SUUNTO MC-2 Mirror Compass, Global/Northern Hemisphere Orientation Adventure/Hiking Compass, Magnifying Lens, Adjustable Declination & Luminous Markings

I have used this for navigation during day and night in the Lake District and New Forest, it is the best compass I have tried. A couple of less obvious points about it: First, the luminosity of the dial, the needle and the direction of travel markers is very very bright, assuming that the luminous paint has been sufficiently charged up by a light source such as your head torch. Second, the base plate is substantially thicker than other compasses, and it has a very robust feel. Also with the mirror extended flat, it is possible to orient quite long lines on the map. The compass has a feature for measuring the incline of a slope, which looks like it could be really useful, but I have not used yet. It comes with a comprehensive user guide that actually gives you a primer on several important navigation techniques. Two very minor negative points. The magnifier on the base plate is quite small, so less useful than on other compasses... there just isn't enough space on the base plate for it. The direction is indicated only in mils, it would be nice if there was a secondary scale showing degrees. Finally the distance measurement scales are present for 1:25000 (OS Exporer maps) and 1:50000 (OS Landranger maps), but it would be nice to also have 1:40000 (Harvey maps).

I have used several types of compass over a large number of years from the military prismatic type to both Silva and Suunto orienteering types. All have their particular virtues. Prismatics are almost impossible to break and are the most accurate, orienteering types weigh virually nothing and are very easy and quick to use, not as accurate as the prismatic but plenty good enough for most normal purposes. They're pretty robust but it is possible to break the baseplate and the markings can wear off with extended use. This one was bought to serve both in the UK and overseas as it has a global needle. The mirror housing, in addition to preforming it's intended function as part of the compass and clinometer sighting mechanism, also provides very useful protection to the needle housing and baseplate. Seems pretty bombproof to me and still very lightweight. Just throw away the curious little plastic clip and thread the lanyard directly into the compass baseplate, then it should still be with you when you need it!

Great quality. In my opinion, no other compass-clino comes close to Suunto for this price range

This certainly has a quality feel to it and I hope it will stand the test of time. I decided against getting a Silva compass to replace my previous Silva one. It developed an air bubble in the fluid. I see that others have experienced the same problem after a while. The action of this Suunto is nice and smooth. The degrees are well marked and so it is easy to read. There is a small magnifying area in the base, which helps to magnify difficult-to-read detail on maps, but other compasses have a larger magnifying area. I need glasses anyway to read detail on a map, so it's not really an issue for me, but for those who are in the early stages of Presbyopia (perhaps in your mid-forties) then you might struggle without some form of decent magnification, particularly in lower light levels. The base plate has useful scales, so whether you use 1:50000 Landranger, or 1:25000 OL (preferable where possible) then you can use the base plate scale to measure distances. I think the only small issue is the "SUUNTO" inscription on the base which could have been more wisely placed to give better definition to the registration lines. When you want to register the lines in the circular area with the grid lines on your map it would be best to have as much clear ability to do this as possible, without having part of the area obscured by the company logo. I get around this by "juggling" my direction of travel along one side of the base plate with a clear grid line on the map aligning with the "red lines" in the centre of the rotating part, so I am sure my orientation is correct. The mirror is an excellent addition to improve accuracy. It enables you to "look down" onto the "red-on-red" to ensure it is properly aligned and the direction you are intending to follow represents the direction you SHOULD be going in. Both Map to Terrain and Terrain to Map are improved by using the mirror. There is a "V" notch at the top and also a cut-out at the bottom, both of which help you to accurately sight, plus there is a line in the centre of the mirror that enables you to ensure everything is aligned properly. There is also an in-built declination adjustment. You don't need to do this currently in the majority of the UK, I understand, as there is only about 1 degree West currently, but if you were going to use this on the Western Seaboard of the USA then you would certainly find this handy. There is a small device that attaches to the lanyard that comes with the compass. You just turn it over, insert the little "screwdriver", turn to the required declination setting (East or West) and then this is "automatically" applied when you use the compass. It also has the ability to read the angle of a slope. This is all well and good, but I tend to get more information from reading the map contours and applying Naismith's Rule to determine the additional time I will require when walking a route containing moderate (or more) ascents. Overall, a very good addition to the kit. No one piece completely makes other equipment obsolete. Firstly, to my way of thinking, there will never be a time when I leave the map at home, even though I have GPS. Studying a map, for me, is still the number one when researching and determining a route and also seeing where I am/where I need to be on a walk. Sometimes I will need the compass if I am struggling to interpret the map and need to check something. GPS is great and there should always be charged batteries and spare batteries, plus failure is probably rare, but nevertheless I don't think there will be a time when I ever leave my map and compass at home and walk out with just a GPS. This compass is light, robust, good quality and not too large, so I'm hoping it will go with me for many a trip.

