Cammenga Official US Military Tritium Lensatic Compass, Accurate Waterproof Hand Held Compasses with Pouch for Hiking Camping Navigation Survival Backpacking Orienteering

Appears to be the real deal, personally prefer base plate with adjustable declination screw so you adjust and be done. But land navigation course on east coast I have to use this so have to brush up on this compass. Plus have to recondition myself from easternly to westernly. Below is what A.I. says to look for when looking for authentic Cammenga. To distinguish a real Cammenga compass from a fake one, check for the following details: proper markings and engravings, a clear and consistent tritium glow, a well-built construction, the correct company logo, and purchase from a reputable seller; if you suspect a fake, closely examine the case back for accurate serial numbers and manufacturing information, as counterfeit versions often have inconsistencies or missing details. Key points to look for: Markings and Engravings: "Cammenga" logo should be clearly visible and properly aligned. Serial number on the back of the compass should be neatly stamped and legible. All markings on the compass face, including degree markings and north arrow, should be crisp and consistent. Tritium Glow: A genuine Cammenga compass will have a consistent, even glow from the tritium vials, visible in low light conditions. Uneven or very faint glow could indicate a fake. Construction Quality: A real Cammenga compass should feel sturdy and well-built with no loose parts or obvious imperfections. Check for a solid, secure closure mechanism on the compass case. Purchase Source: Always buy from a trusted retailer specializing in outdoor gear or directly from the Cammenga website to minimize the risk of buying a fake. What to be wary of in a fake Cammenga: Poorly engraved markings: Blurred or misaligned text, incorrect logos. Inconsistent tritium glow: Uneven or very weak glow, or no glow at all. Cheap materials: Plastic feeling case, loose components. Missing information: Missing serial numbers, manufacturing details on the case back.

Great for hiking and camping. Very sturdy and well made. Just like the compass that I carried in the Marine Corps.

Excellent quality compass. You take it in your hands and feel the quality. All markers (sighting wire, line on glass, rear sight with lense) are aligned. Nothing is loose or dangling. The compass marks are glowing in green, this is obviously due to the tritium tubes. It's made to withstand harsh conditions, aluminum and durable, you shouldn't drop it, but accidentally can sit on it without any consequences. When the compass is closed, the north arrow lifts up and is removed from the needle, which is not the case with all cheap or fake/knock off compasses. This protects the compass mechanism from damage due to shaking or falling and wear and tear. What is disappointing: 1. Its price when you pay for it, but its really worth it. Other good quality compass manufacturers also sells their products in similar price 2. Bezel could be aluminum too, it is plastic 3. Degrees markers in 5 degree step

Everything about this compass is much better than the imitation one that I already have. Wish I had bought it earlier.

I was an infantry officer in the US Army for 15 years. Before that, I backpacked in my high school and college years. In both cases I was comfortable navigating with topo maps and a compass or by terrain features and a compass. This exact compass is what I'm used to so it's what I bought to get back into backpacking. What I like about these lensatic compasses vs popular map compasses with built in protractors......... 1.) Precise. Super easy to get precise readings. Map compasses are not less accurate but harder to get precise readings from. 2.) No fluid! Fluid filled housings are an accident waiting to happen. The magnetic damping in this compass won't leak and it won't form a bubble at altitude or with temperature changes. It won't leave you stranded. 3.) Tough. The aluminum housing can be tossed in a pack, a pocket, or hung around your neck. It is not delicate. 4.) Trituim. This is one of the few if not the only compasses using radioactive tritium for night illumination. Again, reliable in any conditions. So what do you give up vs a flat plastic map compass..... 1.) The flat plastic protractor. No big deal. I don't need one but if you do, buy one for a few bucks. 2.) Declination adjustment. A nice convenience but hardly a necessity. I mean we're talking addition and subtraction of whole numbers here folks, not trigonometry. I'd rather have the more reliable compass. 3.) Size and weight. This is probably a little larger and heavier than most plastic map compasses but not dramatically so. The upside is it's also a lot tougher with no fluid to get screwed up. In short, this lensatic compass is a simple device that will last a long long time and give reliable, precise readings time after time. Isn't that what you want when you're cut off from civilization?

If you order from these people, CHECK YOUR GOODS CAREFULLY. They initially shipped me the non-tritium phosphorescent version of this compass, and while that's still a good device it is not what I ordered; its visibility in dark conditions is only temporary and will only function when the compass has been previously exposed to a light source for a suitable duration. Thankfully, Amazon made returning the cheaper device easy, and the replacement I received was the right option after all. The customer can even determine this without opening the compass, for the exterior surfaces of the compass will show if it's a tritium version or a phosphorescent one. Cammenga has been making these compasses for the military for quite a few years. These navigation tools are durable, dependable and relatively uncomplicated to use, and they have a solid reputation. My colleagues and I relied on the Army's favorite compass on numerous occasions, and this is the exact same model used by our soldiers (though in my days of service long ago, it was made by Cammenga's predecessor). What's being sold here is not military surplus though, but instead a newly manufactured compass just as the military purchases. The date code inside mine shows it was built in 2026, and thus the glowing elements within are strong. The hinged parts are snug, far more so than the old Army compass I once carried. Its sighting wire, lens and glass are clean and clear, and the rotating bezel moves cleanly to each 3-degree stop. The dampened compass needle tracks to magnetic north without jitter, and both the needle and bezel lock into place when the sighting lens is folded down. Again, these are all the elements that made the lensatic compass a reliable tool during military land navigation, and they will be equally useful to me in my civilian pursuits. Outdoorsmen of any sort would be well served by this compass (assuming they know how to use a compass properly). There are some compasses out there which only function correctly in either the northern or southern hemisphere, not both. This model does not have such limits, as it will work in either half of our world's surfaces. Five stars would be my mark if the original shipment I received had been the right item, but since it was made right I'll only lower my score a bit.

