KyBooneFan,

Let me add my $0.02. I have to disagree.

I was in the Army and we used the military compass. It seems overkill for civilian use. I have a GPS and I use it when I am driving off road and hunting. The rest of the time it seems to be of little use.

I have taken my boys to several map and compass classes. We also have several books and a video on using map and compass. The base plate compass seems to be the compass universally taught. The Silva now Brunton 3DLU seems to be the most popular. You will see it used in demonstrations on how to use a compass. It is my favorite. For every day carry I am fond of the Suunto Comet. It has a declination scale and is easy to use. When I am in a mall or hiking I like to see which direction the car is.

I say: forget the military compass. Have a good base plate compass and a good pocket compass.