You can easily use a mirrror compass as a baseplate compass. Just open up the mirror to 180 degrees. Personally, I prefer the mirror compass because that what I started with in Swedish Lapplands when I grew up. It was what my father used. He was working for the Forestry Department up there in the alpine and sub alpine parts of Lappland. This was before GPS, so he used compass and maps. Once (I was 16) we were up in the mountains on snowmobile when a storm hit us. The visibillity was less then 10 meters, and me and my twin suggested to dig in since we had something like 30 km to go to the nearest cabin. Dad connected the 2 snowmobiles with a rope, since you could not se anything beyond a few meters. Then he took the front and drove on compass, maps and how the slopes were. He stopped when the snowmobile touched the cabin. Me and my brother didnt even see him stop before we touched his snowmobile. Thats skilled navigation. We had been going for several hours without seeing anything but white . This was not on some marked trail, but truly out in the wild.
I agree, most people are not as my dad. He used most part of his career in the wild and is stil extremley skilled in that particular månader - alpine and subalpine Lappland. But I have allways seen it as an inspiring event that shows whats possible with fairly simple methods, knowhow and keeping calm.
Thanks for crafting an EXTREMELY valuable video. Not only will it save readers a bunch of money, but it will also result in greater satisfaction to the compass user. I would like to add two points which I feel muddy the waters unnecessarily. 1. Some get attached to the base-plate compass because most mirror compasses either don't have a magnifying lens or, if they do, it's small. Fortunately, this may motivate purchase of a base-plate compass -- which is the likely best decision anyway. That notwithstanding, anyone worried about seeing details on a map or at the tip of their splintered finger should carry a separate, proper lens. And to those who think starting fires with a magnifying lens is a good idea, I say get a ferro rod, and if concerned about fires under wet, gloomy conditions, carry some magnesium as well. Give up on the sun! 2. Some are entranced by mirror compasses because they think they will signal rescuers with it. Well, I have bad news for them and indeed for anyone who thinks a plain mirror suffices. Sure, it's better than nothing. But if I'm going anywhere where my life might depends on aiming my mirror in a direction whence rescuers might come, I'll use a military-grade signaling mirror, the kind you can AIM. Have a look at US military specification MIL-M-18731E Type I 2 in. x 3 in. (NSN: 6350-01-455-6695) and Type II 3 in. x 5 in. (NSN: 6350-01-455-6671). Finally, I should mention that under one condition, the base-plate buyer should be prepared more than usual, and that's for the global model whose exotic bearing permits easy use no matter one's location on earth.
Actually, I carry many ways to start a fire, including magnifying lens, and also flexible Fresnel Lenses in my wallet, and backpack. I'm not sure why you'd wanna limit yourself, especially when a magnifier works great, cost very little, takes very little space and weighs almost nothing. Plus, the sunlight is totally free! Why use your resources if you don't need to?
@@MyTube4Utoo I have not yet been able to start a fire with the weak magnifier typically on compasses, don't depend on it. There are many other lightweight, inexpensive and reliable means to start fires than depending on sunlight and a weak lens.
@@denmikseb I always have many ways to reliably start a fire, including Fresnel Lenses in my wallet, vehicles, BoB's etc. As well as many lighters, at least one in a waterproof case o my person. Waterproof matches, and several other sources in vehicles and BoB's. I may have other issues, but starting a fire won't be one. :-)
Great description of use for the two. I have and use both. But I prefer my mirror compass for a couple of reasons. Not necessarily for the navigation part but for the multiple features it offers 1- signaling mirror if need be. Not just for a rescue situation if things got that bad, but also for letting your hunting partner know your position if hunting adjacent to one another without yelling that is if the sun is in your favor.. 2- for a mirror itself. Personal hygiene, getting a big out of your eye etc. And 3- the little extra protection the lid gives to shield it from springy limbs and or rocks if you were to slip or drop it.. To me the little extra motion to open and use it is worth it for the all in one multi-use you get with it.
Its a simple point made very long winded by me, the whole video in one sentence: mirror compasses give you the ability of long distance precision sighting, base plate compasses are adequate for everything else.
One use where a mirror sighting compass is a better choice is astro-navivigation (navigating using the stars). They are also the best choice for pinpointing your location by stars for setting up a telescope for astro-photography. For basic land navigation a plain baseplate is going to be faster as you don't have to continually open it to get a reading. Right tool for the right job.
