Silva compass

[Warzinak]

After my last trip last week in Snowdonia and my phone dying and being without any navigation tools I have decided to get myself a compass . I can get a Silva Expedition 4 for £20 or a Silva Ranger 3 for £15. Which of these 2 do you guys think I should go for? I know the Expedition 4 is quite popular but is it really worth the extra £5? I will be using it for hiking/wildcamping in the UK.
And are there any good books that you can recommend to learn how to use one?

 

[IC_Rafe]

Google for learning how to use a compass.

If you have to choose between those, i'd choose the expedition one. Good baseplate, and has the different scales so you can more easily measure distances and plot your course.

 

[mikehill]

Never used the Ranger but the Expedition is a good starter compass thats just big enough with decent scales. Collins Gem Hillwalkers Survival Guide is a useful little book that has a navigation section and much more. For just navigation then Cicerone do a little book by Pete Hawkins that goes more in depth http://www.cicerone.co.uk/product/detail.cfm/book/490/title/navigation#.V6t673h4WrU I would recommend this one myself. Importantly, both are small enough to carry with you. No point in reading it then months later forgetting it again Either can be bought on ebay for just a few quid.
All navigation is improved by practice though ... you'll probably find courses run local to you too

 

[Big G]

Have a look on youtube, some good tutorial vids on how to use a compass property.

Either of them compass's will be ideal, for what you want it for.

 

[Madriverrob]

The expedition 4 has served me well for many years as a summer ML . Look for a training course , some local Authorities run them quite cheaply as adult learning courses , what area are you in ?

 

[baggins]

Too be honest, if you've been relying on a mobile for navigation, any silva base plate will be good. Whichever compass you go for, buy an OS map of your local area, watch some tutorials, buy a book on navigation or go on a local course. Then spend some time mooching around your local area getting to know and understand how to use both the map and compass, on their own and in conjunction with each other before you head to the hills.
Then, when you head to the hills, spend a bit of time studying and using the kit in low country, understanding the lay of the land and the translation of it to maps and visa versa.
Navigation is a learnt skill, so take your time and practice. Good navigation is a dying art with the advent of accurate satnavs and gps, relearn it, it could save your life.
Baggins

 

[Jared]

One thing to note is they've recent updated their Ranger and Expedition compasses, the main new thing is they have a funky lanyard with the scales on.

http://silva.se/product/compasses/expedition/

http://silva.se/product/compasses/ranger/

 

[forestwalker]

+1 on the Expedition (even if the one linked to by Jared is on the ugly side by my conservative standards): it is a good compass that should last for years. That said, modern compasses tend to develop air bubbles much more than the old ones, IIRC it hass something to do with using a glue that does not eat the employees brains[1].

If you want to go all the way to the best, then look at http://silva.se/product/compasses/compass-15t-3606400-green/ or http://silva.se/product/compasses/expedition-s/. I have had the old style 15TDCL (most like the 15t, but with a slope card like the Exped S) for literally decades: I bought it 30+ years ago. That will last you a long time, and has the advantage of the sighting mirror and protective lid. The mirror is great for getting stuff out of your eye or shaving, as well as signalling (apart from the sighting, of course). The lid protects the compass housing. More expensive, but a long term investment if you are going to be out a lot.

[1] I know someone who worked there in the 80's, one glue they used was called the "flying glue", since you flew high as a kite after gluing up compass bodies with it for a few hours. Fume hoods was seen as wasting time, so was strongly discouraged...

 

[Robson Valley]

I've got a Silva Prospector in a steel case that I bought in the fur-trading post in La Ronge, SK in 1964.
Fine for 10 years but a now a bigger bubble than a zepplin .

The American outdoors magazine, "Field & Stream" beats the crap out of all sorts of gear each year.
They publish a list that they call "The Best Of The Best," every year.
They'll put your compass in a bucket of water and freeze it. Unlikely in the field but they don't care.

I have a Brunton 8099 Eclipse. It is/was the best for the year. Bash-worthy. Maps and instructions built in
with declination, all provided. Was no mistake for $100CDN.

I lost my bearings in snow squalls with each compass. Some claim that I've never found my bearings again.

 

[TinkyPete]

I would definitely say the expedition for the simple reason if you travel around the world the expedition will handle change in magnetic pull. Also that is a reason why the British military use a mils version of the type 4. They are easy to use and maintain. they are a good clear compass as well. Silva or Suunto are the two companies to head for any standard compass.

HERE is a link to the Silva 1-2-3 on how to use a compass.

