Posted: 4/30/2014 4:33:58 PM EDT
| What is a good compass? Would like a decent one but don't need all the bells and whistles. Its been years since I've used or needed one, just want a backup in case GPS goes out, going to hunt some public land. US made is preferred. |
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Here. Take your pic.
http://www.brunton.com/collections/navigation/?view=all |
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Holy smokes!! |
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Quoted: Gold standard is the Silva Type 15 Ranger. Suunto makes a clone. I recommend getting it in quadrants instead of azimuths, and units on the baseplate in 20ths of an inch instead of 16ths of an inch. I prefer the Silva Explorer over the Ranger (folding mirror) types for actual use. Fits in a pocket/hangs off the neck better, plus I can work it one handed.
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I like the USGI compass by Cammenga and keep one attached to my hunting pack. I trained with this one and used it on land nav courses.
Link |
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Quoted:
Holy smokes!! Quoted:
Holy smokes!! No kidding - I didn't realize it was possible to spend $500+ on a pocket compass. I do see that they have some useful features that my $15 Silva Polaris lacks. |
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Quoted:
No kidding - I didn't realize it was possible to spend $500+ on a pocket compass. I do see that they have some useful features that my $15 Silva Polaris lacks. Quoted:
Quoted:
Holy smokes!! No kidding - I didn't realize it was possible to spend $500+ on a pocket compass. I do see that they have some useful features that my $15 Silva Polaris lacks. Unless you are a geologist you probably don't need a Brunton/pocket transit. We had them when I worked as a land surveyor and though the old guys loved them for nostalgic reasons no one really used them. They are a very cool tool though. You can find them cheaper if you look around. A good base plate compass is what most people are best off with IMHO. I collect compasses and have a huge # to select from and I'd still pick a good Silve/Suunto baseplate compass as my "go to" compass. |
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Quoted:
I prefer the Silva Explorer over the Ranger (folding mirror) types for actual use. Fits in a pocket/hangs off the neck better, plus I can work it one handed. Quoted:
Quoted:
Gold standard is the Silva Type 15 Ranger. Suunto makes a clone. I recommend getting it in quadrants instead of azimuths, and units on the baseplate in 20ths of an inch instead of 16ths of an inch. I prefer the Silva Explorer over the Ranger (folding mirror) types for actual use. Fits in a pocket/hangs off the neck better, plus I can work it one handed. I just bought one of these Silvas. A great $25-$40 solution, and the thing doesn't easily get "stuck" pointing the wrong direction. I mean you have to really tilt it to an extreme angle to stick it. |
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Quoted:
Unless you are a geologist you probably don't need a Brunton/pocket transit. We had them when I worked as a land surveyor and though the old guys loved them for nostalgic reasons no one really used them. They are a very cool tool though. You can find them cheaper if you look around. A good base plate compass is what most people are best off with IMHO. I collect compasses and have a huge # to select from and I'd still pick a good Silve/Suunto baseplate compass as my "go to" compass. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Holy smokes!! No kidding - I didn't realize it was possible to spend $500+ on a pocket compass. I do see that they have some useful features that my $15 Silva Polaris lacks. Unless you are a geologist you probably don't need a Brunton/pocket transit. We had them when I worked as a land surveyor and though the old guys loved them for nostalgic reasons no one really used them. They are a very cool tool though. You can find them cheaper if you look around. A good base plate compass is what most people are best off with IMHO. I collect compasses and have a huge # to select from and I'd still pick a good Silve/Suunto baseplate compass as my "go to" compass. This is a good point, I find a small pocket or base plate style compass to offer the most utility for average basic user. My compass of choice when headed into unknown wilderness is a Silva Guide model and I believe it is the lowest model/ level that has a sighting mirror, and while I don't ever really use the sighting mirror for direction usage it does come in handy to see if you have something stuck in your eye or a cut on your face from that angry branch. Can also be used for signaling. Those are just a couple reasons I would suggest a compass with a mirror. |