Why You Need a Car Compass
A car compass is an essential tool for navigation and orienteering while driving. Here are some key reasons why a quality compass belongs in every vehicle.
Avoid Getting Lost
With a compass, you can easily check your bearing and determine which direction you are traveling. This helps prevent you from becoming lost or disoriented, especially when driving in remote areas without reliable GPS or cellular signals.
Navigate Off the Beaten Path
A car compass allows you to venture down back roads and off-road trails while maintaining your sense of direction. You can explore backcountry routes with confidence knowing you can find your way.
Find Points of Interest
By taking bearings and tracking distances, you can pinpoint landmarks, trailheads, campsites, and other features you want to find. A compass makes it easy to locate fishing spots, hiking destinations, and other outdoor points of interest.
Travel During Outages
When modern navigation electronics fail due to power outages or lack of signal, a trusty compass still works. It serves as a backup for GPS-dependent drivers.
Enhance Adventure
For many overlanders and outdoorsmen, navigating by map and compass is an essential part of the journey. It enhances the spirit of adventure and self-reliance.
Choose the Right Compass
Not all compasses are created equal. Look for these key features when selecting a quality car compass:
- Accuracy - Precise alignment and calibration is crucial.
- Strong magnet - A weak magnet can lead to errors.
- Tilt compensation - Automatically corrects for variances in terrain.
- Rotating housing - Allows easy setting and reading of bearings.
- Clear baseplate - Visibility of map details is vital for navigation.
Mounting Options
Car compasses come in two main mounting styles:
- Dashboard - Affixes to dash using adhesive or friction. Convenient viewing.
- Windshield - Suction-cups to inside of windshield. Keeps dash clutter-free.
Use Proper Technique
Following basic orienteering principles helps ensure accuracy when using your car compass:
- Hold level - Tilt can skew readings.
- Calibrate often - Check against known points to correct deviations.
- Compare to map - Relate compass to map features and contours.
- Take bearings frequently - Confirm your heading as you drive.
- Note mileages - Use odometer to determine distances between points.
With proper selection and usage, a quality car compass can be an invaluable aid for backcountry driving adventures and exploring off the beaten path.
Common Scenarios Where a Car Compass Comes in Handy
Having a quality compass in your vehicle can really come in handy for drivers in a variety of situations. Here are some of the most common scenarios where a car compass proves useful.
When Directions Fail
Sometimes GPS, maps, or verbal directions can let you down. A compass gives you a backup navigation tool to stay on course when technology and plans fall short.
Off the Beaten Path
On backcountry roads, overlanding trails, and cross-country drives, a compass helps you maintain orientation when there are no signs or landmarks.
Discovering New Routes
A compass makes it easy to explore backroads and pioneer new driving routes. Take bearings to pinpoint features and reference points along the way.
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Finding Specific Locations
By taking bearings and tracking distances, you can locate campsites, trailheads, fishing spots, and other outdoor points of interest.
When GPS Fails
- Dead battery
- Out of cellular service area
- Heavy tree cover or terrain blocking signal
- Outages or malfunctions
A compass works anywhere, anytime, unaffected by electronics issues.
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Emergency Situations
If lost, stranded, or in a survival scenario, a compass can help guide you towards roads, shelters, or help.
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Navigating Adverse Conditions
- Heavy rain or fog
- Snowcover hiding roads and landmarks
- Featureless terrain like desert or tundra
- Thick forest canopy obscuring sky
A compass provides directional guidance when visibility is poor and landmarks are obscured.
Reaching Remote Destinations
Places far from roads and outside GPS reliability become navigable with a compass to stay on route.
Keep a quality car compass handy for self-reliance and peace of mind when driving into the unknown.
How a Car Compass Works
A compass operates by detecting the earth's natural magnetic fields to determine direction. Here is a look at the inner workings of a car compass:
Magnetized Needle
At the heart of the compass is a magnetized needle, usually made of iron or steel. It is able to rotate freely, balanced on a jewel bearing or pivot point.
