The Suunto M3 compass - one of the best for wilderness navigation

The Suunto M3, a wonder of Finnish engineering, is a highly recommended compass for wilderness navigation.  It has all the features you need, and none of the ones you don’t.
What do we specifically like about it?  How about:

• adjustable declination (the most important feature of any compass, in my opinion)
• long baseplate (for taking accurate measurements from a map and drawing bearings on a map, a long baseplate is helpful)
• ergonomic design (the curved part fits your hand, eliminating the common mistake of having the “direction of travel” arrow pointing at you rather than your objective)
• low cost (about $20 less expensive than a comparable compass with a sighting mirror)
• simple and sturdy (fewer moving parts and hinges mean fewer things that can go wrong in the field)
• lightweight (no sighting mirror means less weight)

The instructors of the Mazamas Wilderness navigation skill builder course recommend this compass.  It‘s usually in stock at REI and Oregon Mountain Community, on NE 29th and Sandy Blvd. in Portland.  (OMC offers a discount to Mazama members.)

If you are wondering if you need a compass with a mirror, you probably don’t.  See this link for more.