Decent reasonably priced compass

[Gythral]

Absolutely Wook, although most falls off cliffs in Scottish hills aren't due to faulty equipment. The Ben Nevis plateau is a navigation nightmare in a white out. Other than than that it's mostly stupidity that gets folk killed, like trying to find the Goat Path in Coire an t-Sneachda rather than taking the safe route through Coire Cas.

Oh so true!!!


Anything made by Silva, Recta or Suunto will suit you, degrees are easier to convert between map and magnetic north (but you only need the conversion to use mils) & a longer baseplate makes measuring distance on a map easier & someone mentioned an NL version - NL means non-lumious or dont use at night without a torch...

Personally I'd buy a Silva 4-360

 

[widu13]

Yep, Recta are a good make. Still sold, just not that common now.

 

[mcniac]

I love my Recta DS-40, you can't go wrong with a good brand map compass

 

[Wayland]

Can't really go wrong with a Silva, Expedtion is fine. There is the little Silva Field compass but I've no experience of it.

http://www.rockrun.com/products/Silva-Field-7.html

Generally I would say this is true unless you intend to ever fly with one in your baggage or even in the cabin.

I have ruined more fluid filled compass' on aeroplanes than I care to recall.

Some do not even stand being taken up a mountain in my experience.

If you are flying to your destination I would recommend buying one when you get there and don't expect it to get home again without an air bubble forming in the capsule.

 

[decorum]

I use an old Silva Type 54 (not a 4/54). It makes use of a rose rather than the more traditional needle ~ the newer versions have a combo rose needle affair. The rose allows for a greater degree of accuracy when taking / checking bearings through the sighting prism in the bezel. No chance of an issue of bubble formation in mine because it isn't liquid damped ~ I'm not sure whether the more modern version is though .

 

[santaman2000]

I've always preferred induction dampened personally. Less to go wrong and lighter.

 

[mrcharly]

Silva all the way.

Apart from the fluid damping, the needles are balanced for your hemisphere. the mag field ain't parallel to the earth's surface and the better compass manufacturers weight the needle so it sits flat when used in the right region.

I still have my (made for Australia) Silva I bought when I was 15 and doing orienteering. Flown all over with it but it's not a lot of use up north - the needle sits at an angle and scrapes on the bezel.

 

[santaman2000]

Silva all the way.

Apart from the fluid damping,..

???? I've only ever seen induction dampened Silvas.

 

[mrcharly]

All of the suggested compasses, the ones of the transparent rectangle and a rotating bezel, are fluid-damped. Never seen an induction-damped compass in my life, not even on sailing barges.

 

[Snowfire]

And whatever you do buy don't leave it near a strong magnetic field! I've got one where the red 'N' end of the needle points roughly south as a result of leaving it somewhere it shouldn't have been.

 

[IanM]

It is simple to reset a compass that has a N/S inversion. Lots of examples on the net so it is not worth describing here.

 

[santaman2000]

All of the suggested compasses, the ones of the transparent rectangle and a rotating bezel, are fluid-damped. Never seen an induction-damped compass in my life, not even on sailing barges.

All of those models are available here as induction dampened; in fact I've never seen them otherwised. At least the Silva one are. I don't have a lot of experience with Brunton. And TBH I've never seen a Type 4 but I expect there's an equivalent civilian model. As is the Cammenga, which I didn't reccomend because it's over the OP's stated budget.

 

[2trapper]

I have a SUUNTO and I'm quite satisfied. it could me more sharp in the scale but for about £ 9.99 it works very well