Compass Blues

[+Team FUBAR]

Yea yea yea I know, A 2 dollar one supposidly works as well as a 30 dollar one. But I like to have the best of everything. Is there anyfeatures in a compass that are nice to have compared to ones that don't matter. I'm not new to this sport, and suprizingly I've never bought a compass. I've never really needed one, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to have around when those batteries finally die in the middle of a 10 mile hike.

 

Bill

[QuigleyJones]

How much are you looking to spend?

 

I would say you should get one that looks like this

 

Has mirror

ruler

Declination adjustable

glow in dark pointer

[+briansnat]

Not exactly an getting started topic so I'm sliding this over into the general forum.

[+Team Cotati]

How much are you looking to spend?

 

I would say you should get one that looks like this

 

Has mirror

ruler

Declination adjustable

glow in dark pointer

 

I get the feeling that money is not of much consideration in this upcoming purchase decision. Just a hunch.

[+Team Teuton]

I carry this one...

 

Cammenga Compass

[+Criminal]

Yea yea yea I know, A 2 dollar one supposidly works as well as a 30 dollar one. But I like to have the best of everything. Is there anyfeatures in a compass that are nice to have compared to ones that don't matter. I'm not new to this sport, and suprizingly I've never bought a compass. I've never really needed one, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to have around when those batteries finally die in the middle of a 10 mile hike.

 

Bill

I don't know who told you that.

 

Get a Silva Ranger.

[+CYBret]

Yea yea yea I know, A 2 dollar one supposidly works as well as a 30 dollar one. But I like to have the best of everything. Is there anyfeatures in a compass that are nice to have compared to ones that don't matter. I'm not new to this sport, and suprizingly I've never bought a compass. I've never really needed one, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to have around when those batteries finally die in the middle of a 10 mile hike.

 

Bill

I don't know who told you that.

 

Get a Silva Ranger.

 

Yep...gotta agree. Just about anything by Silva is good. I have a Landmark. My new GPS has an electronic compass built in. I still don't trust anything but the good ol' magnetic one.

 

Expect to spend $20+ for a decent compass.

 

Bret

[+CharlieP]

I would not recommend a $2 compass, but for about $8 or $10 you can get one good enough for geocaching and general use. The feature that is most useful is the ability to set a bearing and shoot a range with just one hand ... the GPS is in the other hand. A basic Silva base plate compass works fine for me and has lasted about 15 years. Some of the more expensive models require two hands to open or use effectively.

[+Jhwk]

I prefer a compass that has a sighting line, or hairline, so I can tell exactly which terrain feature to walk to and stay on course.

[+...Headless]

I agree with the Silva Ranger. I just bought the Silva Ranger ULTRA. Very very nice unit. Guaranteed for life........................The Headless Cacher

[+BigWhiteTruck]

Brunton 8099

[+Klatch]

No compass is much good if you don't know how to use it and don't have good maps of the area where you are using it. A compass only points to magnetic north, the rest is your skill in using that piece of information.

[+CheshireFrog]

If you want a lensatic and money is no object, look at a brunton pocket transit. If you want an optical sighting compass, look at Suunto. Be warned, these can approach the cost of an entry level GPSr.

[+fizzymagic]

My opinion: since a compass is inherently a low-accuracy device (the measuremennt itself is good to no better than about 1 degree), it's not really worth spending more than $20 on unless you really, really, really know what you're doing.

 

And unless you are a licensed surveyor, it is quite unlikely that you know what you're doing.

[+Team FUBAR]

I really like the one with tritrilium pointers on it. My sig p229 I had special ordered with tritulium(sp) night sight. Very very cool. I can's see spending 90 bucks on one tho. I'll look into a silva.I've heard good things about them. I know the basics on how to use a compass in coroliation with a good topo map. It's always a good thing to know, and have on hand.

Thanks for the replys everybody.

Bill

[+fizzymagic]

Tritium. Isotope of hydrogen. Beta emitter, with a 12.3-year half life and a maximum beta energy of 18.57 keV. Pretty harmless unless you ingest it, in which case the treatment is awesome. Style points to the first person who knows what that treatment is.

[+CYBret]

Tritium. Isotope of hydrogen. Beta emitter, with a 12.3-year half life and a maximum beta energy of 18.57 keV. Pretty harmless unless you ingest it, in which case the treatment is awesome. Style points to the first person who knows what that treatment is.

