compass??? what is a good one?

[garyp]

hello all, i am looking for a decent compass. i generally hike in the high sierra between 6-11k feet. what brand or model do you use or recommend?

any help would be appreciated.

[Damn Yankee]

I have always used the tried and true military compass. Just make sure it is an actual military compass and not a knock off.

[rocketsocks]

just a bunch of stuff to look at

http://www.thecompassstore.com/baseplate-compasses.html


i'm liking this one lately, but do not own it.

http://www.thecompassstore.com/dakar.html

[Starchild]

Compass technology is pretty much perfected. Chose one based on your needs and ability and perhaps what you wish to learn, but no need to go beyond that.

[Slosteppin]

The one I carry most often is a Silva Polaris. Suunto and Brunton also make very good compasses.

Declination can be a problem in the western states. I suggest either buy the compass near where you will use it or get one with easy to set declination feature.

[BuckeyeBill]

Here (http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/CAMOmnifindQueryCmd?storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1&searchCategory=&ip_state=&ip_constrain=&ip_navtype=search&pageSize=24&currentPage=&ip_sortBy=&searchKeywords=89675) is the one I use. You can set declination and also includes a clinometer to measure angle of ascent and descent if you want to know such things. Little pricey but has held up for years.

[Rocket Jones]

I use a simple Silva compass with just enough features for my needs. Easy to set declination, clear baseplate, and most importantly a built in magnifying lens so my old eyes can read the fine print on the maps. :)

[double d]

Military compass tends to be too heavy for hiking long distance. I have a small compass from REI, it works well, its lightweight.

[RodentWhisperer]

This might open a can o' worms, or might make me into a serious rube, but when I'm hiking on an established, well-marked trail, I see no reason to carry a compass. I've never been to the High Sierra, though.

[Starchild]

This might open a can o' worms, or might make me into a serious rube, but when I'm hiking on an established, well-marked trail, I see no reason to carry a compass. I've never been to the High Sierra, though.

It is common to not take a compass for many thru hikers on the AT, I lost mine early on and didn't replace it.

I often use the position of the sun first, smartphone second for direction.

[CarlZ993]

I keep my compass weight to a minimum & use this one: http://www.suunto.com/en-US/Products/Compasses/Suunto-A-10/Suunto-A-10-CM/

This compass doesn't have an adjustable declination feature. So, on my topo maps, I write a reminder on the map on how to adjust for it (I always seem to forget when I'm tired): East Declination correction; Map Bearing = Magnetic bearing plus declination; Magnetic bearing = map bearing minus declination.

[colorado_rob]

I keep my compass weight to a minimum & use this one: http://www.suunto.com/en-US/Products/Compasses/Suunto-A-10/Suunto-A-10-CM/

This compass doesn't have an adjustable declination feature. So, on my topo maps, I write a reminder on the map on how to adjust for it (I always seem to forget when I'm tired): East Declination correction; Map Bearing = Magnetic bearing plus declination; Magnetic bearing = map bearing minus declination. I carry the same. About an ounce. You don't need a fancier one, really.

Magnetic declination is pretty simple to adjust for in your head w/o having it adjusted on the actual compass. I just visualize where Mag. north is (east of actual north) and I know the declination is about 12 degrees here in CO and I get it right (close enough) every time.

[colorado_rob]

By the way, I agree with some that on the actual AT, a compass is really not required. I do carry a compass practically everywhere else, and always if I have a map.

[rocketsocks]

I too will concede that not having a compass on the AT is probably not gonna get in deep water. But I always bring one where ever I go, just because I always have. In this instance it's not really "packing a fear" to me, more of a keeping a dying lost art alive.

[Umlaut Von Fluffbutt]

If you are hiking marked trails, there's no need for a fancy compass. But if you plan in doing long distance back country stuff, it is a necessary investment.

I recently purchased a Suunto M3-Global for my upcoming backpacking trip to Gros Morne. Since the Long Range Traverse isn't marked, land nav skills are required.

I have tested the compass and it works great. The global needle gives quick accurate readings, has adjustable declination, glow in the dark numbers, long clear base for doing map work, magnifying glass, and a clinometer to measure inclines. This one doesn't have a sighting mirror, which helps keep the weight down. Got it for $45. Very worth it IMO.

[Another Kevin]

If you are hiking marked trails, there's no need for a fancy compass. But if you plan in doing long distance back country stuff, it is a necessary investment.

I recently purchased a Suunto M3-Global for my upcoming backpacking trip to Gros Morne. Since the Long Range Traverse isn't marked, land nav skills are required.

