lightest compass with mirror

I looked at all three of those and it depends on how you use it but the hinges are all just flexible plastic and not as rigid as needed for really accurate sighting. I ended up with the Suunto MCA-D IN at 1.4 oz. with a better hinge. Also a clear base plate makes a compass easier to use with maps in many situations.

I have the Brunton which I am happy with but cannot comment on the others. I chose a mirrored compass for the multiple use aspect of the mirror rather than improved bearing accuracy as I feel a mirror is a valuable tool for self administered first aid when hiking solo. I also have a somewhat smaller no-name version which weighs 22g (0.75g). I take the Brunton if I know I need a compass and the no-name if I am carrying a compass for safety reasons.

I'll tell you about some compasses that are light and functional. The "two" I'll give you here are useful in the hand, on a map and as "multiuse gear".

1. The Silva Ranger LE/Ranger 27/Brunton Trooper. This 23-gram sighting compass is small, includes phosphorescent dots that make it easy to use in low light and includes a totally bitchen lapel pin feature you can remove if you want to save a gram. This is an excellent small compass and I have used it in both orienteering courses and to demonstrate orienteering in the High Sierra. This one fits in tiny pockets and is about as small as one can go while still being "functional" for more than "which way's north?". It looks like this: http://silva.se/fr/node/44

2. The Silva Guide 426/Huntsman 423/Brunton Pioneer that you referenced above. These are color and style variations on a 25.5-gram sighting compass that floats and is very easy to use for navigation and plotting. This is a great compass to teach and follow orienteering courses with, because its dial is larger/more precise than that of a mini compass. It's very light for its size and the rounded edges are fine in pockets. The frame size gives a lot of reach across maps, for plotting, too. There are variations in color and the Brunton version is a tad heavier, due to a rubber ring on the capsule. Contrary to the comment above, my experience with these compasses is that the plastic hinge is stable and more accurate than the pinned hinges that develop slop and weigh more. The Silvas look like this: http://store.silvacompass.com/category/345153/Sighting

The Suunto MCB is also a great compass, and currently stocked at REI, but it's 11 grams heavier than the Silvas.

When it comes to my life, I do not care about a few extra grams.

Personally, I use the Suunto MC-2G Global Compass.

+John Abela

+1 on the MC2 (too impatient to wait for the G).

I'm not sure what the weight is but I wear it around my neck and in my shirt pocket. I don't notice that it's there and I doubt I'd ever appreciate the difference (from a weight perspective) by going to a lighter compass.

A few features which I really appreciate:

It has a magnifying glass. Even when I wear my reading glasses, I've come to rely on the magnifying glass to help my failing eyes. Also serves as a backup fire starter.

It has adjustable declination. While I understand R.A.L.S. (aka third grade math) and used it with a military lensetic compass for a decade, it's nice not having to do math when I'm exhausted.

Clinometer is great for not only navigating through avalanche country, but to determine if I'm far enough away from widow makers.

Hi Erik,

Thanks for your comments. Of the two, which would you say has the higher build quality?

Thanks,

rhz

Rafi, I think it's "six of one, half dozen of the other" in terms of build. The pins on the Brunton are fine, and the plastic hinge on the Silva is, too. I have both versions in constant use as either my personal or my loaner/teacher compasses as a Scoutmaster and they hold up well. Both versions have been sat on, sweated on, dusted, dropped, used in rain and run through the wash. All good.

In fact, I have a 35-year old predecessor to the Brunton (a Silva Huntsman) that's still what I carry in the High Sierra and it's great. No sighting mirror, but I can show the fellas how to "edge sight" and it *is* lighter than even the Trooper, ha ha! I got it the same day I received that backpack over to the left of my post, so they're sort of a set.

If you want a compass with more graduations and a larger, easier to read dial, then the Silva Guide etc… is the call, in my view. They're light, comfortable in the pocket and easy to read. If you either have reading glasses or don't need them and are going to be on trail, the Trooper/LE is about as small as one can go and still have a useful tool. In the High Sierra, where I am generally on marked trails, the little compass is jim-dandy and more than enough compass for me.

The mirror on the smaller compass is a little small for shaving and grooming, but the Silva's is big enough to see your whole face at arm's length. –That might be a cool criteria.

Looks like if you want to go more compact than the Suunto MC2, you have to sacrifice adjustable declination?

Just weighed my MC2 and it's 2.6 ozs.