Suunto M-3 NH Compass
With luminescent markings and a built-in magnifying lense, this reliable Suunto M-3 NH baseplate adventure compass is tailored for navigating and surviving in extreme conditions.
This purchase pays for membership!
$6
10% Reward
on this and every eligible full-price item*
+
$30
Bonus Card
valid for 60 days after joining*
=
$36
Value
Keep shopping
- High-grade steel needle with jewel bearing
- Balanced for northern hemisphere
- Adjustable declination correction
- Liquid-filled capsule for stable operation
- Luminescent markings for working in low light
- Metric and Imperial scales
- Baseplate with magnifying lens
- Detachable snap-lock lanyard with wristlock
Imported.
View all Suunto Compasses| Best Use | Hiking |
|---|---|
| Analog or Digital | Analog |
| Increments | 2 degrees |
| Scale 1:24,000 | Yes |
| Declination Adjustment | Yes |
| Declination Scale | Yes |
| Liquid-Filled | Yes |
| Luminous Points/Bezel | Yes |
| Ruler | Yes |
| Magnifying Lens | Yes |
| Lanyard | Yes |
| Dimensions | 4.72 x 2.4 x 0.55 inches |
| Weight | 1.62 ounces |
Review this Product
Adding a review will require a valid email for verification
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Most Helpful Critical Review
Customer Images
Disappointing quality
The compass needle has some pretty awful looking defects. It’s also the most important part of the compass so that seems like a really bad point of failure. It looks like the needle was clumsily stamped and the little strip of glowing tape they put on it is off-center. I don’t plan on doing a lot of night navigation, but it’s just ugly anyway. It is really important to have clean lines and fine points on instruments that rely on the human eye for their precision. Considering Suunto is a company whose heritage is precise and reliable surveying equipment, this is disappointing. Should not have passed a visual QA check. I have used other Suunto compasses/clinometers and had a great experience in the past, however. I am going to exchange it and hope for a better assembly next time.
Mis-printed 1:50,000 Imperial Scale
Seems like a nice product, but when checking it out on my map, I found that the 1:50,000 imperial scale does not scale correctly. I put a ruler on the map and the scale to figure out if the map is wrong or the scale on the compass is wrong and it looks like a misprint on the compass. 1 mile at 1:50,000 should scale to a hair over 1 1/4 in, the scale on the compass scaled to 1 1/8". Suunto said to return it to REI - so hopefully it goes back to Suunto and not back into circulation.
My New Compass Pick
This is my new pick for a compass. I had a Suunto MC-2 but found it to be a bit heavy and bulky for my kind of hiking and annoying to open the mirror in the field to use it, so I ended up never really using it much and instead using a compass I got for around $8 many years ago. -- I wanted to upgrade from my cheapo compass for more quality, reliability, accuracy, and to be able to use more effectively with maps, and decided on the M-3 NH. Now, don't get me wrong about the MC-2. I think that is the very best baseplate compass out there and it beats this one for just a few dollars more if you are okay with the weight and bulk, and especially if you will be taking and following bearings in large open spaces over long distances (where having the mirror and sighting really helps with accuracy). I am mostly hiking trails and in the woods with limited sight distance, so for me, a lighter compass that has a longer baseplate for working with maps that I could quickly reference in the field without opening works better for me right now. I have seen mixed things about getting global needle versions of these compasses. Some people really like them and others complain the needles in these models tend to stick. I decided to save the money and bypass the confusion of the mixed reviews and get the NH version. I figure if I actually ever make it to the Southern Hemisphere and need a compass on my trip, I can look into a global compass then. I have tested out this new compass and love it! I really like the declination adjustment! I think that is a super valuable and important feature in any compass you pick for serious use. I have it set for my local area.
Product not water proof.
I have the small Suunto clip compass, but for some reason it kept developing bubbles inside the liquid filled compartment of the compass. I got it replaced twice at REI and was told I should try another compass. Ended up trying the M-3 and the first time I used it and got a little bit of rain on it, water got in between the sticker on the back of the compass that has to the declination scales printed on it. Am I supposed to use this compass indoors only? Very disappointed.
Solid compass.
I bought this in time to use it for the REI orientating/navigating course in Central Park. Although REI supplied loaner compasses for the course, I enjoyed learning on my own personal compass and comparing my readings with the class. It gave me confidence that my compass was functioning well. This compass is a step up from the loaner compasses and I am very pleased with it. The flat shape of this compass makes it easier to pack and more durable than the folding compasses; no one in the class used a folding variety.
Finding my way back to the trail
Even though I created an end-to-end GPX file of the Batona Trail, I thought that being able to use a compass properly would be a good back up. I took the one evening navigation class at REI in Marlton NJ with Postcard. I did practice the skills on local trails I knew before my Batona hike. I'm glad I did. On the fourth day of the hike, I got caught in an hours-long heavy downpour and lost the trail. Even though my phone was in a waterproof case, I didn't want to risk it. But I'd made a map of the trail and it was also in a waterproof case. So I used the skills that Postcard taught me and was able to find my way back to trail using my map and this compass. Honestly, my life was never in danger but my alternative would have been to just sit in the rain and wait. Being able to navigate with a compass and map saved me hours.
Great compass, terrible price at REI
I have a different versions of this compass for more than 20 years, and it is the go-to for wilderness navigation, and I recommend it to all students in the many navigation classes that I teach. A couple of years ago, as this compass was about $30. As I write this in July 2022, you can buy those for around $45 on Amazon. So I ask you REI, why are you selling it for $73?!?! This is a very simple tool that has had no upgrades or changes and it should still cost around $30. Great compass but no way it's worth 73 bucks. REI, please get your pricing in line with the proper market.
Has gotten worse with "upgrade"
Just bought one of these for my daughter, I have the older model. The old model is really good, unfortunately the new model is worse in several ways. Whoever approved these "improvements" maybe doesn't use a compass? The steps backward compared to the old model are: 1) The old orienting arrow (black side) had a small black feature that extended just to the tips of the red declination degree tics, making your declination setting easy to see. The new one for some reason extends both sides of the orienting arrow as well as the additional feature AND COVERS THE DECLINATION DEGREE TICS! I needed a magnifying glass and several tries to get declination adjusted. 2) The degree numbers on the rotating housing are smaller on the new model than the old. Why would you do that, especially since this is meant to be used in low light!? 3) The fonts on the rulers are smaller on the new than the old. Why?
all who wander are not lost.....
I love Suunto compasses, I am certified to teach orienteering through the NC wildlife commission and this is the compass I would recommend to anyone looking for a baseplate compass. I personally use Suunto compasses myself and have one with me every time I'm in the woods.
Excellent, better than Silva counterparts
I bought this to replace a very old Silva I had which lacked declination correction. I had an opportunity shortly after I purchased it to compare it to several Silva compasses in a class. While the fit and finish of the Suuntos and Silvas were very similar, I found that the Suunto's declination adjustment was both easier to manage and easier to read. The Suunto's declination screw is better situated to allow the user to easily see and read the adjustment reticle, by comparison the Silva's set screw forces the user to place their hand over the declination reticle which makes it very difficult to read during adjustment. Furthermore the Suunto's declination reticle is far cleaner and precise which makes it easier to set declination precisely. The Silva's reticle was quite sloppy, the box and interior line were very thick with paint bleeding out of the crevices of the box and line. I found this made setting a very precise adjustment to be guesswork at best. This is my first Suunto, I've only had an opportunity to use it in a class and on one hike.