MC-2 Compass: Top-of-The-line Compass for Professionals & serious Hikers

I was a little worried after seeing some of the reviews here, but the SUUNTO MC-2G USGS (360 degrees and global needle variant) I received is very nice. The numbers and directions are printed clearly and precisely, and there are no manufacturing defects nor structural integrity issues. A very well made compass. I only have a couple minor nitpicks. The first is that setting the magnetic declination is a little challenging to get precise, but once you have it where it needs to be it's reliably accurate - double check it by lining up the "shed"/"doghouse" directly ahead and view from the mirror line. For me the local magnetic declination is about 3 degrees west, which is one and a half marks counterclockwise from true north. The second nitpick is that the hands of the compass can get held up with the pitch angle plumb line arm. This seems to only be an issue when using the pitch angle function of the compass, but not when holding it flat and using it as a compass. For that it spins freely and accurately. I attached my own lanyard with pace counting beads - to stow the compass in a breast pocket or chest plate carrier admin pouch and let the lanyard hang out from there to use. So, based on the one I received at least, I can highly recommend this compass. Thanks.

Simple Good and not Too expensive. Bought a 2nd one for a friend. For those not familiar, the ability to adjust for declination is quite important in the Northeast where I live, 14° here in VT, up to 20° in Northeast Maine. I use mine at least once a week bushwhacking through the woods of VT/NH.

My best compass so far. If you want a quality compass with all the bell and whistle, this is it.

Other members of our SAR teams in the county use this one, but we cheaped out at first and tried less expensive ones (from $5-18)...all of which failed either accuracy or function requirements. Between us and a few others, we compared about a dozen different mfrs and the Suunto always came out on top for reliability, accuracy, ease of use, and features. I really like the declination adjustment as it makes it easy to set our 11 deg once and not have to do the math on every azmuth we shoot. The MC-2 not only works reliably, it have other design features which made spending the money a no brainer. It's a lot lighter than my old military-style, lenzatic compass I was using. I used mine in low-light conditions practicing land-nav and the glow-in-the-dark portions of the compass which needed to glow, stood out very well, but needed to be saturated with light regularly, but I don't see that being something we will need much. If you are trying to decide about spending the money or not, to me, I say don't waste time, or money with the others. The couple other brands which passed the requirements for our SAR teams, still had minor things wbout them which put them down on the list of which one would I buy again, knowing what I know now. Lastly, I like how there is a Northern Hemishpere option and the different scale choices so I was able to get the model which best fit our needs. I did end up using a eyeglass screwdriver to adjust the declination as I didn't much like the little tool on the lanyard provided, but it is there for those who don't mind the 'fishing lure' tool. Come to think of it, it might work pretty good in my emergency wilderness kit, as a fishing lure!

Seriously awesome compass for serious outdoor navigation. Still learning the altitude function on this compass, but the quality is breathtaking and overall is great compass. I can see why this recommended by the pros who work the back country. If you serious about your navigation equipment and making it home from extended trip into the woods, mountains, desert, whatever, this is your serious compass that could (and most likely will) save your life. 100% recommended.