Solid construction and the tritium dots will be helpful in low light. Examining it this afternoon in the company of the civilian US Army land nav manual, a lot of my long-ago ROTC and active-duty training kicked into gear.

I was one of those guys who served in the the early 70's and trained on a similar lensatic compass with basically the same specs as the current (1992+) contractor (Cammenga.) Here's some caveats... 1. Tritium is not a neon glow which backlights your compass and can serve as an emergency flashlight or locator beacon. Only the basic indicator lines and East and West markers glow - faintly. The picture that most vendors (and Cammenga as well) use to illustrate the 3H Tritium lighting is grossly exaggerated. 2. Whoever posted "my compass was made in 1977" didn't bother to take the time to fact-check with the manufacturer. The date code on my Cammenga compass is 12-01-77. Per Cammenga, this indicates it was manufactured in January of 2012. The "77" is a standardized code indicated it was made for civilian market distribution. Simple as that. 3. Make sure you're capable of either learning, or are already skilled at the use of a lensatic compass. When you take a sighting it doesn't get held out in front of you, it goes up on your cheek. Also, if you suffer from any sight issues, as I do with reading glasses, bifocals, etc, you might have difficulty using the magnifying glass viewer. Using a lensatic compass with eyeglasses is a bit tricky. It's not designed for old guys who can't read their newspaper without 'playing the trombone' to sight in the print.. 4. The Cammenga 3H is the gold standard for compasses. Anything less is a dangerous compromise. Can you do without the Tritium? Sure. Until you need it. 5. Cammenga offers some great map & compass / orienteering resources, as does the US Army, for free. Don't pay for reprints which are available online for free. After all, your tax dollars helped to pay for the Army field manuals... why not use them? Simply Google "US Army Field Manual for [xyz subject]." There's lots of sources out there. Save yourself $15 bucks on a reprinted book. 6. The vendor who sold me the compass, OutdoorBunker.com, shipped it quickly and safely. Couldn't ask for more. Cammenga FAQ page explaining date codes: [...] Excellent orienteering resource can be found at: [...]

This compass is one of the best navigation tool i've ever bought... Keep in mind that GPS signals from satellites aren't available anywhere/everywhere and are always subject to being intercepted or jammed when a war begins or solar blasts erupts. When GPS batteries are going down or if you're in an area where satellites are not available, you'll be glad to have this alternative tool. U.S. Military made this compass with quality in mind when they've pass the contract to Cammenga. They didn't went with the lowest bidder and so this is one of the most expensive compass you can buy but there's a good reason for it. Frame is made from good quality aluminium and the housing is waterproof. CAMMENGA lensatic compasses slow the needle via induction dampening and avoid the problems associated with liquid fill. So it's ready for operations in our Canada's cold temperature! The lighting from the tritium is made to glow for around 10 to 15 years without being exposed to light. This is perfect for night navigation. If you're an amateur or professional hiker, survivor, police or military and need a good compass you'll keep for all your life and pass to your grandchildren, this is the best compass to buy.

Tritium: The one I received was dated 17-12. The radioactive tritium is a bit spooky, but really cool. I know it will fade over the years, but currently it provides enough lumination to read the dial in the dark. I don't personally need tritium, but this was cheaper then I could get a phorporous one. Weight: The compass is lighter than I expected it to be, which is a good thing. Fit and finish: The is a little bit of black paint missing at hinge. Also opening it up fully, it's not perfectly level, or maybe even along the bottom. The 0 graduation mark looks like it wasn't milled the same and is a little harder to make out compared to others. Maybe that's intentional? The hinge is currently working great. The scale marking do match up with a 1:50000 map. I personally care more about performance then fit/finish, but at this price range some might expect perfection. Accuracy: To test this a did four readings of the goal posts from the corner of a socket field, and uses Google maps satalite view to look up their location. After figuring it all out I got errors of -0.4, -0.5, 0.4, 0.7 deg. That's a pretty good result and might even be a bit of a fluke. But point is its accurate, and I have no hesitations trusting it. You can use this directly with a map if it's orientated correctly, or if you use the bezel, but I'm waiting for a protractor with these millirad units before taking it with me. Would be nice if it came bundled with something.

it is waste of money buying this the numbers and markings are not readable

I had some poor quality compasses before and this time for me quality had to be very important. First of all this particular item comes in a nice army pouch . Second The needle locks , yes the price is not cheap but you pay for what you get, this unit is very solid and also very accurate , I am very pleased with my purchase could not ask for a better compass .

De entrada me gusto falta probar que cumpla con las caracteristicas técnicas