While I was at the Washington Search and Rescue conference I took the map and compass class. The instructors showed us the Brunton 54LU. What makes this compass special is the ability to hold the bezel at eye level and read your bearing in a gun-sight like fashion. You look though the bezel, at a line, which you align with your landmark, below that line you can plainly read the degrees. This thing is sooo slick. Of every compass that was brought to the class, this was by far the most accurate.
Image shamelessly stolen from http://www.thecompassstore.com/54lu.html, who is selling the 54LU from $90, $20 more than REI.
Today for kicks I decided to see if it was on Brunton’s site. And to my surprise it was not! Some poking around and I found it in REI’s outlet AND buried an discontinued notice on Brunton’s site.
I am totally puzzled as to why Brunton would do this. Maybe they are coming out with something better? Or maybe the love they were getting from search and rescue was just not enough. Either way, I did not take any chances on missing this so I ordered mine from REI.
The original list price on these things was around $180, so $70 at REI is not that bad. Why such an expensive compass? Well take a range of compasses out and do some sighting, you will find that not all are created equally.
Just as a closing note for you survival/outdoorsy types. Maps and compass never run out of batteries and should be one of your core skills
