto (ETA: sorry was a Silva!) civilian plastic compass with protective case/reflective mirror fold out cover. I trusted the name, liked the weight, and figured it would be good enough. Well I drive around with my bug out bag in the trunk of my car, checked it out a while back and noticed the needle was no longer functional. The driving vibrations and/or freezing/thawing severe North Dakota weather conditions were enough to do it in. My compass is a backup to my gps but I take it seriously. I bought an authentic tritium us military issue compass. It's 6 ounces without the included case or lanyard, but it can handle any temperature I'm likely to ever see and feels pretty rugged. I go ultralight if I can, but when it's important like water purifier (katadyn pocket) or navigation, I'm gonna hump that extra weight to be safe. (yes I looked into the sawyer water filter, if it dies from freezing then it's not for North Dakota, which has freezing temps in 8-10/12 months).
I do believe there are quality compasses out there besides military issue, but having been burned already I'm just not gonna mess around anymore.. This is the general type of compass I had that didn't last: This is what I just picked up: 
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my dad had one of these type of compasses (the one of the left) that he got at a flea market. He is under the impression that because something is military that means it is the best on the planet. It had the 'radioactive material' inside and I was never to open it or I would be radiated. well he lost in in a closet and the needle came off the track. I told him to give it to me and he was very adamant that I dont open or I would be exposed to 'radiation' 
I took it home popped it open and it was basically dry rotted, I put the needle back on track and noticed no 'radioactive' cell inside, nothing to make it glow etc. Total piece of junk, I explained to him that he should get something else. Luckily he only paid a dollar for it. He really thought he had something though... gotta watch when you buy those |
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I've a Sylva compas that has a plastic body and a Military issue one I purchased at Clothing Sales in the 80s.
Mine looks different than the one in the picture but very similar. The one in the above picture I've seen off post for much less than the issue one. The issue one used to run about 80 bucks. IIRC it was around 120 for the one that was for artillary guys. |
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Right, I'm sure there are knock offs. Cammenga is the official maker of this compass, and the same unit is sold to military and civilians. I got mine for 60 bux brand new. Over the summer, I bought the same tritium Cammenga w/o case/lanyard/packaging from a guy on Ebay with perfect feedback. Mine was made in 2010. I think I paid either $50, or $55 shipped and it's pretty cool. It's heavy, but I like it. Chris |
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The title of this thread may seem obvious and not worth discussing, the wrinkle is that the compass I bought in 2007 was a Suunto civilian plastic compass with protective case/reflective mirror fold out cover. I trusted the name, liked the weight, and figured it would be good enough. Well I drive around with my bug out bag in the trunk of my car, checked it out a while back and noticed the needle was no longer functional. The driving vibrations and/or freezing/thawing severe North Dakota weather conditions were enough to do it in. My compass is a backup to my gps but I take it seriously. Your Suunto compass has a lifetime warranty. Contact them and they will send you a replacement. |
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Well,
Yes I have a nice compass... But, lately like the op find ways that even good gear goes bad... So,I have went. Different route.. I have some cheap compasses...very small zipper pul compasses...and I'm in mn witch isn't nd but close... So, I have one of these little buggers on every places I can...they weigh next to nothing...they do point to the land of frostbite and brown bears... I figure this compass may break...but in all likelihood I'll have many more...I've always got at least a couple of them... Every jacket, bag, keys, stock.....I figure I'll have at minimum 3 maybe 12... Stack em deep...once they all fail...I'll most likely be dead at that point... So, yes I still have my nice compass, gps, cell phone...but at the price of these I can't not have them... The lot I bought was I believe $0.37 each...and I've given away many to friends and family...even my gf and kid wanted them...cool first survival tool I didn't have to get into an argument over.. Bret P.s. So, what would you like? A nice compas in you bob...that's lost...or a cheap compas on your zipper? My vote is both...my bob pack has my good compass in it...and all my jackets and bags and keys, even my vltor stock on my survival build has one... |
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The title of this thread may seem obvious and not worth discussing, the wrinkle is that the compass I bought in 2007 was a Suunto civilian plastic compass with protective case/reflective mirror fold out cover. I trusted the name, liked the weight, and figured it would be good enough. Well I drive around with my bug out bag in the trunk of my car, checked it out a while back and noticed the needle was no longer functional. The driving vibrations and/or freezing/thawing severe North Dakota weather conditions were enough to do it in. My compass is a backup to my gps but I take it seriously. Your Suunto compass has a lifetime warranty. Contact them and they will send you a replacement. +1. You already paid for the warranty, use it. |
| Thanks for the tip, I'll have it replaced. Still, lifetime warranty or not, I don't believe the durability is suitable for my emergency supplies BOB that resides in my car trunk. Perhaps I'll throw it in a lighter pleasure camping pack that stays in the house all winter and comes out only for pleasant camping in the summer. |
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As you've stated earlier it depends on your AO. You are dealing with cold extremes. In my AO I deal with heat extremes, 180+F inside vehicles during summers. I don't expect my water/MRE's/batteries/first aid supplies to last more than a couple years, so they get rotated out.
The short of it, I wouldn't blame the decent quality compass you purchased. Its still a precision instrument which requires some care being liquid filled and all. You need to check your gear regularly.... the whole Murphy's Law thing always gets us. |
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My guess the reason the needle is no longer functional is because you had it to close to some type of heavy metal or a battery... That will cause the needle to loose its magnetization to no fault of the compass. I doubt temperature would cause the compass to not work... I am sure they will re-magnetize it or send you a new one. Silva will always do it for their stuff.
