Part 1- Physical Mirrored Compass
Part 2- Digital Map (and maybe a physical backup)
Part 4- First Aid Kit & Training!
Part 5- Water and Water Treatment
With over twenty years of service on multiple Search and Rescue teams in the White Mountains of New Hampshire I’ve had plenty of time to dial in what I carry on missions. My rescue pack is different from my typical guiding pack in a couple ways.
First, I carry more tools for off trail navigation than what I pack for guiding trade routes that I have traveled hundreds of times.
Second, I carry the gear I need to comfortably spend a night out in the woods if need be. In this series I’m going to break down every item in my pack and go into detail about each item, its purpose, and make brand and model recommendations for each piece.
Part 1- Physical Mirrored Compass
Despite my affinity for digital GPS navigation I do still carry a quality liquid filled magnetic compass. My requirements for a compass are accuracy, durability, and dependability. For over two decades I’ve relied on the Suunto MC-2 G Mirrored Compass.
This compass checks all my boxes.
Accurate?
The manufacturer claimed accuracy is to 2 degrees and the resolution is also 2 degrees. With the sighting mirror and dual elevation sight-notches I can take very precise bearings in the field. The full length compass when opened supports accurate single point and dual point resection. In practice I’ve covered a few miles of off trail travel, both dense forest areas and barren alpine zones, and found my objective every time with this compass.
Durable?
In twenty years I’ve never broken on of these compasses. They are rugged. I’ve only replaced it once when it went missing during one of the avalanche courses I was teaching. I’m pretty sure a student accidentally took it home after a field session. Speaking of avalanche safety this compass has a built in clinometer which measures slope angle.
Not only is this ability crucial for avalanche safety but it’s helpful with navigation as well. If you’re trying to determine if a nearby peak is higher or lower than your current location a clinometer can accurately answer that for you.
(The back arrow above indicates a 35 degree slope along the top or bottom edge of the clear base plate)
Dependable?
One of the biggest reasons I still carry a physical mirrored compass is because of how often I work in cold weather conditions. Smartphones are very susceptible to the kind of temperature I both recreate in, and serve in when on a SAR mission. Even keeping my iPhone warm in an inner chest pocket I have seen the screen stop working in mere seconds when exposed to below freezing temperatures. I have used my mirrored compass during above tree-line searches in sub-zero temperatures. Suunto claims the liquid used will not freeze until -30° C / -22° F.
For occasional recreational use this compass may be a bit more than you need. For light recreational use I recommend my students purchase a model like the Suunto A-10 NH Compass or better if their budget can afford it.
The Suunto M-3 NH Compass is a good mid-range choice. For professional level use for someone who plans to spend a fair amount of time traveling off the beaten paths I highly recommend the added accuracy of a mirrored compass.
I’ve always found success with Suunto compasses but I have a friend and colleague who teaches Wilderness Survival and Wilderness First Responder Courses and he is a big fan of Brunton, so with his trusted endorsement I am including that brand as well below with some general comments on each high end model.
Suunto MC-2 G Mirrored Compass – If you travel internationally this is the model to get as the patented global needle will work anywhere in the world.
Suunto MC-2 NH Mirrored Compass – If your adventures are contained to the Northern Hemisphere this is the model for you. Took me a hot minute to figure out that “NH” didn’t stand for my beloved state of New Hampshire, but for “Northern Hemisphere”. The needle is designed to float freely anywhere north of the Equator.
Brunton Truarc15 Luminescent Compass– My colleague, who probably spends more time then most traveling through the woods in the dark, is a fan of this compass. It certainly looks to me to be a very solid choice for a professional level compass.
Summary
While this series will likely cover the rest of the “ten essentials” soon I purposely started with the compass before the map. If I had to pick between navigating with only a compass or a map, I would choose a compass. While my improvised/survival navigation skills are quite sharp, a compass lets me follow a very specific bearing into trail-less wilderness in darkness or fog for a few miles, and return back my starting point often within a few dozen feet. This type of competent navigation is only gained through dedicated practice in the field and would be impossible with just a map and no compass.
Get Skilled
If terms like “declination” and “resection” are not familiar to you I would highly suggest seeking out a quality course in Wilderness Navigation. There are many options from free clinics offered by hiking clubs to high level courses. I actually developed my own 8 hour course after not finding a course anywhere that offered the type of classroom/field session lessons I think are effective. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to book a Wilderness Navigation Course with me! I also have a small selection of YouTube videos covering some compass topics you can check out here!
Support New Hampshire Search and Rescue
Wondering how you can contribute to New Hampshire’s amazing volunteer Search and Rescue community? First, buy an annual Hike Safe Card! If you want to go above and beyond consider making a donation to the NH Outdoor Council. This organization helps efficiently dispersing donations to the multiple volunteer search and rescue teams in the state of New Hampshire. If you would like to donate specifically to teams I am currently a member of you can find their donation pages here:
Androscroggin Valley Search and Rescue Donations
Lakes Region Search and Rescue Donations
While not currently a member I am proud of the decade+ I spent serving on the Mountain Rescue Service Team and their donation page can be found here.
Comments? Questions?
Let me know below! Ask me about anything related to compasses or my suggestions. Let me know what your favorite compass model is! Do you feel competent with compass navigation? Have you practiced recently?
See you in the mountains,
Northeast Alpine Start
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