The Pocket Compass: A Potentially Very Useful Piece Of Equipment

While they may not have the functionality of larger, more feature-rich compasses, small pocket compasses can be incredibly useful. Most of the time, I have a Suunto MCB compass in my pocket. If I am not wearing the Helikon-Tex Pilgrim pants that I typically wear, however, then I may not have room for that compass in my pockets. That is usually not a big deal because I also often wear a vest. The issue of a lack in pocket space becomes apparent when I am wearing jeans and choose not to wear a vest. That is when a small pocket compass becomes extremely handy.

The Suunto MCB compass is more functional for orienteering than a pocket or button compass. More often than not, though, my navigational needs are relatively basic. The most common use I have for a compass is determining cardinal directions. If you are not familiar with that term, cardinal directions are simply north, east, south, and west. Northwest, southeast, and similar directions can also be determined, if only approximately, with a pocket or button compass. If that is all I need my compass to tell me, then a very small one is all I require.

Let’s think through a theoretical scenario where a pocket compass would be sufficient to fulfill my needed navigational requirements. This may also possibly meet the realistic needs of many outdoor goers.

I decide to go to breakfast on a Saturday morning, planning to come home after I finish eating. While I am sitting at the restaurant, I decide that it would be a great day to take a drive up into the mountains. The only equipment I have with me is the backpack that lives in my Jeep most of the time. Ideally, that would get me through almost any emergency scenario I can think of. The issue here, though, is that I got some things out of that backpack a couple of days ago for a project and forgot to put them back. The compass I keep in there is one of the missing items. That is a very realistic situation, at least for me. Additionally, I am wearing my Wrangler jeans, so pocket space is basically nonexistent compared to the cargo pants I usually wear. The only extra pockets I have are my shirt pockets, and the Suunto MCB is a bit bulky to comfortably carry in a shirt pocket. On the other hand, those pockets are perfectly suited to carry a small pocket compass. Thankfully, I decided to carry that small compass because while I was driving, I decided to stop and explore a creek that went back into the woods. I pull over at a nearby parking area, get into my bag, and realize I do not have the compass that is supposed to be there. The pocket compass will have to do. I check the direction I am facing as I head into the woods. The direction is due west. I follow the creek for a while, walking through the thick trees and underbrush as the creek twists and turns. I realize that the hillside to my right is more open, and it will be easier to walk back to my Jeep up there than along the creek. As I follow the hillside, it turns away from the creek. The walking is easy, though, so I keep going. After a while, I realize I have been walking longer than I did on the way in. I stop, pull out my pocket compass, and check my direction. I am walking north, which is parallel to the road I was driving on. I turn right so I am walking east, go over a hill, and see the road. Now all I have to do is turn right on the road and walk back to where I parked.

This may seem like an oversimplification of the scenario, but I have been in extremely similar situations many times. There is no need to take a bearing and transfer it to a map or do anything else that may resemble an orienteering exercise. All I needed to know in that situation was the direction I was walking at different times so that I could reverse my original course and walk back to the road.

Is a pocket compass all I will ever need for navigating in wild country? No, of course not. Is a pocket compass sufficient for most of the situations I realistically find myself in? For the most part, yes. Try out a pocket compass and see what you think. You may be surprised by how much it can do for you.

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Suunto MCB Compass: https://amzn.to/4l2tKth
Helikon-Tex Pilgrim Pants: https://amzn.to/4knNWFa