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Libby Ellwein
E.S. Ritchie & Sons, Inc. was formed in 1850 by Edward Samuel Ritchie. Today still privately held by the Sherman Family in Pembroke, MA, Ritchie Navigation continues to be the Marine Industry leader in the manufacture of recreational and commercial magnetic compasses.
Very early compasses were made of a magnetized needle attached to a piece of wood or cork that floated freely in a dish of water. As the needle would settle, the marked end would point toward magnetic north.
Historians think China may have been the first civilization to develop a magnetic compass that could be used for navigation. Chinese scientists may have developed navigational compasses as early as the 11th or 12th century. Western Europeans soon followed at the end of the 12th century.
In their earliest use, compasses were likely used as backups for when the sun, stars, or other landmarks could not be seen. Eventually, as compasses became more reliable and more explorers understood how to read them, the devices became a critical navigational tool.
Other adaptations have been made to magnetic compasses over time, especially for their use in marine navigation. When ships evolved from being made of wood to being made of iron and steel, the magnetism of the ship affected compass readings. This difference is called deviation. Adjustments such as placing soft iron balls (called Kelvin spheres) and bar magnets (called Flinders bars) near the compass helped increase the accuracy of the readings. Deviation must also be taken into account on aircraft using compasses, due to the metal in the construction of an airplane.
Magnetic compasses come in many forms. The most basic are portable compasses for use on casual hikes. Magnetic compasses can have additional features, such as magnifiers for use with maps, a prism or a mirror that allows you to see the landscape as you follow the compass reading, or markings in Braille for the visually impaired. The most complicated compasses are complex devices on ships or planes that can calculate and adjust for motion, variation, and deviation.
Even without a compass card, there are techniques that use the sun as a compass. One method is to make a shadow stick. A shadow stick is a stick placed upright in the ground. Pebbles placed around the stick, and a piece of string to track the shadow of the sun across the sky, help a navigator determine the directions of east and west.
Receivers from the global positioning system (GPS) have begun to take the place of compasses. A GPS receiver coordinates with satellites orbiting the Earth and monitoring stations on Earth to pinpoint the receiver's location. GPS receivers can plot latitude, longitude, and altitude on a map. Unless large objects block signals, readings are usually accurate to within about 15 meters (50 feet).
Spiritual Orienteering
The Chinese first used compasses not for navigation, but for spiritual purposes. They used the magnetic devices to organize buildings and other things according to feng shui, the ancient practice of harmonizing an environment according to the "laws of Heaven."
To properly review these different compasses, I researched additional mapping and navigation skills to get the most out of each tool. I took several into the Colorado backcountry using compasses and maps to navigate in different terrains. I also used the compasses to try and make my way to nearby bodies of water like creeks.
See It
Key Features
- Mirror compass with a clear baseplate to use on maps, as well
- Slope measurements tool on the side of the case
- Declination tool included for adjusting east and west
- Sighting hole and notch for accurate bearings
- Luminescent markings for working in low light
- Baseplate has magnifying lens
- Weight: 0.25 pounds
- Complete package
- Multiple tools allow for trip planning and backcountry navigation
- Easy to use slope indicator makes this a great compass for winter sports
- On the pricier side
- Can seem overwhelming to someone new at using a compass
The base model is designed for the Northern Hemisphere, but you can also upgrade to a global version for an extra $15. With a long list of capabilities, I would suggest any user at the very least read articles on compass usage or watch some YouTube videos to get the most out of this tool.
Due to the pure simplicity, the best way to test the spinning globe compass was to connect it to my shoulder strap in a hiking pack. I was able to eye the compass and keep a close eye on the direction I was heading.
Brunton, a Wyoming-based company, also designed this to work globally, meaning it will be in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, so you can use this compass wherever your journey brings you. While trying to orient, I noticed the arrow occasionally sticks and is not as responsive as some other brands.
There are many things to consider, such as where you are using the compass, how far off-grid you plan on going, and understanding your skill level to make the most of your purchase. With an endless list of best GPS units, many will look for a compass as a backup or an instrument to use in an emergency. But, a compass can be the primary navigational aid and a GPS can be a back up.
Declination adjustment: Declination is the difference between true north and magnetic north. Declination varies depending on your location and maps will note the necessary declination adjustment needed. Adjustable declination allows you to adjust your compass to make route finding faster and easier.
While almost all compasses work on a basic level, learning the skills of proper navigation can be a literal lifesaver in a time of need. Having the right compass may make a big difference. Spending extra money will not be a regret in a time of need.
Despite their small brains, insects can navigate over long distances by orienting using visual landmarks [1], skylight polarization [2-9], and sun position [3, 4, 6, 10]. Although Drosophila are not generally renowned for their navigational abilities, mark-and-recapture experiments in Death Valley revealed that they can fly nearly 15 km in a single evening [11]. To accomplish such feats on available energy reserves [12], flies would have to maintain relatively straight headings, relying on celestial cues [13]. Cues such as sun position and polarized light are likely integrated throughout the sensory-motor pathway [14], including the highly conserved central complex [4, 15, 16]. Recently, a group of Drosophila central complex cells (E-PG neurons) have been shown to function as an internal compass [17-19], similar to mammalian head-direction cells [20]. Using an array of genetic tools, we set out to test whether flies can navigate using the sun and to identify the role of E-PG cells in this behavior. Using a flight simulator, we found that Drosophila adopt arbitrary headings with respect to a simulated sun, thus performing menotaxis, and individuals remember their heading preference between successive flights-even over several hours. Imaging experiments performed on flying animals revealed that the E-PG cells track sun stimulus motion. When these neurons are silenced, flies no longer adopt and maintain arbitrary headings relative to the sun stimulus but instead exhibit frontal phototaxis. Thus, without the compass system, flies lose the ability to execute menotaxis and revert to a simpler, reflexive behavior.
In the world of electronic navigation, a mechanical compass and a printed map is still the most reliable way to navigate. Made in Finland, Suunto compasses help you safely and accurately navigate the great outdoors. Advanced engineering combined with thoughtful design ensure fast, stable and simple use. No batteries required.
Finally, it might not come up often, but it bears mentioning: large iron and steel objects (like shipwrecks) can influence the magnet in your compass, causing it to point in the wrong direction. This is called deviation. If you suspect this is happening, simply move away from the object several feet, say by ascending several feet above it, and the problem should correct itself.
Keep in mind the compass reads magnetic north (not true north). If you use a nautical chart it will have a compass rose printed on it, with an outer circle reading true north and an inner circle reading magnetic north. Simply use the inner rose when plotting course lines and those course lines will match what your compass is reading (both will be magnetic north).
GPS devices are very accurate and can provide an excellent navigation tool for kayaking. Since they are electronic devices and subject to failure in the marine environment, you will definitely want to back them up with a compass and the techniques I have discussed above.
Please, everybody who reads these navigation posts, if you have any questions or observations, ask or share them with us. By necessity the articles are short and a lot of crucial info could be added or clarified.
Two great posts on navigation in a row, John. Bravo! I know a lot of kayakers who find navigation mind-numbing, and even more who rely exclusively on GPS. I think the map & compass part has a lot to do with how the subject is presented. You have a real gift for taking the complex and making it simple, a rare and welcome talent in an age brimming with folks who excel at making the simple into something unnecessarily complex.
Back in the day, Brian Price and I hooked up with two paddlers for a 14+ mile crossing of the mouth of Delaware Bay. At the put-in, one of these two gives a heading that was 20 or 30 degrees East of what we had on our charts. He was also using a giant, untethered, hand-held marine compass which he kept in his lap. It would have been a bad time to play duckling.
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