SUUNTO MC-2 Compass: Top-of-the-line compass for professionals & serious hikers

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--thats why the US Armys 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--its made to the highest standards and its 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.

I bought a USGS Northern Hemisphere (NH) version a couple years ago and loved it so much I recently decided to buy another one, but chose the Global version this time. I did NOT like the Global version at all, because the needle got stuck, requiring me to repeatedly shake or tip the compass to get the needle to unstick and point north. With some research, I found that others have had the same problem. The needle on the global version has little vertical feet at both ends, where the clear plastic is bent up at 90 degrees, and these drag on the top side of the capsule a bit. Also, the black (south) end of the needle is much higher than the red (north) end. The whole needle is tilted down toward the red end. I returned the global version and got another norther hemisphere version and the NH version needle is very smooth and doesnt stick at all. I highly recommend the NH version, it is excellent. If I travel to the Southern Hemisphere I will get a dedicated SH compass rather than the global version.

Bought this for a birthday present for a outdoorsman and he loves it.

Great value for the money needle is sensitive and accurate all functions work when you read the instructions

there probably isnt a better alternative to this compass out there at present...perhaps a k&r alpin is an equal of this suunto mc-2g compass...ill let others much more experienced outdoor navigators/orienteering pros extoll its particular functional virtues as im much more of a laic in this game... if youll get this compass, you can be sure you have the best, most dependable baseplate/sighting mirror combo compass out there... the global [g designation] needle option only makes it more useful for those who venture out into the outdoors outside of u.s. of a, it also sets on point quicker than most others.... this compass allows for a fair degree of tilt while still taking an accurate reading, relative to other cheaper units... it has a built in clinometer, and declination adjustment...it has 2 most popular [in america - the 1:24,000 and the 1:62,500] map reading conversion scales...i havent had the chance to check how long its luminousity lasts on its bezel yet...the rubber anti-slip feet on the bottom are very useful when taking a reading on a map... oh, the mirror can double as a signaling mirror [make sure you remove the adhesive protective film cover from it] and the magnifying lens as a fire starter.... after reading the negative reviews I saw that they pertain primarily to the map scales...if youll order this compass here, itll be shipped with the standard american map scale conversions... yes, as Ive just checked on the photo enlargement option, the compass pictured here is shown with the [european] map scales of 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 but youll get the one with the american units regardless... therefore, if you need one with map scales commonly used in europe, australia, et al., youll need to clarify - or ensure prior to ordering - that you want the suunto mc-2g-mm version...ergo, the one with european map conversion scale... i think that forestry suppliers here on amazon sell the mil version as the metric model... theres only one single thing I dislike about this excellent compass - the tiny declination adjustment tool is easy to lose...magnetic declination changes slightly each year and it varies quite a bit depending on where youre located..if you like to take readings with the declination already adjusted properly or you travel frequently between states youll need to regularly adjust it and that tiny wrench iis easy to misplace...either secure it to the compass on its lanyard or tape it well to its case... lastly, Ive read some reviews where there clearly seems to be a confusion of who manufactures the most popular brands of compasses and where... suunto today is heads and shoulders above the quality of both the brunton and silva branded compasses of comparable models, if youre buying from american based vendors/amazon site...all 3 brands were once very respected and of high quality...however, due to some complicated trademark business laws, and brand names that were owned/sold within the past several years - as of present - the silva branded compasses are NOT the quality units made in sweden that you can buy if youre ordering via european amazon site...you can google it for more info and its quite complicated... bottom line is - if youre ordering from american vendors/amazon site, youre no longer able to buy the swedish, quality made silva compasses...the ones labeled as silva but sold on american market are actually made by the current brunton company, and manufactured in indonesia, not sweden...brunton retained the rights to the silva name only for distribution in the usa because they were once a single company for a while hence the confusion... silva - the swedish co. - no longer has the rights to distribute its swedish [quality] made compasses in us of a therefore the made in sweden silva units you can currently buy in europe are completely different than the silva compasses one gets here in north america...unfortunately for us here in the usa....the only way to get the high quality silva compass here in the u.s. is to buy an older, used model or buy from overseas... similarly, because brunton co. is no longer the same company of old, which exclusively made some truly high quality compasses at one time, the lower-priced brunton labeled compasses of today are crappy units made and finished en masse in china or india with very questionable quality [they easily develop bubbles, break or dont show the actual north]... check hiking/orienteering forums and youtube for reviews if you want to spend the time... the higher priced models of brunton are still u.s. made and there are some very good, dependable ones but theyre very expensive and mmade mainly for professional surveyors, forestry workers, etc... were talking $300-$1,000 price range [pocket transit line] with options that a common hiker will likely never use or even learn how to use... the higher end of the o.s.s. line of brunton compasses are still made in the usa as far as I know, at least the higher priced models, but Ive read mixed reviews of these by some very experienced compass users, mostly negative...im all for supporting american made products but apparently, with the lower priced models, one cant be sure what one gets as far as quality and more often than not it will be sub par...at least in the most recent years, this might still change for the better....use your own research to determine if its something youd want...it IS still the only american made compass brand i believe at present... now, if you order a suunto compass - from american based amazon site/vendors - youll still get the original high quality unit made in finland... and its truly a hard use, dependable product...if this is a type of the baseplate/sighting mirror combo youre looking for, the suunto mc-2g is imho the best you can get for the money and itll serve you well and long...

