Why YOU should EDC a SMALL COMPASS in 2025

Hopefully this helped to show why small compasses like this are useful

Also, you should definitely check out the EDC Cooperative

Filming equipment:
The video was edited using Premier Pro

Credit for two tracks used:

[BenMcMichael]

Used a small compass when travelling in an urban environment abroad. Made sure I got back where I needed to be. Fantastic advice

[jastrapper]

I was a Chief Scout in a Marine Infantry BN (1st LAR BN, 1st Mar Div). I was once involved in an ambush in the city of Ar Rutbah in Anbar Province Iraq (Western Iraq). We were in the middle of the city and I had become disoriented about the direction. I was however carrying a wrist compass on my watch strap. I was able to within a few seconds able to determine the cardinal direction of the incoming fire and report the situation to higher and give critical information to other infantryman that could then orient to the threat. I’m a firm believer in having the ability to very rapidly (within a few seconds) to determine the general direction of things. A full sized compass is awesome but it’s often too slow or impractical to pull and use. The precision is often not necessary… you just need the general direction and getting that information ASAP. Especially when you need to issue commands to a scout team or pass along information with a radio or by voice in emergencies. This could apply to Fire, EMS, LE, military, pilots etc.

[jeremynorth]

I like the idea of using it as a way of dealing with life. Your afterthought expressed that perfectly. I'm pleased that my family name is North

[geraldreynolds]

I agree with your advice.I still always carry a map, compass and small binoculars.(Like we did in the army) Even though today we have GPS on our phones.And I wear a Casio Compass Watch all of the time.

[vonsprague]

There wasn't a thing that i didn't agree with here, well done sir, the ability to walk in a straight line in a known direction especially in the UK is crucial. Your mental health advice is lovely, nice to see the ability to be open about lifes challenges. Enjoy 2025 and keep producing excellent content.

[DragonsinGenesisPodcast]

If you wear a dive watch, you can rotate the outer bezel to help you remember which direction you need to walk in order to get back to trail. For instance, you’re heading north and you’re about to exit the trail to the west. Spin the bezel so the arrow is at 3. When you need to return to trail, hold up your compass, face north, and the arrow on the bezel shows the direction back to trail.

[AxWarhawk]

Thinking about it, you could also attach ranger beads to the one with the 550 cord. This way you can not just keep track of your bearing, but also the distance.

[LarryFasnacht]

I took a cruise on a ship where we stopped in Venice. I was not paying attention because I knew that I could find that tall spire in San Marcos Square from anywhere right? Turns out those narrow streets and alleys. There were many many times where that structure was not visible. I eventually did have to break out my compass. I knew that if I headed south, I would eventually hit the water and be able to find my way back to the ship. It was incredibly handy. I’ve also used this when I got off on one side of the road to go take pictures and then did not know which direction the road was. I knew that I was north of the road and that if I could just head south, I’d cut it at some point. Even with a phone and a watch, I always carry a small compass with me now. I’ve also found it useful in navigating cities, particularly the European ones where you can’t see any good landmarks like church spires. Quite often we’re also under a time constraint where getting lost just really isn’t an option you could miss the boat. It becomes very frustrating and anxiety inducing when you know you’ve got a time limit. The compass is immensely helpful for this.

[NGMonocrom]

Very first image.... Watch-band compass with a bubble inside the liquid-filled compass. The destroys accuracy. No point in carrying an inaccurate compass.

[stewartfooter]

I still map read and use a compass, a skill that is being lost

[NorthernWayfarer-Alice]

It's in the fog or at night when things can go wrong. It is very difficult to walk in a straight line because you will come across obstacles. It is far better to have a map with you but even then, you need to have a landmark identifiable on the map where you can take a bearing. In the fog, you can't always see a landmark. Same in the dark. The other way things can go wrong is when you mistake a landmark on the map, you walk with confidence believing the hill on your right is x but in reality, it is a different hill.
I have been lost 4x with a map and compass to aid me and those are the reasons (not able to see a landmark identifiable on the map and mistaking a feature with the one on the map - often it is a combination of both). But I wouldn't go hiking somewhere I am unfamiliar without a map and compass, things can still go wrong but they will be more frequent without a map/compass. Phones are great but there are places where they don't work.

[tomturbuckle]

County comm sometimes has compasses that are made with some more "premium" materials. More for the looks than for function. They just look appealing and fit in that looks neat but still functional category of edc.

[Nell-Hamilton]

Leaving the trail to take a leak or find a viewpoint is definitely a key use case for wild spaces. But for urban situations I'd add that if you've taken a wrong turn and find yourself in a dodgy part of town it is a good idea not to wave your phone around as it makes you an easy target to have it stolen. Or in a worst case if it has been stolen, a compass could be be an enormous help.
I picked one up recently intending to keep it on my keys but it was too close to the magnetised screwdriver of my rambler so that's something to be aware of.

[anangryranger]

Managed to navigate through the thickets jungle and terrain, often at night, including monsoons, by map and compass. Years later, in the 1980s, as a Scoutmaster, taught hundreds of young lads these skills. Today, I'd bet one out of a hundred could even orient a map with the aid of a compass. Sad...
Everything is in a phone. But maps and compass don't depend on battery nor do they ever loose signal and become useless. 😏

[isthiify]

I have the Suunto one, love it very handy at a pinch 😅

[iamsemjaza]

The button-compass is a useful tool for combating hubris, which is the greatest killer of humans.

[inregionecaecorum]

I have found button compasses to be of very variable and often dubious quality. Those zipper pull compasses for instance, I bought a consignment from Ebay a while back and not one of them does not have a bubble unless it has lost it's fluid altogether. In this market you really get what you pay for. I have found the marbles brass button compass to be reliable, and for a small pocket compass the Silva ranger SL is hard to beat.

[tmo-yb]

I have learned that if a bubble appears in your compass, if you carefully leave it on the warm dashboard of your car, the bubble will go away.

[StonesHandcraft]

I got myself a bit turned around while trying to find a friend’s house in Boston one day. I saw a man sitting on his porch, so I walked up to him and asked in a friendly manner, “Can you tell me how to get to Oak Street?” He replied, “No.” Oak St turned out to be one block away ( :

[paulos]

Only those who have spent a night lost in the jungle know the lack of a compass... great video