The most important thing is to have a compass with you and know how to use it. Too many people at least in my area are lost each year because they walked in circles until exhausted and then just gave up. It risks injuries to rescuers to have to respond because someone wandered off trail to take a bath-room break or to look for camping spots and became lost. Here in the Southeastern US, forests are dense and it is easy to become disoriented, especially when late in the day when light is fading. While I agree with you that the baseplate is usually fine, I prefer the mirror baseplate compass simply because it does have the mirror. That is useful not only for navigation and hygiene as you mentioned but it is useful it to look for ticks in places I can't easily see. It is also a great signaling tool if you are injured. By sighting through the aiming hole and flashing low flying aircraft, you increase your chances of being seen greatly. But I do reiterate, as you say, have a compass of some kind, and preferably a good map, and know how to use them.
I worked with a Search and Rescue team, we worked with the Silva Compasses. Third time we went through the courses, I had fun with, I used the plate, mirror and the lensatic. I like the plate when working with maps.
Fantastic video. And referred back to it frequently before my hiking season starts here in New York. Going through basic land navigation military training, I’ve languished recreationally with my military spec lenzatic compass!!! It took your videos for me to say to myself, “relax!! Make your life easier!!” Once letting go of my prior training, point-to-point land navigation and hiking became so much more enjoyable! Thank you from across the pond
Usually carry two compasses, and so carry a mirror and a baseplate. The baseplate is what I use 99+ pct of the time. It's in your hand and you just check and make corrections all the time as you go, love it. Super efficient. For wildlife surveys, or alpine, I use the mirror compass for "stop and use a protractor" stuff. You need to nail down the precise location of a badger sett, and even 20 yards each way won't cut it. In alpine settings, there are no do-overs: when you need to know where you are, you really need to know where you are. Also, the clinometer is important: snowy terrain is really deceptive (it deceives me, anyway!). But these are pretty narrow use cases I think. Thanks for sharing such good info.
*Excellent compass tutorial!* Simple compasses, whether base plate or reflector variants, all have reading accuracies ~±1°: this is why compass bezels measure out 2° increments. For reference, viewing a 1" tape from only 5' away gives a cross-section below 1°; being able to find small targets from far away may be good, but not being able to find targets this small is only an insignificant source of error. Conversely, parallax doing a measurement is a very significant source of error, especially when holding a base plate compass far out in front of you; and unsurprisingly, parallax is just the error the reflector is designed to correct. As you show so aptly, for good precision with base plate compasses, you are well off taking a little time and repeating sightings with different variations in how far you extend the compass. Getting mirror sighting accuracy from a base plate compass is possible too: just take a little time to hang a plumb line for important measurements, like finding effective local declination including needle and measurement bias. *And regardless of your choice of magnetic compass, you are always best advised to look out and avoid obvious ferromagnetic anomalies: this includes removing your wrist watch, or at least taking care to hold the compass in your wrist-watch free hand.*
Nicely demonstrated again brother! I agree with you the simple base plate is easy to learn from the off set, perfectly adequate for most civilian navigation uses and easy to carry/store, however I would definitely recommend learning to use the mirror compass as they are definitely better in a situation where landmarks are less common and the mirror itself is also a great multi use bit of kit! Signaling etc... great video as always my mate thanks for sharing 👍🏽👍🏽😎 best wishes
Awesome information. Really appreciate the "context". I'm a noob to navigation and have been a bit confused over which compass I should begin with. Cheers from Montreal QC Canada.
Thank You for this educational video! I have both mirror and baseplate compasses but never really considored when to use one over the other. My choice has always been based on ease of use, so I tend to favor the baseplate compass. A possible couple degrees of accuracy loss has never caused me to get lost.
Social outdoors hiking folk often choose reflector compasses for quite ulterior reasons: a good fraction of us have hair to comb; and some of us even shave. Having a mirror on your compass at once gives bragging rights to virtues caring about navigation; but more often than not, the mirror literally reflects vices of vanity addressing perceptions of "significant" outdoors mates.
Agree with the mirror compass being most useful for long distances and possibly redundant in a lot of the UK IF you are using it to set a direction to travel and follow. However as a person who habitually walks on a route, misses a turn off, walks too far and loses himself on a map I need to find where i actually am on the map. I might be on rolling moorland that all looks the same. A mirror compass will help me triangulate my position as the video describes but still useful in the UK
I prefer the mirror compass because you can use the mirror for other things (treating face injuries, signalling etc.) which turns a single-purpose tool into a multi-purpose tool. Also there's no downside to using it. It does everything a baseplate compass does even if you don't need the extra accuracy.
Alternatively, carry a small prismatic compass along with your baseplate compass. More accurate and quicker than a mirror compass, but you still have a protector available on your baseplate compass. Downside is that prismatic compasses generally don't have adjustable declination, so might have to do a little addition/subtraction in your head.
