Customer Reviews

Silva Polaris 177 - Compass

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Seems to be a great, probably entry level compass. I bought it as a backup compass to take hunting, and it will do the job nicely, at a good price.

I haven't owned a compass in years, so while I was impressed with the selection of compasses available today, I was also a bit overwhelmed by the different models and features. I soon found the perfect compass for me, which was the Silva Polaris 177. While it's very inexpensive, it offers a range of features and is built with quality materials. It has worked great for me, as I have relearned how to read terrain maps and navigate via orienteering. If you are looking for a quality compass that will not let you down, this Silva Compass is a great choice.

This little compass really has everything a beginner to intermediate user needs. My oldest one has held up well for 6 years of use and is small, lightweight, and easy to use.

I would like if it also included a magnifier for emergency fire-starting, but this is not a deal-breaker for me. I have four of these little guys in various kits, and they have all worked well for me.

I give this compass a 4 star rating for overall functionality and value. I would rate it 5 stars if it had a Magnifier.

Smooth floating movement ... locks onto magnetic north with no jiggling or shaking - just hold it relatively flat. Gimble on direction-finding dial works smoothly too.

For a basic compass, it's really pretty good.
I got it for practice, but any other compass I buy WILL have adjustable declination for convenience.

This compass is great for what it does. Reliable for field work, and easy for orienteering. It does not have all the bells and whistles, but that's one reason I like it - I rarely need all the extras. While I've never used it off the North American Continent, every place I have used it it has been the right tool for the job. I would highly recommend it to anyone. And as a bonus, it's the official Boy Scout compass, so it's really hard to go wrong with that.

Ordered 15 of these fantastic compasses for my Girl Scout Troop. We love them! Shipment came fast and price was cheaper than any store we searched.

I'm a born and bred city boy and the only compass I was familiar with was the kind that helped me draw circles.

Honestly, in all my 65 years I've never had the need to use a compass. Living in Manhattan, all you have to remember is that North is uptown and East and West are divided by Fifth Avenue. Let me tell you, it's a lot easier to navigate around Manhattan than Miami or Salt Lake City where everything seems designed to confuse the heck out of the tourists.

Anyway, I thought that it would be nice to own and learn to read a compass while not spending a lot of money in the process. Prices of these things are all over the map (no pun intended) but, unless you plan on going deep into the wilderness and putting your life on the line, good enough is simply good enough.

I have to admit that it took me a few minutes to figure out how a compass works, but the instructions that Silva packs with the compass are pretty simple. Even declination is made clear enough for anyone with a little intelligence and a willingness to learn. Maybe I'm old-school, but I found it easier than learning to use a GPS device.

As I said, if you're into survival games or in the military, you probably want something sturdier or with some special features. This model is all plastic but does seem fairly sturdy. In any case, I would suggest taking advantage of the lanyard hole as dropping it probably isn't in your best interest. It's made in Indonesia if that matters to you, but North is North in Indonesia too.

If you just want to learn how to read a compass or are involved in the Boy Scouts (or even feng shui as one reviewer is), an inexpensive Silva Polaris will serve the purpose.

I am directionally challenged and this simple compass generally gets me headed in the right direction. I haven't used it in situations where I am in the wilderness, so I can't comment on how if functions when fine measurements are needed.

This compass is much better than I expected for the price! It has everything a beginner would need. I was looking for a good starting compass, and was surprised at how fast they got expensive! After plenty of research I figured Silva polaris was best for my price range, and I was not dissapointed.. The only things it's really missing are a magnifier and a sighting mirror. The needle did get a little vertically shaky after a few months, but nothing that will affect overall performence. Overall, I highly recomend this great compass, at least to start with before you go and splurge on a deluxe $40 one.