Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The Brunton Classic is a straightforward, easy-to-use, low-cost compass that works well in the outdoors. It is a bit clunky-looking and a little bulky in your pocket, but you will appreciate that fact in cold weather when you are wearing gloves. It comes with a TRUE declination adjustment that moves the north reference indicator to the desired declination. This is much better than some of the least expensive compasses that claim to have a declination adjustment but really don't. (They require you to manually offset the needle from the north reference indicator to achieve it, something you don't want to have to struggle with when you are exhausted after hiking for 10 hours.) The Brunton doesn't need a tool to adjust declination, which they claim as an advantage. In contrast, Suunto compasses use a tiny screwdriver attached to the lanyard to make the adjustment. Personally, I like the screwdriver adjustment as being more accurate and less likely to be accidentally moved, but they both work equally well. The bearing markings silkscreened onto the Brunton's dial are not as fine-ruled as the Suunto so you can't get quite as precise a readout, but the difference is insignificant in most cases.
One thing I don't particularly like about the Brunton is that the baseplate is symmetric, so if you're not careful you can end up reading a bearing that is 180 degrees off from what you intended. On the Suunto, on the other hand, one edge of the baseplate is shaped like an arrow, so it is always obvious which way to point it.
This basic compass doesn't have a sighting mirror, and there are decidedly two schools of thought on whether this is necessary. Some people absolutely claim you need a mirror compass for accurate navigation. Others do perfectly fine without it. I've used both and find the simple compass works just fine for all but the most exacting requirements. The reality is that you can't follow a bearing in the field over real terrain to better than 5-10 degrees anyway, so reading bearings to 1-2 degrees is overkill. Smart navigators always use the concept of "aiming off" to compensate for their inability to navigate that accurately (check any good map and compass book for an explanation). The Brunton works well for trail hikers and moderate cross-country work. It is also a good choice to use with a GPS receiver or as a backup compass. For people who are creating trail maps or doing survey work, a mirror compass is a better choice, in which case you might consider going with the absolute best, the Brunton Pocket Transit. But at a price of $250-300, it's not going to compete with the under $10 Brunton Classic.
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The ideal beginner compass, the 9020G is another Brunton signature. With an optic green baseplate and tool-free declination adjustment for easy reading and more convenient navigating.
Feature Details
3.5 inches x 2.5 inches x 0.5 inches
1.1 ounces
2C° graduations
Declination adjustable
0-35° C inclination scale
Inch and millimeter scales
Lifetime warranty
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