You can get a base plate compass with a aiming point. Here in NZ militay have been using it for years. We replaced the heavy prismatic and mirror compass.
Taking sightings with a baseplate compass will get much more accurate with practice as well. If you have a good sighting compass to use as reference, it's possible to get reliably within a degree or two without raising the baseplate compass up from its normal reading position (and so introducing all the variables of bringing it back down again). Given all the other factors you mention, it's good enough 99% of the time even in open country. Mirror is useful for tick searches! PS one consideration not given much attention by reviewers is that wearers of varifocal or bifocal lens spectacles may find that a mirror compass involves quite a bit of up-and-down head tilting to get the (far) target and then the (close) mirror into focus when needed. Using a baseplate compass is a lot simpler.
The 4th picture in your example isn’t Europe or the Lake District. It’s the beautiful “Buachaille Etive Mor” (The Shepherd of Etive) in Glencoe Scotland. Great video by the way.
@@verysurvival Keep up the good work! When I was in the Marines, late 70's-early 80's, I entered several orienteering meets. These days, I hike a bit and practice in the forest near our house.
The reason I prefer mirror compass is it's multi-functionality, that mirror can be used for signaling, for first aid, in case you have to hide from someone to look behind corners, and there are probably other functions I can't think of right now.
Makes me happy when I recently decided to buy my 22 yo son a compass, I chose the Suunto m-3G global. But I must admit, I was focused/wondered if your hat was a Carhartt. If not, happy to send you a few from the states.
Great video, however in my opinion you can use the mirror class just like the baseplate of you don't want to use the mirror. My new compass is the Silva Guide 2.0. I like the 1:24k and 1:62500 on each side. Miss the glow in dark and magnifying lens, however. Wanted to like the Suunto, bit so much slop as to be almost 2 degrees variation on readings.
I go with the mirror then I have the choice, I don't need to use the mirror if not needed just open it out and you have a longer baseplate, then if needed use the mirror for the added accuracy .... just a thought, one of the things I like are slope markings on the sides of the compass I use now, so that you can judge the slope, gives you an idea of the steepness of you will dealing with.
Also for removing anything in your eye, looking for ticks in odd places on your body, for shaving ... and for putting on make-up if that floats your boat.
A mirror compass is also a baseplate compass. A baseplate compass is not a mirror compass. A mirror compass also gives you a mirror as well as some protection over your compass. A baseplate compass gives you no advantage over a mirror compass other than a few mils thickness and a few grams weight.
I appreciate this since im shopping and couldnt decide. Ive looked at what people use who either teach or trek and its almost always baseplate. Some have both although baseplate is what they recommend---and a simple one. Considering that since 1985 I use a $1 compass that doesnt even have a doghouse and im here to tell the tale suggests that the worse compass in the world likely wont let you down in the end. It seems that for most people, being able to keep a general heading is enough. If your destination is south-easterly, well, are you still moving south-easterly or not? Besides, as you approach your intended destination correctly, there will be new landmarks to assist until you can finally see it plainly even if still far off. Its easy to become disoriented in the woods when you dont even have the sun to help, and so a baseplate with a doghouse and your ability to understand maps seems enough to get one a pretty long way about this planet. *IF* the costs were within 10-20% of each other I might take a mirror for fun but based on your very good video one doesnt have to bite their nails about it anymore.
@@verysurvival Actually, I thank you for my comment because your good video helped clarify thoughts and why I saw so many baseplate compasses without understanding why they were being used instead of mirrors--- or vice-versa for that matter. So im shopping right now with more confidence than before the video. Im aware of the brands and among Silva which I already like, now I can look more carefully at the differences in the models and know what im looking at. Ok, but this hasnt gotten us home yet. My navigation problem is this--- you take a sheet of paper and make a circle in the SE corner, thats the destination. If you have been walking randomly all over that sheet for 8 hours and no longer have any idea where you are, and you have a map and a compass, how do you find your way to that mark? Shall we be carrying topo maps and marine sextants? I have been able to get to a destination because I knew my starting point but what if I am dropped randomly on that sheet with instructions to go to the mark? I know this isnt the place to ask the question but id like to know if you have covered a problem like this before and what I can do.
@Genghis kharnage oh the doghouse is the two bold red lines you see on a compass. As the top of the lines is an arrow and looking like a peak of a roof, it resembles the front of a doghouse. So, when you are walking and have adjusted the outer ring of the compass containing the doghouse to your bearing, and you keep the compass needle within the doghouse, you automatically stay on course. Its easier done than said.
