Preferred Types of Compasses For Scouting

[2Eagle 10]

Military lensatic. Military surplus stores in our area sell knockoff brands at reasonable prices. They can be used for everything including orientindg a map. All others that I have seen my boys bring camping and use are not durable and an azimuth shot with one is only mildly interesting not precise.

[schleining 11]

No I did not say that the Troop uses the Lensatic Compass.. I said that the Army still uses the Lensatic Compass and Map in addition to the GPS system.

 

We encourage the Scouts to use a good Orienteering compass.

My preference is SUUNTO. They make some really good compasses and they are inexpensive.

SILVA too makes a great product and has some good stuff on their web site to assist the new compass owner.

 

Jerry

[kenk 11]

It is kind of an oddd thing, but I find myself unable to purchase a Silva compass in the U.S. because of the history behind them:

 

In 1996 Silva SE (of Sweden) bought Brunton (of the U.S.). It turned out that the U.S. trademark on "Silva" was owned by Johnson Outdoors (who also owns Eureka! tents and Old Town canoes), who had distributed Silva compasses for Silva SE (of Sweden). Johnson Outdoors would not give up the U.S. trademark, so Silva SE couldn't sell compasses in their own name because they didn't own the U.S. trademark.

 

Now in the U.S.:

 

Compasses made by Silva SE (of Sweden) are sold under the trademark of Brunton or Nexus.

 

Compasses sold under the trademark of Silva are made not by Silva, but by someone else, supposedly Suunto.

 

While Suuntos are fine compasses, I'm bothered by the whole trademark thing and therefore will not buy U.S. Silva compasses, even though I like and buy other Johnson Outdoors products. Instead I buy Bruntons (either the compasses designed by Brunton or the "REAL" Silva compasses) or Suuntos marked as such.

 

A lot of people in the U.S. buy Silva compasses thinking that they are getting the same compasses that they purchased long ago (such as the Ranger), but they are being fooled. The classic Silva Ranger - actually made by Silva SE, is now the Brunton 15TDCL.

 

Like I said, its a weird thing.