SUUNTO MC-2 Compass: Top-of-The-line Compass for Professionals & serious Hikers

I've used a variety of Silva compasses and sadly they too often end up with air bubbles inside them in consequence of poor sealing. Suunto has a reputation for very sturdy manufacturing and so I decided to give their product a try. The reason this is a "global" compass is that in some parts of the world, notably the southern hemisphere, the Earth's magnetic pole will tend to "drag" the needle down as you stand with the compass level with your waist. This can lead to a false reading. So the global compass is designed such that it gives a clear reading anywhere. If you plan to travel outside Europe and North America it's worth paying a little extra for this design feature.Aside from that the compass works as all the good ones do: there's a mirror with a sighting window so you can take a bearing very accurately at eye-height. There's the grid lines so you can take a bearing (or find one) on a map. There's all the usual things you'd expect from a good compass plus a declinometer which can measure the steepness of the hill you're on. Personally I don't find this feature particularly useful not least because most hills aren't a steady incline but continually change.For me the combination of robustness with relatively small size means that although you have to be more careful taking a bearing off a map you get the advantage of compactness which provides easy portability. And the lanyard means you can tie it off to a button or other means of retention so that you don't lose it when crawling through the bush or when the wind is howling round the peak.

This review is from the perspective of the user of an old Silva Type 4 baseplate style compass (over 30 years!). I am impressed by the improvements made to compasses in general, but this is a real gem. The global needle really makes walking/hiking/etc easy while using the compass, as there is less of a need to really hold the base level. The needle just freely swings without any hangups. The built-in declination adjustment is very nicely done: a micro screw driver (on the lanyard with the compass) makes the adjustment from the back side of the compass. It stays put. If you're hiking the AT, then you'll need to make a few adjustments during your months of hiking, but otherwise, most people will likely leave the declination as it is for long periods. The built in inclinometer is nice and truly functional. The mirror system with notches at the top AND the bottom is a great modification allowing for easier sighting. The notch also allows altitude measurements in the field (height of trees and mountains), as long as you like doing tan calculations in your head... or carry a slide rule or pocket calculator with you. Good compass. I like it, and recommend it.

Very happy so far with this compass! Haven't used it much yet, but everything about it seems awesome and it's more compass than I probably need but it's a very important piece of kit and I'm happy I was able to get something so good for such a good deal. Only thing I'm concerned about at all is winter land-nav here in Michigan with it. I haven't seen a bubble yet, but last winter our temps even here in southeastern MI dipped below -15 degrees F many times and that's without even factoring in wind chill. I'm hoping any bubble that develops in this compass won't be bigger than 1/4" which I've read that as long as it is less than 1/4" you don't have to worry about it. Also, if I move back out west to the mountains I will be wondering how big the bubble gets at even moderate elevation combined with cold. But for most of the year I'm hoping this will work well for me here in MI and if I ever venture to the southern hemisphere or around the world I think this compass will give me Yeoman's service. I did toss the black clip and looped the lanyard through the hole. Much more secure and it doesn't affect the flatness of the compass on a map having it rigged like that. Only difference is you have to take the compass off your neck to use it on a map which is no problem to me. Maybe Europeans who are out orienteering are more concerned about the lanyard mussing up their hairstyle or something when they take the lanyard on and off their head! I can't think of any other reason why that could even possibly be considered as any kind of nuisance. Very happy so far, but I'll update my review if I have too much bubble-trouble with it in the cold. Don't know why Suunto doesn't de-gas the liquid they use in these. It would ameliorate this already great piece of gear.

Good quality,ease of magnetic adjustment.Satisfied but i only used it once.

Good compass. Used it a couple of times and it works as it should.

This Suunto glow-in-the-dark Compass is amazing. I use it every time I go into the woods or the mountains and I can confidently navigate myself where I need to go. It’s lightweight and durable. If used properly with a map, it’s very accurate and the perfect size that’ll fit in a backpack or your pocket.

I bought this when I was doing a lot of geocaching. Geocaching is a worldwide hobby the uses GPS coordinates to locate hidden "caches" which could but tiny or quite large. It's almost impossible to do without a handheld GPS unit (although I have heard that some folk have managed to geocache using just maps.) Still I found it wise to never depend totally on something that takes batteries and is electronic in nature.I have geocached in all 50 states (plus DC) and my quests will sometimes take me into very remote areas. If my GPS (and my backup GPS) ever fail me I want to be able to get out of the boonies with as little trouble as possible. That is why I purchased and learned to use this compass.My selection process didn't take too long. I asked a retired Army Ranger for advice. After I told him my price range he recommended the Suunto and I am glad that I listened to him. It seems very well made, is light weight and is spot-on when compared to my electric compass on my GPS. So far I haven't needed to use it as a back-up, but whenever I am in the field, this goes with me.

I had 0-10 helpful reviews. I forgot about this one.The manual doesn't help a person use this correctly. I went onto UTUBE to get instruction and I recommend doing this BEFORE you buy it.I'm not the expert in compasses but I like this!I've had it all this time. I've used it in a very general way. Like plotting a major landmark a few miles away, setting the dial to where I needed to be and actually getting to the place relying on the mark I needed to be traveling.I've tested with a friend in the car, adjusting to the landmark we were going to which was 30 mikes away and using it that way and it worked.It's in my Bug Out Bag/Pack. I keep it padded and safe. I haven't used it plotting destinations out on a map but I have no doubt you'll get to where you need to go if you use it this way. If my back wasn't busted up, I'd be able to give more information on plotting destinations using a map, but this device is still in great shape.I used to be a firefighter decades ago, cutting line in California and I wish I had something so well made for the price at that time. It would've been a nice device to have.I'm not sorry I bought this life saving device, if my life ever depends on it and that's why why I bought it.I take my pack out whenever I fish in Colorado, so I play with it every time I go and it's not broken and I carry a lot of stuff in my pack but then again, I treat it with respect and keep it well secure just in case.

Fantastic product. Real quality. You get what you pay for. Bought this for my birthday and not disappointed. Really accurate and worth every penny.

Very pleased.

Hepp, zeigt nach Norden.

First class quality compass. Shook it, knocked it around a bit, always came back to zero nicely. Accurately aligns with other good compasses, always.

Musste leider wegen einer Verwechslung zurück geschickt wurden. Hab das Paket erst Tage später erhalten.