One can also combine a baseplate compass with any small mirror (providing it has no magnetic parts!!!) to sight with an accuracy approaching that of the mirror compass by holding the mirror above the compass to observe the needle position while sighting along the edge of the baseplate. Anyone who carries a camping mirror or signal mirror can do this easily should the need arise providing their mirror is of decent optical quality.
So, quick question - on a trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area & Quetico Provincial Park, for a portaging and backpacking trip would you use the mirror compass or the baseplate compass? Planning my route this year will include a few "large" lakes, and some smaller lakes.
You can use a mirror sighting compass as a baseplate compass.. but not the other way around.. so a mirror sighting compass every day of the week and twice on sunday.. Especially since the mirror apart from using it as a sighting device can be used as "a mirror" to sort yourself out in the morning, get stuff out of your eyes, check for cold spots during winter, use it as a emergency signal mirror etc etc. and that gives your compass multiple purposes. Personally I don't like the guesswork with a baseplate compass as it will get you out of line by several degrees wich means a longer walk to get to your destination at the end, I'd rather spend the 5 seconds extra to use the sighting mirror in all occations to be sure I'm keeping a exact straight line and not wobble back and forth and because of that I dont even own a baseplate compass anymore, but I do have several mirror sighting compasses, especially since most of the time I use them out at sea navigating the archipelago of Sweden, but I also use them on land. Tip of the day, dont trust your mobile phone like most people do thease days, always keep a compass and map in your pocket as backup if you are in unknown territories, and learn how to properly use them.
That mirrored compass is more multi-functional. Anything you might need a mirror for, such as getting something out of your eye, signaling, or checking an injury/bite to your backside, is incorporated into your compass....
A mirror compass has more uses. Most important is as a signal mirror. Also you can see your face to get things out your eyes. I usually carry both and set them 90 degrees apart for marching around obstacles using pacing beads.
Can you make a video of how to read or navigate using a 6400 mils compass? And also a conversion to degrees. Thanks, coz my mirror compass is a suunto MC2 G 6400 and I don't know how to measure the bearings out of it. Cheers!👍
you can navigate in mils instead, so long as it is just you. it makes no difference. if you want to use degrees, TBF just buy a new compass. so much easier.
U saw one of your videos on Silva and its suppliers to the N.American market. I just broke my 1976 standard base plate, Silva Stockholm 60 Sweden Type 4S.. with counter, after all these years.I have met people with the Chinese made crap and i refuse to buy it. I saw you using a Silva base plate, Expedition something or ruther with adjustable Declination..is it a Swedish product?
Sorry to say all Silva Sweden compasses are now made in China but the head office is still in Sweden. And since I made that vid Silva Sweden started selling in North America again. They are still good but I’d prefer them made in Sweden .
Try surplus and eBay , you can find old but unused Silva’s made in Sweden models. They only shifted production a few years ago so you cN find relatively new ones. Pre-2010 . If they are stamped Made in Sweden on them you can be pretty safe that they are
Think you have missed the point...One of the main reasons to take bearings is to locate yourself on the map and then perform a resection...In such cases, you want an accurate compass as you may well be sighting on distant distinct/notable objects...The other thing to consider is when absolute accuracy is not required you can open the mirror compass fully and use it like it's base plate counterpart....
You can easily use a mirrror compass as a baseplate compass. Just open up the mirror to 180 degrees.
Personally, I prefer the mirror compass because that what I started with in Swedish Lapplands when I grew up. It was what my father used. He was working for the Forestry Department up there in the alpine and sub alpine parts of Lappland. This was before GPS, so he used compass and maps.
Once (I was 16) we were up in the mountains on snowmobile when a storm hit us. The visibillity was less then 10 meters, and me and my twin suggested to dig in since we had something like 30 km to go to the nearest cabin. Dad connected the 2 snowmobiles with a rope, since you could not se anything beyond a few meters. Then he took the front and drove on compass, maps and how the slopes were. He stopped when the snowmobile touched the cabin. Me and my brother didnt even see him stop before we touched his snowmobile.
Thats skilled navigation. We had been going for several hours without seeing anything but white . This was not on some marked trail, but truly out in the wild.
Most people are not like your Dad. He was an expert in his terrain.
Yes ofcourse a mirror compass is easily used without the mirror ;-)
I agree, most people are not as my dad. He used most part of his career in the wild and is stil extremley skilled in that particular månader - alpine and subalpine Lappland. But I have allways seen it as an inspiring event that shows whats possible with fairly simple methods, knowhow and keeping calm.
I’m pinning your comment so every can read it
I totally agree with you sir.