 

Edited May 17, 2006 by CYBret

[+Alan2]

Good resourse for all kinds of compasses. The Compass Store

[+Team Cotati]

Tritium. Isotope of hydrogen. Beta emitter, with a 12.3-year half life and a maximum beta energy of 18.57 keV. Pretty harmless unless you ingest it, in which case the treatment is awesome. Style points to the first person who knows what that treatment is.

 

$5.00 for anyone who really really cares.

[+fizzymagic]

Tritium. Isotope of hydrogen. Beta emitter, with a 12.3-year half life and a maximum beta energy of 18.57 keV. Pretty harmless unless you ingest it, in which case the treatment is awesome. Style points to the first person who knows what that treatment is.

$5.00 for anyone who really really cares.

CYBret got it right. The treatment really is beer.

 

Which means I care a great deal!

[+dkwolf]

My opinion: since a compass is inherently a low-accuracy device (the measuremennt itself is good to no better than about 1 degree), it's not really worth spending more than $20 on unless you really, really, really know what you're doing.

 

And unless you are a licensed surveyor, it is quite unlikely that you know what you're doing.

 

It's not quite that complex of a tool, man. I've met many an individual that could use a compass to uncanny precision, but wouldn't have the first idea how to read a plat map. It may take a little time to understand, and a little practice to be proficient at, but it's not really outside the grasp of the average person.

[+fizzymagic]

My opinion: since a compass is inherently a low-accuracy device (the measuremennt itself is good to no better than about 1 degree), it's not really worth spending more than $20 on unless you really, really, really know what you're doing.

 

It's not quite that complex of a tool, man. I've met many an individual that could use a compass to uncanny precision, but wouldn't have the first idea how to read a plat map.

 

You know somebody that can get better than a degree accuracy (note that I did not say precision) out of a compass without specialized training?

 

I really doubt it. Where do these people get their detailed, up-to-date tables of magnetic fields?

 

My point is not that there aren't people who can use compasses effectively; it is that the compass is inherently a low-accuracy instrument because of the inherent uncertainties in what it is measuring, not because of any flaw in the instrument. Buying a compass that you can read to a precision better than a degree is a waste of money.

[CoyoteRed]

Another good use for a compass with a mirror is for checking under railings, on top of overhead ledges, etc. for micros and cache clues.

[+briansnat]

Tritium. Isotope of hydrogen. Beta emitter, with a 12.3-year half life and a maximum beta energy of 18.57 keV. Pretty harmless unless you ingest it, in which case the treatment is awesome. Style points to the first person who knows what that treatment is.

 

$5.00 for anyone who really really cares.

 

I care. I'll PM my address so you can send me the check.

[tttedzeins]

I would get one with a global needle, they are not that expensive but definitely have advantages

[4wheelin_fool]

The $2 compasses are NOT as good as the ones for $12. I had a $3 lensatic compass which quickly became depolarized (possibly from kept near a magnetic ID badge, or a speaker) and consistently pointed due east. The ones from Silva cost a little more but are guaranteed not to do that.

 

The radioactive decay product of tritium is a low energy beta that cannot penetrate the outer dead layer of human skin. Therefore, the main hazard associated with tritium is internal exposure. In addition, due to the relatively long half life and short biological half life, tritium must be ingested in large amounts to pose a significant health risk.

http://www.physics.isu.edu/radinf/tritium.htm I could not find the treatment for large doses.

 

I enjoyed reading the true story about the "Radioactive Boy Scout" who made a breeder reactor in his backyard shed out of the americium 241 in smoke detectors, the thorium-232 in gas lamp mantles, and the radium from glow-in-the dark clocks, and other materials. The EPA and NRC had to clean it up and pack the materials into 39 barrels and ship it out to the Salt Lake desert with other radioactive waste. http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/radscout.html

[+Team Neos]

My opinion: since a compass is inherently a low-accuracy device (the measuremennt itself is good to no better than about 1 degree), it's not really worth spending more than $20 on unless you really, really, really know what you're doing.

 

And unless you are a licensed surveyor, it is quite unlikely that you know what you're doing.

I agree that it isn't worth paying extra increased accuracy unless you really need it (who hasn't lost a piece of equipment in the field?) but I disagree with your assumption that only a liscensed surveyor might know what they are doing.

 

I would say that the average geologist (certified or not) would have as much if not more interest in the accuracy of the compass used to study a formation. In fact, a certified geologist working a professional job might have more at stake, since the company they work for might be paying them megabucks to analyze the formation correctly. I know that it doesn't pay to get sloppy when trying to determine strike and dip, etc., especially when you are trying to see how the exposure compares to other known exposures of similar outcrop.

