Blues - I read your reviews of the 8099 and the 25TDCL with interest. That 25TDCL looks pretty close to a Silva Ranger 15. Brunton lists the Ranger 15 as the 15TDCL. They have a great buy on the 25TDCL I am going to order one. Thanks for the insightful eval under field conditions.

Oh yes, I do have a GPS (Garmin 12XL) and while really handy they are no replacement for a map and compass. I use mine to check my navigation twice a day when on a hike. I'm paranoid about some sort of battery related failure.