HERE is a link to the ordnance link for compass work.

HERE is a link for the Ramblers version.

HERE is the compass store version.

THIS LINK is for basic map reading from the ordnance survey and is a very good basic guide.

The ordnance survey are amongst the best guides you can find. There are loads of books on navigation and I could list loads all for various degrees.

But I hope that helps.

 

[Warzinak]

One thing to note is they've recent updated their Ranger and Expedition compasses, the main new thing is they have a funky lanyard with the scales on.

http://silva.se/product/compasses/expedition/

http://silva.se/product/compasses/ranger/

Thanks, yea I noticed that while researching the differences. Apparently he Silva Expedition is different from the Silva Expedition 4, its just a new model (with a confusingly similar name) that is available outside of the UK, I think only one shop sells the Silva Expedition with the yellow. The Expedition 4 that is sold in the UK will stay the same.

My gut is telling me to get the Expedition 4 but my wallet is telling me to get the Ranger 3. Better not to be cheap with these things and just get the better one....

Those links will be really helpful, thanks, I might pick up that Cicerone book to have with me in the car.

Think I might take a trip down to Dartmoor after a bit of reading/learning for some practice.

 

[Mike313]

The only compass I ever bought is a Silva Ranger 15T which I bought back in the 70's and which I have to the present day. It is a mirrored compass which I find great as it gives a greater degree of accuracy (imho) when you are following a bearing.

 

[mikehill]

The Cicerone book is small enough to put in a pocket, never mind the car ;-) It really is worth carrying while out and about to refer to

 

[Laurentius]

I think a compass is useful even in an urban setting, and any Silva compass will do, it just depends upon how many bells and whistles you want, they all work the same. My current compass is the Ranger S as the mirror is useful to have, but prior to that I used the simple field compass.

 

[jaffcat]

Silva always used to provide a little instructional booklet, given free with each compass. Basic but made things simple for beginners..... Do they still do that I've not brought a compass in years.... A testimonial to the quality I guess.

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[Janne]

The Cicerone book is small enough to put in a pocket, never mind the car ;-) It really is worth carrying while out and about to refer to

Maybe it is not a good idea to venture out without sufficient knowledge in compass handling and use?

 

[Highbinder]

After my last trip last week in Snowdonia and my phone dying and being without any navigation tools I have decided to get myself a compass . I can get a Silva Expedition 4 for £20 or a Silva Ranger 3 for £15. Which of these 2 do you guys think I should go for? I know the Expedition 4 is quite popular but is it really worth the extra £5? I will be using it for hiking/wildcamping in the UK.
And are there any good books that you can recommend to learn how to use one?

Another Expedition 4 user here. Good piece of gear and something to grow into as my navigation skills become more advanced.

 

[Gabe]

Exped 4 all the way. Enough length to allow easier bearings.
For tuition on map ready go to the OS website. They have superb free documentation called Map Reading Made Easy. They also have Map Reading Made Easy Peasy for young kids and it works really well!!


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[santaman2000]

....The American outdoors magazine, "Field & Stream" beats the crap out of all sorts of gear each year.
They publish a list that they call "The Best Of The Best," every year.
They'll put your compass in a bucket of water and freeze it. Unlikely in the field but they don't care......

Yeah but their reviews won't do the OP much good. F&S will be reviewing the compasses we have in North America, and our Silvas aren't made by Silva anymore. The OP still has access to the real thing.

 

[IC_Rafe]

And if you take that kind of review, you just get crap reviews imo. Like the guy "reviewing" the Mora knife by hammering it into a log, with another log, and then just hitting it back and forth and sideways, and then complaining that it breaks for 10 minutes or so. That doesn't give a good review. Now if they freeze a compass, that's still a bit realistic, since compasses are used in very cold circumstances, and you don't want a compass with "water" in it to freeze and leave you unable to get your bearings. Beating the crap out of it is just a way to sell more, people like destruction, but doesn't give an accurate view of how something realistically works. For the Mora example: you wouldn't use your knife like that, and they are great knives. I doubt you'd hammer a 200 euro knife into a log and then beat it every way to see if it will cut well or ever find a reason to do that in the field .

Edit: to clarify a bit more, lets take an example of shockproof. You can test that by dropping it from a certain height, which is realistic, dropping it from a bit farther, which can still be realistic, or throwing it full strength into a rock floor for several minutes which is completely unrealistic (Was a review of a camera i once saw). Guess which one i'll take my lessons from .