Best baseplate compass

[Mole J]

I've used sighting compasses (MC1) a lot.

For intensive use – at night, poor weather, repetitious bearing checking/taking (inc from map), using a large Baseplate is more useful than sighting .

I would suggest that, as long as one is careful at using a baseplate precisely , 99% of backpacking navigation is fine without a sighting compass.

Some folk are sloppy with aligning needles and sighting. (see it regularly with Scouts.) Practice and precision are worth pursuing.

[Ian]

You've received an abundance of information here and obviously it's up to you at this point to determine what your needs/wants are for the compass. As Roger mentioned, and I agree with, a basic compass with no adjustable declination or clinometer is more than sufficient for navigational purposes.

While a very good quality compass, the US Military Lensetic compass doesn't have adjustable declination and hundreds of thousands of service men/women navigate just fine with it. By going with a basic compass, I'm sure that you could save 1-1.5oz compared to the ~ 2.5oz MC-2 which was my recommendation. Although, if you're carrying a mirror anyways, you'd have to factor that into the equation.

For backpacking purposes, 99% of my navigation is by terrain association and I rarely use the compass. Knowing this, I still bring my Suunto every time. I figure since I drink cowboy coffee and use Esbit instead of a canister stove, I'll allow myself this luxury.

I would recommend that if at all possible, buy your compass from REI or another vendor with a similar return policy. When I purchased my MC-2, I quickly noticed that the clinometer didn't swing freely and I'd have to jiggle it some to get the needle to settle. At the time of purchase/unboxing, I was unsure if I had a defective compass or if this was an issue across the board with this particular model. Fortunately 1/2 my SAR class had the same compass; I was able to determine mine was a fluke defect and immediately returned it.

The Silvas sold in the U.S. do have a poor reputation but I haven't used one since the '80s so I can't speak to that; there were none in my class. The guy who sat next to me in my SAR class had a Brunton (don't remember the model) and he was really happy with it throughout the course. Again, no personal experience with this brand that I can comment on.

[BlackHatGuy]

"Bruton at one time made excellent compasses, but the brand changed hands, production moved to China and the product is no longer the same quality."

Not according to their website – most of their compasses seem to be made in the U.S.

[Ian]

John Gilbert said "Lots of scale markings aren't a big deal. The map scales tend to wear off, and you only need the scale for the map you are using. I remove the generic scales marks with rubbing alcohol, and mark my long edge with the scale of my map with a sharpy."

That's a great hack and I may do that myself. I'll often receive copied maps where the scale is no longer accurate. The good news is that since the scale is on the map when copied, the distortion is the same but I end up having to use a 3×5 or small piece of overlay to measure distance instead of my compass. I like the idea of taking the 3×5 out of the picture and just drawing the scale on my compass with an alcohol marker.

Small but useful trick learned from BPL today and the sun isn't even up yet.

[David Thomas]

When I copy maps, often enlarging them, I put a copy of the scale within the image to be enlarged.

[David Chenault]

Fancy features like adjustable declination and a sighting mirror are fine, but not necessary. A 15 dollar Suunto A-10 is my preference.

After you read a few books, go do a cross country route in some thick, ideally steep terrain. Plot a route on your map beforehand and try to follow it very closely. When you make the inevitable mistakes, figure out why you made them and use the lessons on the next time out. Integrate some short XC stretches into dayhikes and backpacks, then plan some bigger XC days, etc. Grow your skills by challenging yourself a little on every trip.

If available, orienteering events and adventure races are great ways to hone your skills once you've moved beyond the beginner phase. I've won a few ARs with said 15 dollar compass.

[Ian]

"When I copy maps, often enlarging them, I put a copy of the scale within the image to be enlarged."

Thanks for saying that better than I did. That's what we do too but I did a horrible job of communicating it. I guess the only point I was trying to make is that once the scale has been modified due to the copying process, the measurements on the baseplate are not very helpful.

[Roger Caffin]

> the measurements on the baseplate are not very helpful.
Um … I am not sure I have ever actually used those markings!

I use the grid lines on the topo for a rough estimate. After that, well, distances don't matter much here: scrub and cliffs determine speed.

Cheers

[Link .]

Characteristics of an expert navigator: Introduction
Characteristics of an expert navigator: Part I — Equipped with proper tools
Characteristics of an expert navigator: Part II — Proficiency in the understanding and uses of tools

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