r/searchandrescue • u/Money-Violinist9176 • 23d ago

Geiserailie Compass Reviews?

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I’m the director of a brand new search & rescue team with very minimal funding. As much as I would love to purchase Silva compasses for all my volunteers, there’s no way we can swing it just yet. Putting on an orienteering class at the end of the month. I’ve seen these all over Amazon and Temu. Any experience with these cheap alternatives? This will be ideally just for class and not for wilderness rescue.

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u/Money-Violinist9176 23d ago

Very good point, and good question. This is a rural area and most volunteers can’t afford much. They have all recently bought uniforms and packs. For their personal compass I will encourage them to purchase one but it’s best to capitalize on our starting momentum to knock this class out.

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u/dvcxfg 23d ago

Fwiw most modern smartphones (which they likely have) have compass apps built in. So that might be something to consider.

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u/Motor-Letter-635 23d ago

Can’t count the number of times here on the North Shore where the problem started with the map app on a phone and was exacerbated by that phone dying. (Lower Mainland, BC)

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u/dvcxfg 23d ago

Yeah, I mean, I agree. Relying upon mobile devices as a primary is never a good idea. Anyway, I retract my passing thought. A basic, functional compass from a reputable manufacturer is not a big ticket expense.