I have tested the compass and it works great. The global needle gives quick accurate readings, has adjustable declination, glow in the dark numbers, long clear base for doing map work, magnifying glass, and a clinometer to measure inclines. This one doesn't have a sighting mirror, which helps keep the weight down. Got it for $45. Very worth it IMO.

Sounds like a good choice.

The actual A-T and its network of secondary trails don't really need map and compass work. They're well-trodden and well-blazed enough that even if you wander, you can find your way back, and the secondary trails give you escape routes that are nearly as easy to follow. About a third of my hikes are actual bushwhacks, and a decent baseplate compass like the one Umlaut describes is all you need in the wet Eastern woodland. A mirror sight or lensatic really comes into play only once you have sight lines that are miles long, which doesn't happen in the heavily-wooded Eastern mountains. What's much more significant is the ability to read topo maps and to sense the direction of slope, so that you can follow topography even when you're in dense forest. A wrist altimeter doesn't hurt, either; it's convenient to be able to use any contour line as a catching feature or handrail. Now that I have one, I find that on bushwhacks I look at my altimeter a lot more than my compass.

[Dogwood]

For all my hikes in the Sierras, including several off trail hikes, I've exclusively used the Suunto M-2 and detailed topographical maps. I hang it around my neck under my shirt for quick access. http://tacticalwatch.com/product-suunto-field-m-2-ss004298001-compasses_559.html?gclid=CKGIjquz8r4CFcpj7AodJxYAt A

[RockDoc]

Choose a Silva that is light, and that has the ability to sight bearings in the distance. Then you can plot the bearing on your map. Take two bearings at near right angles and you have located yourself. You can't do a good job of this if you can't sight a bearing. Carry a plastic protractor and a pencil so that you can plot your bearings. This is another good reason to carry a real paper topo map.

Pretty low tech, but it will work when your GPS batteries are dead or the unit can't acquire satellites, or you drop it and wreck the fragile, expensive gadget. Talk to any search and rescue staff about situations of lost people and it's a litany of broken technology letting them down.

[Another Kevin]

Choose a Silva that is light, and that has the ability to sight bearings in the distance. Then you can plot the bearing on your map. Take two bearings at near right angles and you have located yourself. You can't do a good job of this if you can't sight a bearing. Carry a plastic protractor and a pencil so that you can plot your bearings. This is another good reason to carry a real paper topo map.

Pretty low tech, but it will work when your GPS batteries are dead or the unit can't acquire satellites, or you drop it and wreck the fragile, expensive gadget. Talk to any search and rescue staff about situations of lost people and it's a litany of broken technology letting them down.

In the wet Northeast, if I'm in a spot that has unobstructed sight lines to identifiable distant objects, I already know where I am, because good lookouts are few and far between, and mostly marked on the trail maps. If I'm not at one of those or on a waterfront (again, I'll know where I am already!), then I'm under dense tree cover and sight resection is useless.

So where I go, it's far more important to be able to read a topo map (and read the land's topography!) and identify capturing features, handrails, approach points, and so on. The limited visibility makes land navigation as it's usually taught much less useful, and orienteering skills come to the fore.

I understand that in the arid West, things are different and I'd actually wind up using the mirror sight on my compass.

Note that I didn't say one word about GPS. My primary navigation is map, compass, wristwatch and barometric altimeter. GPS is a nifty toy for showing where I went on a map (or Google Earth visualization) after the trip. The altimeter is a handy piece of kit because it turns any contour line into a capture feature. I can do without it (using trails, ridges, fences, streams, cliffs, etc. as captures) but it can make for more choices in approach points and easier routes.

And for what it's worth, my most recent bushwhack was last Saturday. Not much of a whack, the haul road I was following had been abandoned for only forty years and it was pretty easy to spot the grade even among all the beech trees that had grown up. But any time I'm on unmaintained trail, I'm at least prepared to find my way.

[Umlaut Von Fluffbutt]

Yep. Rarely would I use a compass unless there was poor visibility or I was attempting to locate a specific point on the ground. Simply using landmarks, handrails, identifiable checkpoints, and backstops work the best.

[Shutterbug]

hello all, i am looking for a decent compass. i generally hike in the high sierra between 6-11k feet. what brand or model do you use or recommend?

any help would be appreciated. It is impossible to give you specific advice without knowing how you intend to use it. It you intend to use the compass with topographical maps to find a particular location, then a military style compass is appropriate.

If your compass will be used only in an emergency to help you stay oriented, a simple button compass is all you need.

In all of my years of hiking, I have only needed a compass once. I was hiking off trail on Mt. Rainier when a fog bank rolled it. I could not see landmarks or the sun. My button compass allowed me to find my way back to my truck. All I needed was to know which direction was north. It doesn't take an expensive compass for that.