Discussion: Compass Suggestion

Can someone recommend a competition quality compass. I like the features on the Arrow 20? How does a thumb compass work and why don't they have bearings?

Cheers, Andy

Thumb compasses are kept on top of the map, lined up with the leg you are running, so that it is easy to keep the map orientated and hence you heading in the right direction. There are a couple with rotatable housings for bearings but not many. In most orienteering areas, there are enough features on the map and ground to navigate by your position relative to the features rather than taking an "accurate" bearing.

It terms of what compasss to get, depends on how serious you are. Just about anything will do, but most competitive people I know use the Silva Jet range because the needle settles so quickly.

But if you're competing in a bland area, without many visible features on the map, such as the flat midwest terrain, a settable base-plate compass is my preference.

I think it is easier to follow a line-of-bearing with a base-plate since the two arrows (the compass needle and the arrow you set below it) are directly superimposed on top of each other. With a thumb-compass, you have to shift your eye back and forth from compass needle to North lines on the map, and try to keep them aligned as you run. As a result I make small bearing errors with a thumb compass.

When the map has lots of features for navigating, small bearing errors are quickly corrected. But in bland areas, small bearing errors can become big errors if you don't correct them for 400m or more.

I think more talented orienteers can do better; but for me, at my humble level, I use both compasses, and make my selection each morning before my run.

I bought a Moscompass with no bezel markings. The price was low for very high quality. The needle sets fast and stable. The capsule and plate are built thick for durability. I would call it bulky though maybe that is because I have small hands. I think the Arrow might be a better choice for me because it is a little more compact. I run in the midwestern US and I would never go back to a baseplate compass. The Moscompass has a rotating bezel so I can set and follow a bearing quite easily if I need to.

There is more thumby discussion here and here.

After orienteering a while, I realized that bearing numbers (follow 254 degrees for 150 m) are for written and oral communication. But on the terrain, you set the bearing direction (rough or accurate) and follow the direction line or arrow on your compass - the bearing number plays no role.

The Arrow 5 (Suunto) compass is top class, but not as good as the discontinued Arrow 2.

http://www.suunto.com/suunto/Worlds/outdoor/main/P...

'Cause I am from TX, I have a compass with azimuthesesess.

I meant the Suunto Arrow 1 (not 2) Thumb compass - the best orienteering compass produced in my view.

I use a baseplate for adventure racing, because sometimes you get an instruction like "go 284 degrees for 510m." I also find myself needing both hands completely free more often in AR, so having the compass strapped to my wrist rather than on my thumb is nice.

I used to use the baseplate for orienteering as well, but my eyesight ain't what it used to be. I now use the thumb with magnifier arrangement. The important thing is to practice enough with whatever you have that you're thinking about navigating, not the equipment.

Tom:

With your big meets and even training camps, by this time I'd thought that you'd have exterminated all of those azimuthesesess (thanks, I never knew the plural - in MO we shoot one at a time).

I am a big fan of thumb compasses. There is a reason the pros use them. The silva jet is my personal favorite. If you are looking for a thumb compass with bearing markings and a rotating bezel then moscompass is the way to go. I am not familiar with the arrow but have heard good things about it