I was looking for another quality hiking Compass, similar to my circa 1972 Silva Ranger. The hunt to find its equal was difficult, but lead me here; to the Suunto MC-2/LIN Compass. To begin with, let me say I am VERY pleased with it. It has the features and Quality that I was looking for. Its just that even when I ordered it, I was uncertain exactly which variation of the Suunto Line, I was getting. What this actually is, is a Suunto MC-2/360/IN/D/L/NH, also known as p/n: SS004239001. Heres the breakdown of the features: -Baseplate Compass with sighting Mirror -360° graduations on the dial -Ruler on base is in Inches, but includes scales in Miles for 1:24,000 and 1:625,000 scale maps -Has adjustable Declination Setting. comes with tool to adjust this. -Has Luminous Dial & Sighting Points. -Has 2-Zone needle, designed to work anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. -Has Magnifier built into the baseplate. -Has Inclinometer needle to to measure angles of Elevation -Comes with Lanyard thats both detachable and has wrist loop adjustment feature. You have to admit thats a lot of good features for the price. (I got mine for just under $40). So how well does it do all these things? Amazingly well. The declination tool is Stainless Steel, so its both Strong and yet it wont affect the magnetic needle on the compass. If you arent familiar with Declination adjustment, Google/Bing declination calculator, and you should find the noaa.gov website that will tell you what to set the compass too (pay attention to if its East or West!). Youll find that if you only travel a few hundred miles in any direction, the declination should be within 2° what you set it too. The needle balance is great here at the North edge of the US. And it turns freely even when off of level slightly. The dial turns freely, but not so much that Id worry about bumping it off from my setting. And the cut-out in the sighting mirror makes it easier to sight on something at the same elevation as you. The Lanyard has a large plastic piece that if you squeeze it, you can slide it, making the loop near the compass smaller or larger. I think its so you can keep it from coming off your wrist. I use it on my neck, so its not that important to me. The Magnifying Patch is about 0.5 diameter, and is very nice. I can imagine using it on fine print on maps or even to see a splinter in a finger. So what didnt I like about it? The luminous points seem to dim very fast once you turn off whatever light source you are using to illuminate them. And I used a 300 Lumen flashlight to do this. But thats pretty much standard for anything thats not Tritium (I dont know of any compasses that have Tritium). The Inclinometer is nice to have. But the graduations are too small for me to read through the mirror, unless I have a piece of white paper behind the base of the compass, and the lighting is really good. And sometimes the magnetic needle hangs in the way of the indicator. Its important to set the compass to 270° True, when doing an inclinometer reading. Dont expect to measure angles of Elevation better than +/- 2°. The clasp to swing the Mirror open is very tight. you might have trouble opening it with wool gloves on. But perhaps my single biggest gripe with this compass is the joke of an instruction manual that comes with it. Here you have some outstanding features on this device. But unless you have a lot of experience with other quality instruments, you wont even know what its capable of. And yes, I am picky about such things. I spent several years involved in Search and Rescue as a teenager. Ive Orienteered a few times. And Ive been Hiking for over 40 years. So if you get a good quality compass like this, invest in a good book on using it. Or attend a clinic on compass use. Stay safe out there...

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 dont 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 youre 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 youre looking to purchase this compass, please be aware that there are three versions of this compass. Its 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 havent 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, Im 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 Id 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. Ill 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 doesnt give me warm fuzzies that the lanyard attachment will keep the compass attached to the lanyard in the long run. Ive decided not to use the lanyard attachment and instead have attached the lanyard directly to the compass with a larks head knot. Now I dont 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 youre familiar with land nav and using a map and compass. And for me, its 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 isnt 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 youre looking for a great compass with all the bells, whistles, and luxuries youll ever need, look no further than the MC-2G. However, be prepared to potentially deal with a few flaws like those Ive pointed out.

No bubble in the lens. Actually made in finland. Only reason I gave 4 stars is that the bezel ring itself is not glow in the dark. The sighting marks, dots, etc do glow though. The needle is not as bright as the doghouse marks, but still visible. Comes with instruction booklet.

It seems like a good compass however I received a different configuration that is not with a glow in the dark dial (as shown in all pictures of the product description). The one I received is a lower price version too... based on other reviews this is not the first time this has happened.

I almost returned this. Seemed totally useless for sighting landmarks on a bearing the first day I tried it. All it took was practice. Great product.