Sure, a compass doesn't do any good if you left it at home - ask half the Scouts in my son's troop.

But still, there is a matter of whether the compass' features make it effective for its intended use. I do think the $20 baseplate compass can be just as effective as the $60 baseplate compass - though with less accuracy (often not a big deal) and without some of the nice features (UTM grid, magnifier, mirror).

The modern rectangular plastic compasses are awesome when working with topo maps outdoors.

The military lensatic compasses clearly do well for those in the military, though they're not my cup of tea.

I think the map of the area is of more value than the compass. That said, maybe those little button compasses would be all you really need. Then again, you can usually figure out directions based upon landmarks, sun & moon movements, and based uopn the stars.

If you're out to buy a compass, reading this thread would be a good thing. No, someone doesn't need to spend $60 for a compass. If folks are concerned about survival, then my advice is to put more effort in making sure you have a good map of the area and pay attention to where you are on that map at all times, than worry so much about the compass. Lots of outdoor folks will tell you that they live by their maps, and then the compass only comes out once-in-a-while to confirm a direction.