Thumb compasses

[anthonykay]

Thumb compasses appeared in the late 1980's (if I remember rightly), and I used one successfully in orienteering events and navigational fell races. [When I write "successfully", I mean that my navigation with a thumb compass was no worse than with a conventional compass .] A thumb compass allows you to orient the map and to "follow the needle", but not to set a precise bearing.

I have just noticed on a race website (Hoofstones, but maybe something similar appears on other race websites) a requirement for "a compass which can set a bearing", which would appear to preclude the use of thumb compasses. FRA kit requirements only specify a "compass", but of course they also assert the right of RO's to make more stringent requirements for their races.

So my question is whether asking for "a compass which can set a bearing" is deliberately intended to exclude the use of thumb compasses (which some of us find entirely adequate for navigation through forest or clag). I do still possess a conventional compass, and would of course comply with any RO's requirements.

[brummievet]

I have never used a thumb compass but like the idea for the speed. This Suunto compass has a 'rotating capsule' so does this mean that one can make a basic bearing (although obviously it can't allow for an accurate numbered bearing)?

http://www.facewest.co.uk/Suunto-Arr...FQoA0wodPv0Lfw

Forgive my ignorance, but if this is possible I like the sound of these and might get one as I guess it saves faffing about getting a compass out of a pocket/ pack. I'm also thinking of doing a few orienteering events in the future. I suppose if it didn't satisfy the requirements of an RO I could always carry my standard compass in my bag as a backup.

[ba-ba]

I use a thumb compasses with rotating bezels and the ability to set a bearing.
Moscow 3 series have a bezel with gradings around it. I use one of these on the fells and for winter O.
The 9(?) series have a bezel without gradings, just lines and an arrow on the base. It is also a bit quicker and more stable. I have one of these and use it for orienteering in summer (it for some reason bubbles in winter...). You can set a bearing on this but you need to use the map to do so.

Plenty of thumb compasses (e.g. most Silvas) have fixed bezels. If you know how to use one then I see no issue with them on the fells.

The main issue with compasses full stop is the inability of people (cough fell runners cough) to use them.
Also plenty of fell runners use cheap compasses with unstable needles which move when you run, rendering it next to impossible to hold a bearing.

Of course having a compass that works and knowing how to use it doesn't make you immune to nav ineptitude - just ask the group I ran around the FRA nav leg with (which included 2 English and 1 British international orienteers...)

[Mark G]

I've both a Brunton and a Silva thumb compass, both of which have rotating bezels and bearings marked - I don't think not having them is an issue though, you can still take a bearing showing you your required direction of travel, you just won't know what it is in degrees. The main reason I use one marked in degrees is that if I'm in company and navigating together its a lot easier to say 'I make it 500 metres on 325', do you agree?' than 'I make it 500m on a little bit past the blue segment and in to the yellow'
The real purpose of a thumb compass though is to keep it in contact with the map, keeping the map set and advancing it across the map as you travel, so in theory you don't need a bearing, at least not until you lose contact.

[IanDarkpeak]

I'd be happy if you turned up with a thumb compass at the races I'm involved with IF you knew how to use it. better that than a £100 sighting compass that you didn't know how to use?

[dantodman]

I have a compass/whistle combo which passes kit checks, but which i dont believe is adequate. I dont want people running around the moor without being able to set a bearing, be this via the map or via a bevel. I dont understand Thumb compasses so would need to be shown a particular one can set a bearing (via map or whatever) then it would be fine.

The race is run on very rarely used moorland in January, so my main concern is safety.

Dan Taylor
organiser of Hoofstones Fell race

https://fellrace.org.uk/races/hoofstones


ps if you dont know how to use your compass come to one of our Recces and we can help, you also get an idea of the route.

[Mark G]

Dan - you can take a bearing with a thumb compass more or less as you would with a normal one, but (to state the blooming obvious) if its not marked in degrees you wont know what it is in degrees - but you will know which way to go. Just think of a normal compass but with a blank bezel - line it up with north on the map to take your bearing and all its doing is measuring how far round from north your direction of travel is - it doesn't matter if you know whether its 45' or not. I suppose a good example would be two runners, using ordinary compasses, one marked in degrees, another in mils. Both might take a bearing heading south - one would be on 180', one would be on 500 mils but they would both be pointing in the same direction - as would an unmarked thumb compass.
Where an unmarked compass could potentially be problematic would be in relaying info during an incident - assuming you have comms it is sometimes useful to tell someone their bearing from your position etc, or to give someone a bearing to move off on - so someone in contact via say a mobile phone couldn't necessarily accurately act on advice from an MRT or tell them that the big lake is 320' from their position.

[dantodman]

Dan - you can take a bearing with a thumb compass more or less as you would with a normal one, but (to state the blooming obvious) if its not marked in degrees you wont know what it is in degrees - but you will know which way to go. Just think of a normal compass but with a blank bezel - line it up with north on the map to take your bearing and all its doing is measuring how far round from north your direction of travel is - it doesn't matter if you know whether its 45' or not. I suppose a good example would be two runners, using ordinary compasses, one marked in degrees, another in mils. Both might take a bearing heading south - one would be on 180', one would be on 500 mils but they would both be pointing in the same direction - as would an unmarked thumb compass.

If that's the case then it's good enough but someone may have to demonstrate they can do as you say.

The issue (for my race) has nothing to do being able to set the compass to a certain number of degrees, it is the ability to guide yourself using it from point to point aided by a map.

Dan

[wjb]

Would an I Phone compass pass the kit check?

[Graham Breeze]

Would an I Phone compass pass the kit check?

Nothing that relies on a battery passes my test.