Thanks for crafting an EXTREMELY valuable video. Not only will it save readers a bunch of money, but it will also result in greater satisfaction to the compass user. I would like to add two points which I feel muddy the waters unnecessarily.
1. Some get attached to the base-plate compass because most mirror compasses either don't have a magnifying lens or, if they do, it's small. Fortunately, this may motivate purchase of a base-plate compass -- which is the likely best decision anyway. That notwithstanding, anyone worried about seeing details on a map or at the tip of their splintered finger should carry a separate, proper lens. And to those who think starting fires with a magnifying lens is a good idea, I say get a ferro rod, and if concerned about fires under wet, gloomy conditions, carry some magnesium as well. Give up on the sun!
2. Some are entranced by mirror compasses because they think they will signal rescuers with it. Well, I have bad news for them and indeed for anyone who thinks a plain mirror suffices. Sure, it's better than nothing. But if I'm going anywhere where my life might depends on aiming my mirror in a direction whence rescuers might come, I'll use a military-grade signaling mirror, the kind you can AIM. Have a look at US military specification MIL-M-18731E Type I 2 in. x 3 in. (NSN: 6350-01-455-6695) and Type II 3 in. x 5 in. (NSN: 6350-01-455-6671).
Finally, I should mention that under one condition, the base-plate buyer should be prepared more than usual, and that's for the global model whose exotic bearing permits easy use no matter one's location on earth.
thanks for the well thought out comment. appreciated
Actually, I carry many ways to start a fire, including magnifying lens, and also flexible Fresnel Lenses in my wallet, and backpack. I'm not sure why you'd wanna limit yourself, especially when a magnifier works great, cost very little, takes very little space and weighs almost nothing. Plus, the sunlight is totally free! Why use your resources if you don't need to?
@@MyTube4Utoo I have not yet been able to start a fire with the weak magnifier typically on compasses, don't depend on it. There are many other lightweight, inexpensive and reliable means to start fires than depending on sunlight and a weak lens.
@@denmikseb I always have many ways to reliably start a fire, including Fresnel Lenses in my wallet, vehicles, BoB's etc. As well as many lighters, at least one in a waterproof case o my person. Waterproof matches, and several other sources in vehicles and BoB's. I may have other issues, but starting a fire won't be one. :-)
Great description of use for the two. I have and use both. But I prefer my mirror compass for a couple of reasons. Not necessarily for the navigation part but for the multiple features it offers 1- signaling mirror if need be. Not just for a rescue situation if things got that bad, but also for letting your hunting partner know your position if hunting adjacent to one another without yelling that is if the sun is in your favor.. 2- for a mirror itself. Personal hygiene, getting a big out of your eye etc. And 3- the little extra protection the lid gives to shield it from springy limbs and or rocks if you were to slip or drop it.. To me the little extra motion to open and use it is worth it for the all in one multi-use you get with it.
Its a simple point made very long winded by me, the whole video in one sentence: mirror compasses give you the ability of long distance precision sighting, base plate compasses are adequate for everything else.
I have natural instincts which negate me having to rely on gadgets.
@@biilybutt9016 😖😏😁
One use where a mirror sighting compass is a better choice is astro-navivigation (navigating using the stars). They are also the best choice for pinpointing your location by stars for setting up a telescope for astro-photography. For basic land navigation a plain baseplate is going to be faster as you don't have to continually open it to get a reading. Right tool for the right job.
The most important thing is to have a compass with you and know how to use it. Too many people at least in my area are lost each year because they walked in circles until exhausted and then just gave up. It risks injuries to rescuers to have to respond because someone wandered off trail to take a bath-room break or to look for camping spots and became lost. Here in the Southeastern US, forests are dense and it is easy to become disoriented, especially when late in the day when light is fading. While I agree with you that the baseplate is usually fine, I prefer the mirror baseplate compass simply because it does have the mirror. That is useful not only for navigation and hygiene as you mentioned but it is useful it to look for ticks in places I can't easily see. It is also a great signaling tool if you are injured. By sighting through the aiming hole and flashing low flying aircraft, you increase your chances of being seen greatly. But I do reiterate, as you say, have a compass of some kind, and preferably a good map, and know how to use them.
I worked with a Search and Rescue team, we worked with the Silva Compasses. Third time we went through the courses, I had fun with, I used the plate, mirror and the lensatic. I like the plate when working with maps.
Thanks for sharing!
Fantastic video.
And referred back to it frequently before my hiking season starts here in New York.
Going through basic land navigation military training, I’ve languished recreationally with my military spec lenzatic compass!!!
It took your videos for me to say to myself, “relax!! Make your life easier!!”
Once letting go of my prior training, point-to-point land navigation and hiking became so much more enjoyable!
