Which Compass?

We have never stipulated which type of compass to bring along on one of our skills courses.  However recently a number of people have turned up with inappropriate compasses or even compasses that don’t work!

Compasses without “orienting” lines in the middle compass housing make taking a bearing difficult or impossible.  We have even come across an imitation of a Silva type 4 (without a brand name) that pointed south instead of north!


Compasses from reputable brands (Silva, Sunto, Recta, etc.) should do the job but for learning purposes a decent length of base plate and a range of measuring scales is helpful.

The compass that we would choose is the Silva Expedition 4 (but make sure it’s not the military model). Shopping around (Amazon) you can get one for less than £20 and unless you are like me and shut one in the car door they will last many years!

Sierra Nevada Mountain Guides run a range of mountain skills courses and offer training as part of our guiding service.