Compass
A baseplate compass that shows you north and keeps you on course when GPS and phones fail.
- Type
- Baseplate compass with a liquid-filled capsule
- Bezel
- Rotating bezel marked in degrees
- Baseplate
- Clear plate with direction-of-travel arrow, ruler and map scales
- Power
- None needed
- Shelf life
- Unlimited. Replace it if a large bubble forms in the capsule or the needle sticks.
Wodgester, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo credits
A compass needs no battery, no signal and no satellites. Satellite navigation needs a working phone and often mobile data. In a war, GPS signals can also be jammed or disrupted. The compass keeps working.
This is a baseplate compass. The clear plate lets you lay it on a map and read the route underneath. The rotating bezel lets you set a direction once and then simply follow it.
You don’t need to be an expert. Knowing which way is north, turning the map to match the land and following a road is often enough to reach a meeting point or a shelter. Use it together with the paper map from the kit.
Why it’s in the kit
Getting lost without a working phone costs time and can put you in danger. Smoke, darkness or unfamiliar streets make it easy to lose your way. A compass gives you a reliable direction in any of these.
Storage & maintenance
Store the compass away from magnets, speakers and electronics, which can weaken the needle. Keep it out of strong heat and direct sun. Once a year, check that the needle swings freely and points the same way as before.
How to use it
Find north
Hold the compass flat at waist height, away from metal and electronics. Wait for the needle to settle. The red end points north.
Orient the map
Lay the map flat and put the compass on it. Turn the map until its north edge points the same way as the red end of the needle.
Take a bearing from the map
Lay the edge of the baseplate along the line from where you are to where you want to go, with the direction-of-travel arrow pointing to your goal. Turn the bezel until its lines run parallel to the map's north–south lines, N towards map north.
Walk the bearing
Hold the compass flat in front of you. Turn your whole body until the red end of the needle sits inside the outline arrow on the bezel. Walk where the direction-of-travel arrow points.
Walk from landmark to landmark
Pick a tree, pole or building on your line, walk to it, then check the compass again. It is easier than staring at the needle.
Video guides
Video guides are being prepared.
Manuals & downloads
Manuals will be available here soon.
