Ranger SL MS

The Silva Ranger SL MS is the smallest way to carry a proper mirror sighting compass. It folds to 5.9 by 4.1 by 1.4 cm, its needle is balanced for the Magnetic South zone, and it still gives you a sighting mirror, a rotating housing and luminous markings, plus a sun dial and a safety pin to fix it to your jacket.

Who it's for

Backpackers, climbers and fastpackers who count every gram in the pack but still want to take a real bearing. Pin it to your jacket on an alpine climb in the Southern Alps, keep it in a pocket on a multi-day walk through the Snowy Mountains, or carry it as the backup to your GPS so a flat battery does not leave you guessing.

Accuracy and features

• Mirror sighting with a sighting hole, accurate to plus or minus 1 degree
• Needle balanced for the MS zone, so it sits level rather than tilting
• Rotating housing for the Silva 1-2-3 System
• Built-in sun dial for telling the time from the sun
• Luminous markings for reading it after dark
• mm scale on the baseplate for measuring on the map
• Safety pin and a detachable lanyard

Using it in the field

Pin the Ranger SL to your jacket and it is always there, ready to check your heading without digging through the pack. For a bearing, set the housing on the map, lift the lid and sight your landmark in the mirror while you watch the needle, and you get the accuracy of a sighting compass from something that fits in a shirt pocket.

Durability

The lid folds down over the capsule to protect the dial and mirror, and Silva rate it to work from -20 to +60 °C, from a frosty alpine start to a scorching summer afternoon.