Recommended for Hiking & Hill Walking Kit
When your phone dies or there's no signal, a map and compass are the only navigation that never lets you down. A good compass is a lifetime tool worth learning.
Our picks run from a simple, accurate starter to a professional expedition compass — so there's the right level whether you're learning or navigating serious terrain.
Magnetic navigation instrument for finding direction without batteries or signal. The most reliable navigation tool that exists.
A clear baseplate with ruler markings lets you take bearings directly from a map.
Glow-in-the-dark cardinal points for navigation in low light.
Lets you compensate for the difference between magnetic and true north.
Zips, phones, and knives deflect the needle. Hold the compass well away from metal.
Learn to take a bearing in your local park, not when you’re lost on a mountain.
A proven baseplate compass with a sighting mirror and map scales for accurate navigation when phones and GPS die. A dependable classic trusted by hikers and the military.
A simple, accurate baseplate compass at a keen price. A dependable no-batteries way to learn map-and-compass basics and keep a backup in every bag.
A professional-grade navigation compass with map scales and a clinometer, trusted by rescue teams. The pick for serious hill and expedition navigation.
A compact baseplate compass from Silva, one of the most established names in outdoor navigation. It has 1:25k and 1:50k romer scales printed on the plate for measuring distances straight off an Ordnance Survey map, so it is a sensible first compass for anyone learning to navigate without relying on a phone.
An entry-level baseplate compass aimed at people learning to navigate with a paper map. It covers the essentials — a direction-of-travel arrow, a rotating bezel and a clear baseplate for taking bearings — without the mirror or sighting extras of pricier models. A sensible first compass to keep in a grab bag or to teach map-reading with.
A proper baseplate compass with a rotating housing and 1:25k/1:50k romer scales, the kind you'd pair with an OS map when the phone dies or the fog closes in. Silva is the reference brand for UK hillwalking navigation, and this is a dependable everyday model rather than a novelty.
The main route into storm, power cut, warmth, water and car-kit guidance.
A practical first plan for lights, phones, food, warmth and checking on people.
Buyable kit picks for the most common UK storm and outage problems.
A printable checklist for cold weather, outages, travel disruption and home prep.