Unlike many of these items available on this site, this one is genuine! I was losing my mind sorting through the fakes on here so decided to come back and add my review... Compass has already been used once to navigate the Cairngorms and was incredibly accurate. Buy this one.

Bought in preference to Silva which I find no longer the best. Suunto are the best in the mid range price point and this one is particularly good. I like the fact that magnetic declination can be locked in. Read the codes with care, NH is for us Northern Hemisphere folk, SH for Southern and G is Global (both hemispheres) all to do with the magnetism applied during manufacture. If you're not a Steve Backshall and won't be navigating in both hemispheres, avoid the Global version as it carries a fairly hefty mark-up for the privilege

I acknowledge the 5 star reviews, but the two that I received (both of which had manufacturing faults and had to be returned) fell far below the quality that I was expecting. Please be warned that this review is going to turn into a rant, so some may want to stop reading now. My dad was very keen on being able to navigate by using a map and compass, and was happy to pass that skill on - you might never need it, but then one day it might just save your life. Today, many misguided people through no fault of their own think that such skills are no longer needed and that, should you get into trouble, all you have to do is use the G.P.S. on your smartphone, but, if the day comes, they'll regret not being taught how to navigate to safety. Let's call that Rant 1. This compass was purchased to replace a Silva Type 15T Ranger that had, after 40 years of service, become inaccurate. The old Silva Ranger was a joy to use - accurate, reliable, solidly built out of high quality materials, and in your hand it just felt 'right'. And now for Rant 2. Of course, in the miserable, corporate world in which we live today Silva no longer exist as a manufacturing company, but is just as a brand name to be bought and sold - the name is currently owned by a firm of venture capitalists and the compasses are made in China and Indonesia. Unsurprisingly, the quality has plummeted, but people still buy them, so who cares. Well I do, and reading many articles on the internet, I'm not alone. Alright, two rants done, so here's the list of what was wrong with the two that I received: i) The baseplate - manufactured from of a cheap polymer and not optically clear. All the markings were badly screen printed - not engraved and then picked out in paint as I would have expected - with numerous areas where the paint was partially missing. The markings will wear quickly. ii) The needles - poorly stamped out with excess material still attached. The clinometer needle stuck at various point on the dial. iii) The oil filled capsule - manufactured from cheap polymer, cheaply moulded with part of the sprue material still attached, not optically clear and containing small pieces of plastic floating in the liquid. iv) Altogether too light, and just didn't feel 'right' in the hand. Most annoyingly of all, these faults would have been obviously to the person assembling the compass. To be fair, I do realize that I was perhaps expecting too much from a compass that was replacing one that had traveled the world with me, but it really is a poor piece of kit. Looking at their website, Suunto now seem to be more a 'lifestyle' brand rather a company that manufactures scientific instruments. I get the feeling that the compasses are more of a sideline than a core product. My recommendation would be to not to buy.

This is a top rate compass. Can't say I use it a lot but just love knowing that I have it in the back-pack. Always worth understanding how to use a compass properly before deciding if you need one.