A reliable button compass?

[Omega]

My daughter is preparing for the DOE Award, so I’ve been teaching her how to use a map and compass. To my surprise, out of the 6–7 compasses I had, only two button ones were working—even my Silva didn’t show directions right after 8+ years of storage.
Can anyone recommend a reliable button compass? Since we all have smartphones these days, I don’t see the need for a full-sized compass. Plus, I don’t require precise azimuth measurements—I went through conscript military training 30 years ago as a howitzer platoon commander, and my first degree was in civil engineering. I know how to use a proper compass but never actually needed one, even in the jungle.
I’d like a button compass that will remain reliable even after many years in storage, as I plan to keep it in my survival tin.
Thanks in advance!

[pseudonym]

Mine were all "off" or gained a bubble. Suunto seems to of held up the best. YMMV

[Frnc]

I would urge you get her a baseplate compass. That's what everyone uses. Easy and accurate. A button one might be OK for your survival tin but I'm not sure about it for her.

[Frnc]

https://www.dofe.org/shop/expedition-ki ... compasses/

DofE recommended compasses

"All DofE recommended compasses from Silva offer reliability, accuracy and toughness. These are the three key markers of a great compass."

"Silva will re-polarise an old compass for FREE!"

They say some DofE courses provide maps and compasses, and advise you to check.

[Omega]

https://www.dofe.org/shop/expedition-ki ... compasses/

DofE recommended compasses

"All DofE recommended compasses from Silva offer reliability, accuracy and toughness. These are the three key markers of a great compass."

"Silva will re-polarise an old compass for FREE!"

They say some DofE courses provide maps and compasses, and advise you to check.

Thanks. I will contact Silva to check. Unfortunately, I threw away my Silva compass. Guess I will buy her one normal side and one button size for myself
Any recommendations for a reliable button compass ? Thinking getting Suunto, they have one that goes in a watch wristband

[Frnc]

https://www.dofe.org/shop/expedition-ki ... compasses/

DofE recommended compasses

"All DofE recommended compasses from Silva offer reliability, accuracy and toughness. These are the three key markers of a great compass."

"Silva will re-polarise an old compass for FREE!"

They say some DofE courses provide maps and compasses, and advise you to check.

Thanks. I will contact Silva to check. Unfortunately, I threw away my Silva compass. Guess I will buy her one normal side and one button size for myself
Any recommendations for a reliable button compass ? Thinking getting Suunto, they have one that goes in a watch wristband

I've never used one. Suunto are a good make, my compass is Suunto.

[Eyeball]

Just to digress slightly, i was walking through central London a few years ago and although I had a good street map, I also took a standard Silva compass with me so I could double-check I was heading in the right direction, but to my surprise the compass gave different readings at intervals !
After trial and error I worked out that it must have been underground train electricity cables or something that criss-crossed the city and must have thrown the compass off when I took readings from above or near them.

PS- sorry to digress again, but in the fictional film 'Run for the Sun', pilot Richard Widmark's compass (yellow circle) was thrown off- unknown to him- by a magnetic pen in his lady passengers handbag (red circle)-

[Frnc]

Compass app on my phone has come in useful a few times, in conjuntion with a map app, of course. I don't carry a paper map or physical compass when travelling, or out on my bike. But I do have maps, a map case, and compass on my prep room door. More maps in my BOB. Two of them got cut right down, as I live near the junction of three maps, and am not likely to evacuate northwards, into the city, I wouldn't have thought. I still have the offcuts, and separate map of the city anyway (at a lower res of 1 to 50,000).
1 to 25,000 is best for walking
1 to 50,000 is best for cycling
Custom maps are good if you need 2 or 3 maps for a certain area you go to a lot.
Aqua 3 make custom maps on laminate, so are waterproof. You can write on them with Staedtler Lumocolour Permanent S = superfine.

[Eyeball]

Regarding maps and compasses, I'm amazed that Ed Stafford says he doesn't use them in his shows !
I can understand if it's a clear sunny day allowing him to see landmarks from miles away and also gauge direction from the sun's position, but what I can't understand is how he can tell direction in poor overcast visibility and fog, or am I missing something?

[tarmactatt]

I had a low cost silva plastic watch band compass (possibly suunto, Im pretty sure was a Silva though). It was terrible when it was new (the compass card would stick slightly in the housing), it was a ass to use because it's at a funny angle on your wrist, and it dried out after a couple of years of storage.

I use a baseplate/sighting style compass very regularly, my go-to is a suunto global, but also have access to £500+ brunton compasses at work.

If I were in the market for a button compass again, I'd get something from edcgear.co.uk (they stock countycomm stuff) or perhaps try Heinnie Haynes.

Alternatively, for a small/lightweight compass, how about one of those aimed at orienteering?

If you've a needle style compass (Vs a circular card), I've seen this tip online and had luck in the past re-magnetising the needle using a neodymium magnet- swipe the needle through the housing in one direction then test to see if you've magnatised it the correct direction. If you've swapped the polarity, then just swipe using the same end of the magnet in the opposite direction.