Coghlan's Trail Compass

This is not an orienteering, map reading, explorer's compass. It IS a great little, durable, and accurate compass for hiking and general use. We live in the mountains of SW CO and use the compass all the time. It has never let us down or astray.

I'm surprised for the price these work. I keep one dangling from my purse while traveling. Sometimes it's easy to get turned around while walking around unfamiliar towns and this compass can keep you on track.UPDATE:. Been using this compass regularly for my current trip while walking/hiking around Nepal and Turkey. Really works. Better constructed than the cheaper version with the whistle (I've also owned). Purchased mind at Walmart though. Noticed that now Amazon lowered their price.

This compass had all the features I desired. Small, not parts for a kid to get hurt on, I took off the unusable plastic hook. It has the free needle movement, so the little guy can see the mechanism. This will make a perfect first compass. If he has it come next Christmas, I'll give him a magnet to play with it. You've got to keep young minds wondering : )

The compass I received was made, and works in the exact opposite direction. I matched it up with the compass app on my iPhone. I've been using it for quite a while to determine magnet polarity and have been getting the wrong results ever since I received it.

I bought multiple compasses from this brand. This brand's compasses are dependable and accurate.

NOT A SURVIVAL TOOL!!!! That said, good for general direction. For me that's all I need. I get instructions like: " west of Elm street" this is good enough for this sort of needs. Might also be good for Cub scouts, and basic learning. On to it's physical attributes: light, has a descent clip, that I use to attach to my jacket zipper. It has taken a few bumps and hits and been no worse for it, so fairly tough. The dial is pretty easy to read, and I wear glasses, so probably good for most.

Seems dependable. It is just cheap plastic so it may not last especially for a kid. But for me, it is just fine.

Holds north really well and has a dial to roughly track declination within about 3 degrees. The declination dial is really loose though. Much better than the tiny paracord compasses. Dial is about as big as a half or silver dollar. It will definitely help me keep from getting lost or turned around.