User Review: Brunton 9020G

Brunton 9020G
Above: The current 9020G, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed December 11, 2006 by Jonathan Wood

Rating:

I agree with the first reviewer that there are better compasses out there for wilderness hiking, like the Silva Polaris or the Suunto M-2D or M-5.

As mentioned, the problem with the Brunton adjustable declination design is that it uses only friction to hold it in place (instead of a geared screw mechanism like Suunto or Silva) and it can and does slip occasionally. Also, as mentioned, the Brunton declination adjustment rotates the compass dial, preventing use of the compass as a map protractor unless you reset the compass declination back to zero each time. The guy that used his 9020 for orienteering would never encounter this, as orienteers use special maps set to magnetic north and never have to fool with declination.