Magnetic Alignment
The magnetic poles of the needle cause it to align with the earth's magnetic field lines, which run between the north and south magnetic poles. The red end of the needle points north.
Magnetic Declination
Allowance must be made for the difference between true north and magnetic north. This is called magnetic declination and varies by location on the globe.
Housing
The compass housing is filled with fluid to dampen the needle's movements. It also contains the directional markings to read bearings off the needle's orientation.
Calibrating
To counteract effects of magnetic interference, the compass must be calibrated by aligning it to the known direction of visible landmarks.
Taking a Bearing
- Turn rotating bezel to align orienting arrow with north needle.
- Turn entire compass to point at object or heading.
- Read bearing in degrees on bezel.
Following a Bearing
- Set desired bearing on rotating bezel.
- Turn compass until north needle aligns with orienting arrow.
- Travel in direction compass is pointing.
With proper use and calibration, a magnetic compass can provide highly accurate directional information for navigating by car.
Different Types of Car Compasses
There are a few main options when selecting a compass for your vehicle. Here is an overview of the most common types of car compasses.
Baseplate Compass
- Most popular style
- Clear rectangular baseplate for map navigation
- Rotating directional housing
- Can take bearings and plot courses
Lensatic Compass
- Hinged two-piece designed for precise sighting
- Folding sighting wire and lens
- Used for taking long distance bearings
- No map navigation capability
Digital Compass
- Display shows heading in degrees
- May have added features like thermometer or barometer
- Typically not as durable as traditional compasses
- Needs battery replacement
GPS Compass
- Combines digital compass with GPS receiver
- Shows position coordinates and heading
- Dependent on satellite signals
- Touchscreen interface
Dashboard Mounted
- Sticks securely to dash using adhesive or friction
- Offers conveniently visible compass display while driving
Windshield Mounted
- Attaches to inside of windshield with suction cups
- Keeps dashboard free from clutter
- Position can impede visibility
Consider how you will use the compass when choosing the optimal type for your needs.
What is the Benefit of Amazon Prime When Buying Car Compasses?
For drivers looking to purchase a quality car compass, being an Amazon Prime member can provide some useful benefits and perks.
Free Two-Day Shipping
One major advantage of Amazon Prime is free two-day shipping on eligible items. This means you can order a car compass and receive it rapidly without having to pay extra for expedited delivery.
Free Release-Date Delivery
You can pre-order upcoming car compass releases and models and get free release-date delivery so the product arrives on launch day.
Try Before You Buy
With Prime, you can take advantage of Amazon's Try Before You Buy service which allows you to test select car compasses for a week before purchasing to ensure it meets your needs.
Free Returns
If you need to return a car compass for any reason, Prime members get free returns for an extended period. This makes it easy to exchange products or get refunds.
Access to Deals
Amazon Prime members get 30-minute early access to Lightning Deals on car compasses as well as Prime-exclusive discounts year-round.
Streamlined Shopping
With features like Prime Try Before You Buy and free returns, you can shop for car compasses more conveniently knowing you can easily swap items if needed.
Overall, an Amazon Prime membership provides significant benefits for shoppers buying car compasses and makes the purchasing process quicker and simpler.
Never Get Lost Again With A Car Compass
A car compass is a useful tool for drivers who want to ensure they never get lost again. There are many different types of car compasses available on the market, including ball compasses, non-magnetic or digital compasses, and more. Some of the best-selling car compasses include the Ritchie Navigation Compass and the Ritchie Navigation Explorer Compass. Car compasses are easy to install and come with a simple design and a bracket mount, making them a convenient addition to any vehicle. They are also sturdy and can withstand off-road usage. If you're in the market for a car compass, consider some of the top picks from the Best Sellers list on Amazon, or check out reviews on YouTube and Cherry Picks to find the best car compass for your needs.
