📦 Free Shipping* Australia-Wide over $150. T&Cs apply

💨 Get it fast with Express Post for only $14.95*
Massive Mammut Clearance Sale - Up to 40% off - Ends Sunday

Hiking Compasses

A hiking compass still works when the phone is flat, wet or out of signal. We stock Silva baseplate compasses for learning map and compass, mirror sighting compasses for taking bearings across open country, and a pocket compass for a quick check. The baseplate and mirror compasses all have needles balanced for the magnetic south (MS) zone, which includes Australia.
View as
  • Silva Compass 4-6400/360 clear baseplate compass at an angle, showing the magnifier, map scales and red needle Silva Compass 4-6400/360 from above, with the mils bezel, inner degree ring and grid reference scales
    9% off

    Silva

    Compass 4-6400/360 MS

    $198.11 $218.07

    Ready to ship

    View details
  • Silva Field compass with blue bezel and clear baseplate, black lanyard looped beside it Silva Field compass hanging from its black lanyard, showing the baseplate scales
    Sold out
    27% off

    Silva

    Field MS

    $53.27 $72.62
    View details
  • Silva Pocket Compass close-up: black dial with cardinal points, Celsius and Fahrenheit thermometer, silver carabiner Silva Pocket Compass sitting in an open palm with carabiner and key ring attached
    15% off

    Silva

    Pocket Compass

    $39.05 $46.19

    Ready to ship

    View details
  • Silva Ranger MS baseplate compass with green bezel, magnifying lens and mm map scales Silva Ranger MS compass with its black detachable lanyard laid out in a loop
    24% off

    Silva

    Ranger MS

    $74.92 $99.06

    Ready to ship

    View details
  • Silva Ranger S MS mirror compass open, black mirror lid raised over the green bezel, black lanyard attached Silva Ranger S compass from behind, black mirror lid upright over the clear baseplate
    31% off

    Silva

    Ranger S MS

    $99.05 $144.06

    Ready to ship

    View details
  • Silva Ranger SL MS pocket mirror compass open on its black baseplate, lanyard looped beside it Silva Ranger SL folded shut, showing the sun dial compass points on the black lid
    28% off

    Silva

    Ranger SL MS

    $85.85 $118.89

    Ready to ship

    View details

Frequently Asked Questions

A baseplate compass is the standard tool for bushwalking: you can take a bearing straight off a topo map and follow it. A mirror sighting compass, like the Silva Ranger S MS, adds accuracy when you sight distant landmarks off track. A pocket compass only shows direction, so carry it as a backup.

Yes, ideally. Compass needles are balanced for one of several magnetic zones, and a compass made for the northern hemisphere can tilt and drag here. Look for a compass balanced for the southern zone; Silva marks theirs MS, and every baseplate and mirror compass we stock is an MS model.

Declination is the angle between magnetic north, where the needle points, and grid or true north on your map. It changes with place and over time, so read the value from your topographic map. The Silva Field, Ranger and Ranger S compasses have a declination scale in the capsule.

How to choose a hiking compass

• Baseplate compass: a clear plate with a rotating housing, used to take a bearing off a topographic map and walk it. The

How to choose a hiking compass

• Baseplate compass: a clear plate with a rotating housing, used to take a bearing off a topographic map and walk it. The Silva Field MS is a simple first compass for navigation courses, scouts and school groups; the Ranger MS adds 1° accuracy, a magnifier, luminous markings and 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 map scales.

• Mirror sighting compass: a folding mirror lets you sight a distant landmark and read the dial in one look, for more accurate bearings off track. Choose the Ranger S MS, or the Ranger SL MS, which folds to 5.9 x 4.1 x 1.4 cm.

• Pocket compass: the Silva Pocket Compass clips to a pack strap and shows north and the temperature. It is a direction finder, not a map tool.

• Grid and mils: the Compass 4-6400/360 MS is marked in both degrees and mils, for cadets, rogaining and search and rescue.

Why the MS zone matters

Compass needles are balanced for the magnetic zone they will be used in. Take a northern-zone compass to Australia and the needle tilts and can drag on the capsule. Every baseplate and mirror compass we stock is MS, balanced for the southern zone, so it sits level here.

Learning to navigate

A compass is only as useful as your skill with it. Set your declination from the margin of your topographic map, practise on a known track first, and consider a navigation course before you head off track in places like the Budawangs or Tasmania's Western Arthurs. Carry a paper map in a waterproof bag as well; a compass needs a map to be useful. Add a head torch and a first aid kit to the pack.

Why buy from Oz Backcountry

Free shipping Australia-wide over $150 (T&Cs apply), sent from our Helensvale warehouse on the Gold Coast.

Related: Silva · First Aid & Safety · Head Torches · Hiking Gear · Hiking Poles & Trekking Poles · Day Packs

Read More...