Thank you from across the pond
I am really enjoying your videos. I successfully returned from the liquor store and am ready to take on new challenges.
Wonderful!
Usually carry two compasses, and so carry a mirror and a baseplate. The baseplate is what I use 99+ pct of the time. It's in your hand and you just check and make corrections all the time as you go, love it. Super efficient.
For wildlife surveys, or alpine, I use the mirror compass for "stop and use a protractor" stuff. You need to nail down the precise location of a badger sett, and even 20 yards each way won't cut it. In alpine settings, there are no do-overs: when you need to know where you are, you really need to know where you are. Also, the clinometer is important: snowy terrain is really deceptive (it deceives me, anyway!). But these are pretty narrow use cases I think.
Thanks for sharing such good info.
great
*Excellent compass tutorial!* Simple compasses, whether base plate or reflector variants, all have reading accuracies ~±1°: this is why compass bezels measure out 2° increments. For reference, viewing a 1" tape from only 5' away gives a cross-section below 1°; being able to find small targets from far away may be good, but not being able to find targets this small is only an insignificant source of error. Conversely, parallax doing a measurement is a very significant source of error, especially when holding a base plate compass far out in front of you; and unsurprisingly, parallax is just the error the reflector is designed to correct. As you show so aptly, for good precision with base plate compasses, you are well off taking a little time and repeating sightings with different variations in how far you extend the compass. Getting mirror sighting accuracy from a base plate compass is possible too: just take a little time to hang a plumb line for important measurements, like finding effective local declination including needle and measurement bias. *And regardless of your choice of magnetic compass, you are always best advised to look out and avoid obvious ferromagnetic anomalies: this includes removing your wrist watch, or at least taking care to hold the compass in your wrist-watch free hand.*
Nicely demonstrated again brother! I agree with you the simple base plate is easy to learn from the off set, perfectly adequate for most civilian navigation uses and easy to carry/store, however I would definitely recommend learning to use the mirror compass as they are definitely better in a situation where landmarks are less common and the mirror itself is also a great multi use bit of kit! Signaling etc... great video as always my mate thanks for sharing 👍🏽👍🏽😎 best wishes
Awesome information. Really appreciate the "context". I'm a noob to navigation and have been a bit confused over which compass I should begin with. Cheers from Montreal QC Canada.
Thank You for this educational video! I have both mirror and baseplate compasses but never really considored when to use one over the other. My choice has always been based on ease of use, so I tend to favor the baseplate compass. A possible couple degrees of accuracy loss has never caused me to get lost.
Love it .. Rescue situations.. when was the last time someone used a mirror to be rescued 😂
About the same time someone started a fire with the tiny magnifying glass of their compass 😂
Social outdoors hiking folk often choose reflector compasses for quite ulterior reasons: a good fraction of us have hair to comb; and some of us even shave. Having a mirror on your compass at once gives bragging rights to virtues caring about navigation; but more often than not, the mirror literally reflects vices of vanity addressing perceptions of "significant" outdoors mates.
Agree with the mirror compass being most useful for long distances and possibly redundant in a lot of the UK IF you are using it to set a direction to travel and follow. However as a person who habitually walks on a route, misses a turn off, walks too far and loses himself on a map I need to find where i actually am on the map. I might be on rolling moorland that all looks the same. A mirror compass will help me triangulate my position as the video describes but still useful in the UK
Baseplate for me, but simply due to familiarity as I was taught to use one, and practiced a lot in the Scouts!
I prefer the mirror compass because you can use the mirror for other things (treating face injuries, signalling etc.) which turns a single-purpose tool into a multi-purpose tool. Also there's no downside to using it. It does everything a baseplate compass does even if you don't need the extra accuracy.
Alternatively, carry a small prismatic compass along with your baseplate compass. More accurate and quicker than a mirror compass, but you still have a protector available on your baseplate compass. Downside is that prismatic compasses generally don't have adjustable declination, so might have to do a little addition/subtraction in your head.
You can get a base plate compass with a aiming point. Here in NZ militay have been using it for years. We replaced the heavy prismatic and mirror compass.
Awesome . I would like to check one out
@@verysurvival Silva Type 4/54 is one such compass....
Taking sightings with a baseplate compass will get much more accurate with practice as well. If you have a good sighting compass to use as reference, it's possible to get reliably within a degree or two without raising the baseplate compass up from its normal reading position (and so introducing all the variables of bringing it back down again). Given all the other factors you mention, it's good enough 99% of the time even in open country. Mirror is useful for tick searches!