 

Come to think of it, I know a geology professor who was a bit of a perfectionist when it came to selecting equipment. Seems he thought it was worth showing his students how to survey the rocks correctly.

Oh, and maybe a few Earth science teachers might have some familiarity with use of a compass.

And perhaps the nice folks who create maps, and well, you get my drift.

[+ejnewman]

I have a Brunton 8099 that is pretty good for the money (I can't afford a real Brunton ), but I learned how to use a compass in a surveying class and later in a field geology class so my point of view may not be the same as the typical geocacher's. The 8099 can be used as a sighting compass or as the flat kind that people use to measure stuff on maps.

 

A good rule of thumb is that if you don't know what most of the features listed on the package are then you don't need that particular compass.

 

edit: I would have far more faith in a geologist's compass skills than a surveyor's. A surveyor from this century, at least.

Edited May 18, 2006 by ejnewman

[+gcfishguy]

As far as being dead accurate with a compass, it's not training and skill, it's being careful. nturally you have to know what bearing you need to follow, and after that you just take great care in lining up all your marks and your N needle each time you sight. Also, make sure the mirror is adjusted so it looks like you're looking perfectly straight down at the needle.

 

When I was in search and rescue, we did a night training exercise. Groups of 4, and 2 people in my group didn't have the first clue how to use a compass. We flagged our entry point, 3 of us took turns with the compasses and the 4th was designated as the one measuring distance by pacing. We went in 1500M, turned 90 degrees, went 500M, turned another 90 degrees and came 1500M back out to the road. We paced back to our starting place, we were off by less than a meter. That was my first time using a compass with any degree of finesse....I was always the one that checked before I left the road.."Okay, road runs east-west, I'm going in north, so I'll have to head south to get back to the road. I really had no idea that you could be so accurate if you tried hard.

 

A friend was given a chunk of woodland that bordered on a creek by his mother in law. Nothing around it was marked but he wanted to know where the boundries of the land was on the bank of the creek. He had an old map that showed all the lots in about a 25 square mile area, and we could see that the boundry lines were all parallel, so we went looking for pins. We found some a few lots away from his, spent an afternoon and flagged the lines of his land. For what it's worth, when we came out to the creek and I said "This has to be pretty darned close..." There was a tree within a couple feet with an old blaze on it, at each side of the land. So, it was pretty much dead on.

 

It's tricky with one person, because the most common error is losing track of the particular tree you sighted on..."Yeah, it was THIS tree....or...maybe it was that one....." If you have 2 people, sight ahead as far as you can, and send your partner ahead and guide him/her left or right and out as far as you can and still see them. When they're lined up perfect, walk to them, they step 'out' and you step into their foot prints. Then you do it again.

 

It's even easier at night, because you can sight on a flashlight or headlamp...and you will be able to see the flashlight or headlamp a heck of a long ways in the dark.

 

If you get in a jam and your compass is all you have to get out out of the woods, trust it. So many people wind up in trouble because they checked their compass and thought it was wrong.

 

A great way to practice: Next time you have to bushwack...check the GPS right at the car, look at what it tells you the bearing is to the cache. Set your compass to a back bearing. (If the cache is on a bearing of 120 degrees, add 180 to it...your back bearing will be 300 degrees)

After you find the cache, use the compass to navigate back to your car.

 

Oh, and make sure that your compass and gps are both coordinated for magnetic north the same way. For ease, I set my compass to zero degrees declination, and I set the gpsr to display "magnetic".

 

If you're going to be mapping a journey with the compass, make sure you set it back to the proper declination for your area.

 

I always carry 2 compasses i my pack...I had a Sylva that must have got a hard knock in my pack and the needle got dislodged...it still worked, but I had to tilt it to get it to swivel..... It's worth another few dollars to me, to get out of the woods in one piece, so I carry a good quality compass and a general duty spare..just in case.

[+bobbarley]

I would get one with a global needle, they are not that expensive but definitely have advantages

 

I have an older Silva ranger. I like it a lot. It works. New compasses however have fully luminous dials. I think thats cool.

Global compass. Very necessary if you travel anywhere outside your continent. My Ranger will not work in south america.

[heckle]

Why not just pick up a Military compass from an Army/Navy store. They are built tough, work very well and are accurate. I have one from my Army days that I use at times.