Outdoor enthusiasts: reccomend a good baseplate compass

In My Humble Opinion
1

I am in the process of learning wilderness navigation and need a good compass.

I recently purchased a Silva Ranger but was very disappointed. Out of the package the bezel was loose in the housing. I took it back to the store and tried to exchange it but all the Rangers had a similar flaw. Doing some research online it seems that Rangers were once top-shelf stuff, but they are now made in Indonesia and their quality is nowhere what they used to be.

So I need a compass. Baseplate (not lensatic or engineer), with adjustable declination, mirrored lid, and map scales. Clinometer would be nice but not a requirement. I’ve heard good things about Suunto, and am curious if anyone has experience with them.

Does any outdoor junkies out there have any recommendations?

Many thanks.

2

I haven’t had the experience of using many different compass brands, but I do own a baseplate model Suunto, and am very happy with it, for what it’s worth.

The Compass Store stocks quite a wide variety of models, in many different price ranges. You might want to check them out.

3

Thank you very much for the link, artemis. I am also interested in getting a compass.

4

Shoot, I came on to recommend a Silva Ranger. I’m shocked, those things used to be bullet proof. I carried and used mine daily for years and it’s still an excellent tool. Sorry to hear that they’ve gone to hell.