PS one consideration not given much attention by reviewers is that wearers of varifocal or bifocal lens spectacles may find that a mirror compass involves quite a bit of up-and-down head tilting to get the (far) target and then the (close) mirror into focus when needed. Using a baseplate compass is a lot simpler.
The 4th picture in your example isn’t Europe or the Lake District. It’s the beautiful “Buachaille Etive Mor” (The Shepherd of Etive) in Glencoe Scotland. Great video by the way.
Greatest country on earth• Scotland
I'm glad I found this. Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent video. Pick one and use it often. Your comment "practice, practice, practice" is essential for successful land navigation.
Well said!
@@verysurvival Keep up the good work! When I was in the Marines, late 70's-early 80's, I entered several orienteering meets. These days, I hike a bit and practice in the forest near our house.
Good video. Very well explained. Thanks.
The reason I prefer mirror compass is it's multi-functionality, that mirror can be used for signaling, for first aid, in case you have to hide from someone to look behind corners, and there are probably other functions I can't think of right now.
Awesome
Makes me happy when I recently decided to buy my 22 yo son a compass, I chose the Suunto m-3G global. But I must admit, I was focused/wondered if your hat was a Carhartt. If not, happy to send you a few from the states.
Hi , it is a carhartt, great brand !
Well done - just what I was looking for. New sub!
Cheers
Great video, however in my opinion you can use the mirror class just like the baseplate of you don't want to use the mirror. My new compass is the Silva Guide 2.0. I like the 1:24k and 1:62500 on each side. Miss the glow in dark and magnifying lens, however. Wanted to like the Suunto, bit so much slop as to be almost 2 degrees variation on readings.
thats true bro
I go with the mirror then I have the choice, I don't need to use the mirror if not needed just open it out and you have a longer baseplate, then if needed use the mirror for the added accuracy .... just a thought, one of the things I like are slope markings on the sides of the compass I use now, so that you can judge the slope, gives you an idea of the steepness of you will dealing with.
Good ideas
Theodore Sweger do you know if there are any UA-cam videos on how to use the slope markings I have a suunto mc-2 can’t figure it out
Thank you for the great explanation & instruction , baseplate compass it is👍👍
🍻
With the mirror compass, you now have a signaling device in a survival situation.
Also for removing anything in your eye, looking for ticks in odd places on your body, for shaving ... and for putting on make-up if that floats your boat.
A mirror compass is also a baseplate compass. A baseplate compass is not a mirror compass. A mirror compass also gives you a mirror as well as some protection over your compass. A baseplate compass gives you no advantage over a mirror compass other than a few mils thickness and a few grams weight.
Fair enough
I appreciate this since im shopping and couldnt decide. Ive looked at what people use who either teach or trek and its almost always baseplate. Some have both although baseplate is what they recommend---and a simple one. Considering that since 1985 I use a $1 compass that doesnt even have a doghouse and im here to tell the tale suggests that the worse compass in the world likely wont let you down in the end. It seems that for most people, being able to keep a general heading is enough. If your destination is south-easterly, well, are you still moving south-easterly or not? Besides, as you approach your intended destination correctly, there will be new landmarks to assist until you can finally see it plainly even if still far off. Its easy to become disoriented in the woods when you dont even have the sun to help, and so a baseplate with a doghouse and your ability to understand maps seems enough to get one a pretty long way about this planet. *IF* the costs were within 10-20% of each other I might take a mirror for fun but based on your very good video one doesnt have to bite their nails about it anymore.
well said
@@verysurvival Actually, I thank you for my comment because your good video helped clarify thoughts and why I saw so many baseplate compasses without understanding why they were being used instead of mirrors--- or vice-versa for that matter. So im shopping right now with more confidence than before the video. Im aware of the brands and among Silva which I already like, now I can look more carefully at the differences in the models and know what im looking at. Ok, but this hasnt gotten us home yet. My navigation problem is this--- you take a sheet of paper and make a circle in the SE corner, thats the destination. If you have been walking randomly all over that sheet for 8 hours and no longer have any idea where you are, and you have a map and a compass, how do you find your way to that mark? Shall we be carrying topo maps and marine sextants? I have been able to get to a destination because I knew my starting point but what if I am dropped randomly on that sheet with instructions to go to the mark? I know this isnt the place to ask the question but id like to know if you have covered a problem like this before and what I can do.
@Genghis kharnage oh the doghouse is the two bold red lines you see on a compass. As the top of the lines is an arrow and looking like a peak of a roof, it resembles the front of a doghouse. So, when you are walking and have adjusted the outer ring of the compass containing the doghouse to your bearing, and you keep the compass needle within the doghouse, you automatically stay on course. Its easier done than said.
