Choosing a compass....

[arthem]

Suunto M-3 G arrived a few days ago and I have played around with it a little. The needle is the of the newer plastic version but it appears to work perfectly without sticking or stuttering. Build quality is excellent the bezel is super smooth to turn.

As per a comment on another thread I did check to make sure that the needle was floating perfectly horizontally and it appears that is the case so all good as far as I can tell!

Pretty happy with it overall.

 

[bearbait]

I parked the truck on the edge of the road. I walked west into the mountain forest, deer hunting. Typical, a sudden and heavy snow storm descended on me.
Visibility 15-20m, no landmarks, even knowing my back-track was useless. The deer would beinvisible. Might as well quit and go home, who knows how long this will last. Which way back to the road?
In that day and time, all I had was my old Recta Prospector compass which showed me that my sense of direction was off by 90 degrees. Curse a little, believe the compass and trudge out of there.
Believe the compass.

Many trails I've hiked I've not had a map for and have been reduced to taking a photo of the trail route from the noticeboard / signage at the trailhead. Did that one winter a few years ago and set off on snowshoes. After a little while the terrain was not agreeing with the map. I checked and double-checked and, having zoomed in a long way on the map photo, discovered that the map I'd photographed wasn't oriented North-up, which I had assumed it was. Sorted! A bit of mental pondering and I was able to return to the trail without issue. Other than embarrassment.

So by constantly checking with the map, the terrain and my compass I eventually realised it was wrongly oriented and was able to recover.

 

[Robson Valley]

Recta lives! Apparently, Suunto took over Recta and the Recta compasses are now manufactured in the Finnish factory. The model equivalent of my Prospector model is the Recta DP-6. I might buy a new one just for nostalgia's sake. They invented the global needle (DP-6G). I used mine in Australia, I has to tip the compass down 45 degrees to get the needle to float but the accuracy was still there.

There are no trail head pictures where I go. Sometimes, I get lucky and find an overgrown logging skidder track. Not as tough slogging as solid bush bashing.
Honestly, visibility can be as low as 10-15 feet.

The BC government produced a series of very good regional maps. All printed on the same sized sheets of paper. What they never said was that they changed the scale of every map so that area "filled" the sheet! (Let's not waste any paper, shall we?)

Orienting maps other than North-up is going to kill somebody some day.

 

[Silverclaws2]

Just have to say, I prefer mirror compasses, not particularly for the sighting function, though that is useful, but for the fact the mirror forms a protective cover for the compass capsule. In addition the mirror has many other uses.

I use a Recta DS-50G of which was an upgrade from an early ( non luminous dial) Suunto MC-2

 

[Pete E]

Does anybody produce a *quality* non liquid filled baseplate type compass?

Swedish made Silva's always had a good reputation, but over the years I have two Type 27 fail ( the needles on both reversed their polarity for no apparent reason) and a Type 4 and a Type 54 both developed bubbles, one permanent, while the other seems to come and go...I have read of similar bubble issues with Brunton, Suunto and to a lesser extent Recta as well...

I know the US army style lensatic compass was a dry compass, but it's a bit heavy and I prefer a baseplate compass...

 

[Jared]

Does anybody produce a *quality* non liquid filled baseplate type compass?

Swedish made Silva's always had a good reputation, but over the years I have two Type 27 fail ( the needles on both reversed their polarity for no apparent reason) and a Type 4 and a Type 54 both developed bubbles, one permanent, while the other seems to come and go...I have read of similar bubble issues with Brunton, Suunto and to a lesser extent Recta as well...

I know the US army style lensatic compass was a dry compass, but it's a bit heavy and I prefer a baseplate compass...

Pretty much mentioned all the major brands that I know of, only other one I can think of that has a non liquid baseplate is Cammenga.

Destinate Tritium Protractor Compass D3-T - Cammenga

Give yourself the peace-of-mind of having a Cammenga Protractor Compass. Equipped with 6 Tritium micro-lights, it provides continuous illumination.

cammenga.com

 

[Robson Valley]

If the compass gets your butt out of the woods and on your way home, price and weight matter little. My old Recta has a massive bubble, the Brunton is developing the same. But, they're old, like me. Before bubbles, I'll give them all no more than 12-15 years.

I'll never forget, standing there as the snow storm intensified, that I had NO CLUE which way to the road and the truck with 20 yard visibility. Mirror sighting be danged. That was a cold sweat. I understand what "disoriented" means.

Trust the compass. Under a big spruce, peeled off my rifle and day pack. Walked 25 yards back out into the open and saw that my head was WRONG by 90 degrees.

Trust the compass. Put on my gear, checked the compass, looked 100% the same. Decided that straight line bush-bashing would work as well as anything until I ran into a river or a cliff drop-off.

Trust the compass. Saw the vehicle. Here I am today.

 

[SCOMAN]

I really fancied one of the first version of the Brunton eclipse but the two I tried developed bubbles. I have a number of compasses and like to use different ones when out and about although my need to navigate by them has diminished in my local forays.

 

[Erbswurst]

C. Stockert & Sohn make several compasses also without liquid filling.
100 % made in Germany.

Stockert & Sohn

www.stockert-sohn.de

 

[Joannnnnn12]

Hi everyone,

Have been doing some reading on navigation and looking to get some practice in, hence I am currently looking to purchase a compass.
I was going to get a Silva Expedition 4 as they are highly recommended but it would appear that place of manufactor is no longer in Sweden and some people have had issues with QC on some of the recent products.

Current options are the Suunto M-3G , Suunto A-30, or the Silva Expedition 4.
I know that the Suunto M-3G is probably overkill for use in the UK but I suppose that its the type of compass that you would never need to upgrade.
The Suunto A-30 seems like the sweet spot for price and quality but it doesnt have adjustable declination? Is it worth getting the M-3G for this feature?

What would you choose?

Many thanks in advance!

Of course. Here is a simple and sincere recommendation:

As a fellow navigation enthusiast, I highly recommend the Suunto M-3G. While it's a professional compass, its key feature—adjustable declination—is a game-changer for practice. Once set, it gives you true directions without mental math, making learning much smoother and reducing errors.

The build quality is exceptional. It feels solid and reliable, truly a "buy it for life" tool you'll never outgrow. The Silva is good, but for consistent quality, Suunto is a trustworthier choice.

For the features and long-term value, the M-3G is worth the investment. You can check the full specs here:

Suunto M-3G Global Compass (https://us.suunto.com/products/suunto-m-3-global-cm)

Happy navigating

 

[Silverclaws2]

And I recently acquired one I have always been after and in a natty 1980's pink and blue Silva compass case; the Silva type 4/54 sighting compass the one with the raised capsule incorporating a compass card as opposed to needle.