Most of the hikes that you go on will probably have clearly marked trails, and have other hikers along the same trail, so the thought of bringing a compass may sound a little extreme and old fashioned, especially since GPS units are so popular now. You may be thinking, “When would I ever need this?” Hopefully you won’t ever need to use it, but what happens if the batteries in your GPS are dead? Then that one instance comes, when you really need it, and you don’t have one. Then you’ll be wishing you carried one. A compass weighs less than 5 ounces! Bring one along!
So hopefully, you’ve been convinced to at least carry a compass in your backpack. Now what? A compass isn’t going to be very useful if you don’t know how to use one properly.
I have a little compass that I have clipped on the straps outside of my backpack, and this more detailed compass I have in my pack. It’s always a good idea to know what directions are the nearest roads, or how to stay on course when traveling cross country in the desert.
Here are some compasses I like:
And if you want to try a GPS, here are some good options:
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