One can also combine a baseplate compass with any small mirror (providing it has no magnetic parts!!!) to sight with an accuracy approaching that of the mirror compass by holding the mirror above the compass to observe the needle position while sighting along the edge of the baseplate. Anyone who carries a camping mirror or signal mirror can do this easily should the need arise providing their mirror is of decent optical quality.
mirror compass is great for getting a shave :)
thats what my wife says
Excellent video!! Thank you so much.
Glad it was helpful!
So, quick question - on a trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area & Quetico Provincial Park, for a portaging and backpacking trip would you use the mirror compass or the baseplate compass? Planning my route this year will include a few "large" lakes, and some smaller lakes.
Mirror compass for sighting long distances across a lake
You can use a mirror sighting compass as a baseplate compass.. but not the other way around.. so a mirror sighting compass every day of the week and twice on sunday..
Especially since the mirror apart from using it as a sighting device can be used as "a mirror" to sort yourself out in the morning, get stuff out of your eyes, check for cold spots during winter, use it as a emergency signal mirror etc etc. and that gives your compass multiple purposes.
Personally I don't like the guesswork with a baseplate compass as it will get you out of line by several degrees wich means a longer walk to get to your destination at the end, I'd rather spend the 5 seconds extra to use the sighting mirror in all occations to be sure I'm keeping a exact straight line and not wobble back and forth and because of that I dont even own a baseplate compass anymore, but I do have several mirror sighting compasses, especially since most of the time I use them out at sea navigating the archipelago of Sweden, but I also use them on land.
Tip of the day, dont trust your mobile phone like most people do thease days, always keep a compass and map in your pocket as backup if you are in unknown territories, and learn how to properly use them.
Jag änvända appen På Sjön LOLOLOLOL
THANKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Surely the question is which is better (not "best").
That mirrored compass is more multi-functional. Anything you might need a mirror for, such as getting something out of your eye, signaling, or checking an injury/bite to your backside, is incorporated into your compass....
A mirror compass has more uses. Most important is as a signal mirror. Also you can see your face to get things out your eyes. I usually carry both and set them 90 degrees apart for marching around obstacles using pacing beads.
That’s a great idea
I carry one of each problem solved.
Mirror compass for hiking visually and baseplate for map reading.
Word
Great video
Good to know. Thanks man!
Best: Cammenga Lensatic Compass
Mirror...Most importantly, acts as cover to protect compass. Mirror has many uses, such as signaling. More precise sighting.
Bonjour So which one is the best ?
Depends
Great! Thanks!!
How about a lensatic (a.k.a. "marching" or "military") compass? Will you be doing any videos about using them?
Yeah . I’ll do that. Can’t say when
Thanks for sharing !
Can you make a video of how to read or navigate using a 6400 mils compass? And also a conversion to degrees. Thanks, coz my mirror compass is a suunto MC2 G 6400 and I don't know how to measure the bearings out of it. Cheers!👍
you can navigate in mils instead, so long as it is just you. it makes no difference.
if you want to use degrees, TBF just buy a new compass. so much easier.
Nice vid. Thumbs up
gr8 Dad!
Basically if you live in the UK a baseplate is fine ..
With the mirror you can also shave!
or put on make up ;-)
Or look over your shoulder whilst running away from zombies...
use it to defeat Medusa
Observation of active hemorrhoids is difficult without the mirror.
TOO MUCH INFORMATION !
kool
cheers!
U saw one of your videos on Silva and its suppliers to the N.American market.
I just broke my 1976 standard base plate, Silva Stockholm 60 Sweden Type 4S.. with counter, after all these years.I have met people with the Chinese made crap and i refuse to buy it. I saw you using a Silva base plate, Expedition something or ruther with adjustable Declination..is it a Swedish product?
Sorry to say all Silva Sweden compasses are now made in China but the head office is still in Sweden. And since I made that vid Silva Sweden started selling in North America again. They are still good but I’d prefer them made in Sweden .
@@verysurvival thanks for the reply and info. Not sure what i am going to do now.
Try surplus and eBay , you can find old but unused Silva’s made in Sweden models. They only shifted production a few years ago so you cN find relatively new ones. Pre-2010 . If they are stamped Made in Sweden on them you can be pretty safe that they are
@@verysurvival thanks..i will take a look. i'll let you know.
Check avatar man
👋
Think you have missed the point...One of the main reasons to take bearings is to locate yourself on the map and then perform a resection...In such cases, you want an accurate compass as you may well be sighting on distant distinct/notable objects...The other thing to consider is when absolute accuracy is not required you can open the mirror compass fully and use it like it's base plate counterpart....