Do you know how to use a compass?

[Irving]

I picked up this one for $22.99 today. http://www.greatoutdoorsdepot.com/silva-trekker.html This was the next one down from the Silva Ranger CL (Kevden put on his BoB list), and was half the price.

I want to order a few of these later: http://www.countycomm.com/trainingcompass.htm

So I was sitting in my car trying to use this compass, and thought that it was broken because I couldn't get it to read the same while I was sitting in a parked car, not moving. I finally figured out that the needle would move depending on where I held it in the car. Once I got out of the car, and tried it other places, it is fine. The only thing that I don't like about it, is that it has a scale for declination, but I can't set it and leave it. I have to just account for it every time. Other than that, I'm a bit worried at it being delicate without a metal cover.

Anyone know what the declination for Denver is supposed to be? I looked it up real quick before I left and found something that said 14 degrees East, but that was taken in 1964. I'm going to look for a more updated list and maybe write down the settings for all 50 states and just keep a little card with the compass. Maybe get it laminated or something.

[theGinsue]

I picked up this one for $22.99 today. http://www.greatoutdoorsdepot.com/silva-trekker.html This was the next one down from the Silva Ranger CL (Kevden put on his BoB list), and was half the price.

I want to order a few of these later: http://www.countycomm.com/trainingcompass.htm

So I was sitting in my car trying to use this compass, and thought that it was broken because I couldn't get it to read the same while I was sitting in a parked car, not moving. I finally figured out that the needle would move depending on where I held it in the car. Once I got out of the car, and tried it other places, it is fine. The only thing that I don't like about it, is that it has a scale for declination, but I can't set it and leave it. I have to just account for it every time. Other than that, I'm a bit worried at it being delicate without a metal cover.

Anyone know what the declination for Denver is supposed to be? I looked it up real quick before I left and found something that said 14 degrees East, but that was taken in 1964. I'm going to look for a more updated list and maybe write down the settings for all 50 states and just keep a little card with the compass. Maybe get it laminated or something.

Metal objects, buildings, electrical power lines, equipment - these can all throw off your compass and it's best to move away from them as best as you can to get true readings.

THANK YOU for the link to those training compasses - great price for a pretty decent compass. I definitely want to buy a few (for the family).

The idea of getting information printed on cards and getting them laminated is a great idea. I would add to that the idea of punching a hole in one corner of the laminated card and putting any cards that you have for your compass together on a split-loop ring (keyring).