Compass Caddy on Kickstarter — anyone seen this?

I'd be concerned with the long-term effects of the shock and vibration of the trekking pole hitting the ground being transmitted to the compass. …What happens if your trekking poles falls to the ground. …broken compass?

Also, my compass pins to my shirt and allows me to look down and see my bearing…completely hands free use.

Seems like he's either solving a problem that doesn't exist and/or creating a problem creating item. Borderline tchotchke.

KJ

I'd be interested to see how you pin your compass to your shirt, having trouble envisioning that. Typically I have my iPhone clipped to my hipbelt, usually have some interference if the compass is too close to the phone, so I hold the compass out in front of me. Definitely not hands free and I don't check my bearing as often as I probably should, just because it's a pita.

I've dropped my Suunto compasses before, including on rocks (not from heights, just my hand to ground), they've been fine.

There is a sport called orienteering where competitors run around in the woods doing their navigation by map and compass. They commonly have a compass fitted onto a non-ferrous safety pin which is pinned onto their left shirt cuff. That's what you want.

–B.G.–

Stock small baseplate compass.
Thin string loop through hole in one corner (thick string usually included with compass).
Fabric loop inside neck band at back of shirt, sometimes part of label
Loop compass string through fabric loop so it is tied on securely
String loop over head, compass inside shirt.

That way you don't lose the compass … don't ask.

cheers

I love Kickstarter projects.
Not this one.

I saw Shug video about his poles and he was sporting one of these. I don't see myself using something like this as around my neck or in a chest pocket has worked so well for me for decades. Wonder if it would free up some time for stuffing that sleeping bag? What do you think Franco?

Well I think that stuffing sleeping bags (gadget free) should be an Olympic sport.

I think it's great you guys have found compass solutions — unfortunately, I just don't think they'd work for me. I'm a very petite female — a compass on a shirt cuff won't work as I have very tiny wrists and short arms and often am not wearing a shirt with a cuff (especially during swampy Midatlantic summers). Inside a shirt doesn't work well either, as I don't have much torso real estate left between backpack straps and boobs. And I don't want to have to haul out a compass from somewhere (and the boobs aren't big enough to hold a compass between them lol).

So I can see for someone who has a good compass solution the Compass Caddy would be a tchotchke, but for me, it solves a problem (actually, a couple of problems — not only is the compass accessible while hiking, but it's one less thing I have to locate and install on my person in the mornings).

I think many of us are carrying something someone else here would consider extraneous, but that doesn't mean that it's extraneous for everybody. ;-)

I like the idea of his caddy and showed it to my Boy Scout son who pointed out that it leaves the compass vulnerable if you drop your poles.

I just picked up a Suunti Clipper and have it clipped to the loose end of my sternum strap. It's small and not a "real" compass but fine fire orienting a map or setting a bearing. If I need a baseplate compass I've usually got the Boy Scout with me and he's always got his :)

I have a couple of similar tiny compasses. On the rare occasions that I've needed a compass in the NE, it was used simply to determine cardinal directions in low-visibility situations. If I anticipate actually needing one for navigation, I'll take a baseplate model with adjustable declination.

I don't have a need for this product, but it'd be interesting to see how they sold if somehow REI could be convinced to put them on those little knick-knack racks at the checkout lines.

For most folks here, seems it's just a solution in search of a problem. BPL is probably the largest collection of gram weenies in the world (outside of NASA), and a product such as this is going to have a hard time earning a spot on gear lists.

Thoughts:

For an orienteering competition, you could use this just for the competition, so your compass would only be exposed for an hour, or upto 1 day max which seems tolerable.

For trail backpacking, I was under the reason the reason folks pay $150 for their treking poles is to get the weight down from 8 oz/hand down to 6 or 7. Adding a compass seems counter intuitive. I'm a big coolaid drinker for the theory that 2 oz carried on the back is very different than 2 oz carried on the hand or foot. For most trails, you really don't need a compass 99% of the time. Its just for those occasional moments when you realize for one reason or another you're on the wrong trail and need to plot a new course.

Class 2-4 mountaineering, I probably wouldn't put my sole navigation source on a tool that might out of necessity be dropped or abandoned abruptly.

For exact degree routing, I personally like to stick the compass directly on the map. This clip looks like you could easily detact it sure, but at that point if you need to pull out your map anyways, why not just pull the compass out of a pocket.

TLDR – probably not something I"d use.

First thing it came to mind , and already mentioned by Kenneth, is that poles are banged against the ground/rocks/logs 20 to 30 thousands times per day .
Can't be good for a compass to get that kind of abuse.
Of course I am only guessing.

When I'm on a trail that needs a compass, usually because it's not maintained or long ago returned to wilderness, I normally just carry it in my pants pocket since my map is in the other pocket. I also have an electronic one in my altimeter watch which has a carbiner so it hangs off my shoulder strap's D-ring that serves as a backup. But I prefer my analog compass when working with a map.

I'm not seeing it as worth the supposed convenience:

* Constant jarring and vibration can't be good for the compass. A 12-mile day could involve more than 12,000 plants of the pole; that's a lot of jarring.

* My poles fall over all the time when I'm stopped and trying to lean them against a bush or rock; a compass on top would likely suffer damage. I could be more careful, but then laying the poles down would put the compass in the dirt and mud.

* It's one more thing to hang up while working through brushy sections.

* I don't always have the poles out when I need the compass, so I need another way to carry it anyway. I might want to keep a lanyard on it for those times, but that would be in the way while mounted on the pole.

All that said, I *am* still looking for the perfect way to carry both the compass and the map. They usually end up in one of the big thigh pockets of my pants, but I don't always have such pockets.

I do a lot of cross country travel. Normally a map is all I need and the compass usually stays in my pack. Unless one is orienting, a compass isn't normally an item that needs to be used often.

The benefit is….

Clip it to your pole and you get to remove 1 ounce from your base weight ;)

I don't use trekking poles and I doubt a Cammagena lensatic compass would fit on the clip.

This product looks to be a solution searching for a need. Bassakwards.

It would be right where I want to put my hands sometimes.

billy

It would be right where I want to put my hands sometimes.

billy

+1 on the vibration issues. A hipbelt pocket is good for smaller compasses. I've used a small camera case for larger ones like the MC-2G and that can be mounted on shoulder strap.

It is a good thing to have a compass handy to encourage regular bearing/map checks in unfamiliar territory. Knowing where the names/locations of peaks and other features around you adds to the enjoyment of the journey and good photo captions (as well as not getting lost in the first place). Compass and map navigation is like a game or puzzle to me.

My compass rides one of two places, depending on anticipated need.

For routine hiking, it stays in the ziplock bag with my maps in the front outside pocket of my backpack. It only gets used if I feel the need to consult a map while snacking or resting. Most of the time, it is dead weight, but does get used as a shaving mirror or to examine body areas not visible otherwise (i.e. tick checks, rashes, etc.).

For those few times when I know or think route-finding could get challenging, it rides in one of my hipbelt pockets where I can get it easily when needed.

My necklace already holds a whistle, a Photon light, and my small Victorinox Classic Swiss Army knife. There's really no room left for a compass of any size.

I've tried shoulder strap pouches before (for many different items) but found it's too easy to step on a strap in camp.

YMMV.