Great compass overall! This compass is overkill with nice luxury features, but most importantly, it is a Suunto, which means you can bet your life on it. Suunto is one of few compasses that I trust. The MC-2G is nicer and more expensive than you really need to go in regards to a well-designed, functional compass you can trust. If you don't care about all the bells and whistles and the need for a Global needle (needle that is designed for both Northern and Southern hemispheres), you would do just fine with the Suunto M-3 for about half the price of the MC-2G, or perhaps the MC-2D/LIN coming in at under $50. But if you're ok dropping around $65-$70 on a base plate compass, you will not be disappointed with the MC-2G. I would like to note that I did not receive the MC-2GIn/USGS version with the 1:24k Romer scale, which was the version advertised in the listing. What I received was the metric version with the 1:25k and 1:50k Romer scales. If you're looking to purchase this compass, please be aware that there are three versions of this compass. It's helpful to know what you are purchasing, even though in my case I still received the "wrong" compass than what was advertised in the listing.The three versions of the MC-2G are as follows: 1) The metric version (SS004252010) with Romer scales are 1:25k and 1:50k. Centimeters listed along the left side of the compass, and inches broken down into 1/20th on the right side. This is the compass I received. 2) The USGS/Inch version (SS014891000.) with 1:24k Romer scale for use with 7.5 minute/1:24k USGS topo maps. This is the one I thought I was purchasing based on the listing. 3) The mils scale version (SS016326000). I haven't frequently used 1:50k maps since my military days, but even though I received the wrong model of the MC-2G with 1:25k and 1:50k Romer scales, I'm well-versed in land nav/using a map and compass, including MGRS, so the metric version is just fine and in no way impacts the overall functionality of the compass when using a 7.5 topo. Having the 1:25k and 1:50 Romers referenced vs. not having 1:24k Romer referenced on this particular model is not a huge issue and definitely not as important as knowing how to properly use a compass and map together. And since this metric version does have an inch ruler broken down into 1/20ths (nice feature) along the right side of the compass, you can still deal quite easily with a 7.5 minute topos based on 1-inch = 2,000 feet, which is the scale of a 1:24k/7.5 minute Topo map. There are a few cons I'd like to point out based on initial use: 1) One of the rubber feet on the back of the base plate does not protrude like the other two. This must be a manufacturer defect. 2) Too much force is required to snap the lid shut, so much that I thought I would damage the the compass snapping the lid. I'll just close the compass when not in use, but will not snap the lid shut. 3) The plastic lanyard attachment is concerning. The design is flawed and doesn't give me warm fuzzies that the lanyard attachment will keep the compass attached to the lanyard in the long run. I've decided not to use the lanyard attachment and instead have attached the lanyard directly to the compass with a larks head knot. Now I don't need to worry about the lanyard detaching from the compass. All in all, this compass was a great buy and I like it. Having the 1:24k Romer scale referenced would have been nice given I primarily use 7.5 topos for back country excursions, but the 1:24k scale is definitely not essential if you're familiar with land nav and using a map and compass. And for me, it's not a big enough deal breaker and worth the hassle to return it for the USGS version. I still use an MGRS Coordinate Grid reader/plotter, which references several map scales, including 1:24k. So, receiving the metric vs. the USGS version of this compass isn't a deal breaker for me, but may be for a buyer who really just wants a compass designed for 7.5minute/1:24k USGS topo maps. If you're looking for a great compass with all the bells, whistles, and luxuries you'll ever need, look no further than the MC-2G. However, be prepared to potentially deal with a few flaws like those I've pointed out.

Please note that this compass is graduated in mils, and not in degrees. While there are 360 degrees in a circle, there are 6400 mils. Each degree is worth approximately 17.78 mils. Conversely, each mil is worth 0.05625 degrees. So you may have to do a little conversion work, depending on how you use your MC-2 compass. However, G-M angle information is given in mils as well as degrees, so you can simply use the declination adjustment in mils on your compass: if the GM angle is easterly, add the G-M angle to convert magnetic to grid azimuths; subtract the G-M angle to convert grid to magnetic. If the G-M angle is westerly, subtract the G-M angle to convert magnetic to grid, and add the G-M angle to convert grid to magnetic. A compass graduated in mils can offer greater accuracy in obtaining bearings--that's why the US Army's artillery units use mils--for greater accuracy. The compass is well-built. The global needle floats well anywhere in the world. The acrylic baseplate is great for computing grid azimuths when using a map. Once you set the declination adjustment to compensate for the G-M angle, no further "math" is necessary. You can see why the MC-2 Global compass is rated to highly--it's made to the highest standards and it's one of the most versatile compasses on the market. Even if you never travel to the Southern Hemisphere, the global needle will ensure smooth operation wherever you go.

Wish I bought one of these sooner! These are great for camping/hiking/emergency/survival! Love the extra features it comes with: Rulers for different scaled maps 1:50000 & 1:24000, ruler for 1:24000 maps that measures how many miles the distance is up to 1.1 miles, and a ruler in INCHES 3.5in, on the cover of the compass' sides there are declination angle marks, and of course the signal mirror is a great addition for emergency signalling or if you have some stuff stuck in your teeth I flashed the compass with my surefire and the glow was visible in daytime for a short duration and works great at night time! I dont think its as rugged as a lensatic compass but luckily I only have to worry about 1 Marine possibly breaking this