If you don't want to send it back you can always re-magnetize it yourself. A hard drive magnet will work very well for this just be carefull because you can bend the needle... If any of my compasses start to loose some pull I leave them next to the magnet for a few days then let it set for another week or so on its own away from anything metal and they always pull just has hard as when they come from the factory. Just make sure you figure out your north and south on the magnet so your compass points the right way! Leaving a compass next to any battery will kill it in quick order. A cell phone or GPS especially. Leaving right next to something that is pretty metal heavy will also take its magnetization away but not as quick. |
| This issue is actually physical damage, it has lost its free/smooth movement, if I shake it I can get it to move but it's very choppy and not smooth when it does because of the mechanical issue. And I'm going to have to correct the record because I was just rifling through my paperwork and it's a silva compass not a suunto. I knew it started with an S lol. I used to own a Suunto watch that's probably why that name was in my head. Anyway I'm not trying to badmouth either Suunto or Silva, the lesson I learned is that this style/grade of compass cannot handle being in a car trunk for 6 years in North Dakota. I don't know what did it in, it very well could have been the vibrations and not the freezing/thawing cycles because I'm sure these are filled with some kind of anti-freezing agent, and they are made by companies in Finland, which has weather comparable to or more severe than North Dakota (depending on region). |
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This issue is actually physical damage, it has lost its free/smooth movement, if I shake it I can get it to move but it's very choppy and not smooth when it does because of the mechanical issue. And I'm going to have to correct the record because I was just rifling through my paperwork and it's a silva compass not a suunto. I knew it started with an S lol. I used to own a Suunto watch that's probably why that name was in my head. Anyway I'm not trying to badmouth either Suunto or Silva, the lesson I learned is that this style/grade of compass cannot handle being in a car trunk for 6 years in North Dakota. I don't know what did it in, it very well could have been the vibrations and not the freezing/thawing cycles because I'm sure these are filled with some kind of anti-freezing agent, and they are made by companies in Finland, which has weather comparable to or more severe than North Dakota (depending on region). Well that sucks, I am sure if you call them and explain to them what the problem is they will just send you a new one. I had one of their models loose its magnetization like I said, so I called them and explained what happened and they just sent me a new one no more questions asked. (was one of the lower end models) http://www.silvacompass.com/detail.aspx?id=81 1.800.572.8822 I found their customer service to be top notch. Hopefully you can find a good compass that will hold up for your needs. 
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I've used the military issue tritium compass for a long time now and it's pretty much the only one I trust.
IMHO if it's made of light, cheap plastic that's a hint. Your compass HAS to work right. If you need it then you REALLY need it to give accurate headings. |
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In North American, the Silva brand is owned by Johnson Outdoors, so US and Canadian compasses are not made by Silva of Sweden like they are in the rest of the world. Only Johnson Outdoors knows the manufacturer of Silva brand compasses they sell in the North American market.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silva_compass |
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Right, I'm sure there are knock offs. Cammenga is the official maker of this compass, and the same unit is sold to military and civilians. I got mine for 60 bux brand new. Over the summer, I bought the same tritium Cammenga w/o case/lanyard/packaging from a guy on Ebay with perfect feedback. Mine was made in 2010. I think I paid either $50, or $55 shipped and it's pretty cool. It's heavy, but I like it. Chris I have a tritium Cammenga as well and like it a lot
There are Chi-Com knockoffs of the USGI compass-I saw some at the last gun show I attended. They are identical to the Cammenga, right down to the radiation warning on the bottom. They are about half the weight of the real thing. |
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what you should have learned is that one is none.
you can lose or break an expensive compass just as easily as a cheap one can fail. two cheap ones is almost certainly going to give you a much higher chance of having a working compass when you need one than one expensive one. |
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IMHO if it's made of light, cheap plastic that's a hint. Your compass HAS to work right. If you need it then you REALLY need it to give accurate headings. Cheap plastic - Plastic isn't cheap. It has always cost more per pound than steel. A properly designed plastic part is many times the best design solution - period...... Are saying that a Silva compass doesn't point North as accurately as a USGI compass? Humm..... BTW - I have had my Silva Ranger for probably 25 + yrs. I have never had a problem with it. It has been in my pack on winter ski over nights to blazing desert heat. |
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The compass is backup to my handhelp gps. The gps has an internal compass so that you know direction when you are stationary.
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what you should have learned is that one is none. you can lose or break an expensive compass just as easily as a cheap one can fail. two cheap ones is almost certainly going to give you a much higher chance of having a working compass when you need one than one expensive one. |
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In North American, the Silva brand is owned by Johnson Outdoors, so US and Canadian compasses are not made by Silva of Sweden... This is an important fact that most people don't realize. Johnson Outdoors can buy any cheap Chinese compass they want and slap the "Silva" name on it here in the USA. If you want a real Silva you need to buy overseas like from ebay.co.uk or get one of the Silvas relabeled as a Brunton (or whatever they are calling true Silvas in the US now...) If you have a 20+ year old Silva Ranger it was probably made by the real Silva in Sweden. |
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Very interesting! The plot thickens..
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In North American, the Silva brand is owned by Johnson Outdoors, so US and Canadian compasses are not made by Silva of Sweden... This is an important fact that most people don't realize. Johnson Outdoors can buy any cheap Chinese compass they want and slap the "Silva" name on it here in the USA. If you want a real Silva you need to buy overseas like from ebay.co.uk or get one of the Silvas relabeled as a Brunton (or whatever they are calling true Silvas in the US now...) If you have a 20+ year old Silva Ranger it was probably made by the real Silva in Sweden. |
| ebay.co.uk also has a lot of the SILVA TYPE 4/54 Military compasses . They are surplus so the tritium is probably expired on most of them but they are an interesting choice for a baseplate type compass and are real Silvas: http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/sis.html?_kw=SILVA+COMPASS+-+BRITISH+ARMY+MOD+TYPE+4%2F54 |