Silva Expedition S Compass Reviews

4.8 Rating 14 Reviews

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“I've used silva compasses for years simple 123 method with my maps never got lost thought I'd try a new one and it is just as good!!but has a few extra bits which are very useful and will check them out over time but the compass is great”

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Posted 2 months ago

“Great product and fast delivery”

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Posted 10 months ago

“Excellent compass and well made”

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Posted 1 year ago

“Nice compass, accurate and easy to use.”

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Posted 1 year ago

“Excellent silva compass. Hard to get hold of this model. Great service and used this compass on a recent trip to the peak district. Top job”

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Posted 1 year ago

“Excellent product, full of featires and great build qaulity”

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Posted 2 years ago

“Silva are, in my opinion, still the premier compass manufacturer. This compass is packed with useful features, is quality made and compact. Totally satisfied.”

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Posted 2 years ago

“Firstly, great communication and quick delivery by Outdoor GB. This is a great addition to my kit list. I did ponder over whether or not to buy this as I already have the Suunto MC-2, but glad I did. It is a great looking compass which feels good in the hand. I am yet to take it out and use it properly, but playing about indoors has shown me how good it is. In my humble opinion, the Silva is slightly better than the Suunto the reason are - 1) I prefer the Roma scale on the Silva versus the distance scale on the Suunto. 2) The rubberised bezel on the Silva feels better and, I would imagine, be easier you use in the field. 3) The Silva has a vertical and horizontal line in the mirror meaning a more accurate bearing can be taken. 5) The baseplate millimetre and inch rule is slightly longer on the Silva versus the Suunto. Another review mentioned the lanyard being too short for use as a lanyard. I disagree and, as I have both the MC-2 and the Expedition S, have found they are both the same length. One thing which gives the Silva the edge is the concealed adjustment tool. On my Suunto, it is loose on the lanyard and free to run up and down as it pleases. I agree the scale may be a bit of a gimmick. I have measured it alongside the 1:25 000 scale on one of my maps and found it to be out by circa 200m over 5km. Not a huge distance (25m per 1 km) and as a scale may be useful in giving a rough idea if no other means of measuring are available. The sighting window is smaller but I wonder if, with a little practice it may prove to be more accurate? I guess that is down to personal preference and time will tell as to whether or not I prefer one over the other. The contour/ slope card is a nice addition, but the Suunto has this printed on the side of the lid (one observation here is that I have 1:25 000 on one side of the lid and 1:24 000 on the other) and, as such, is not something extra to carry or risk being lost. I would have liked it if the main compass points - N, E, S, W were of a contrasting colour than the orange bezel or if the N was highlighted at the very least. I have a feeling I may be getting a marker pen out in the not too distant future!! The clinometer on the Silva is more responsive that the one on the Suunto. The Silva is some 30mm longer when both are open but only circa 8mm longer when both are closed. This is due to the Silva having a longer mirror/ cover. Finally, the magnifying glass, whilst relatively small on both compasses, is slightly bigger (not by much though) on the Suunto than the Silva. Each compass has both positives and negatives when compared with each other but for me, as noted above, I prefer the Silva. If, after some use in the field, my opinion changes, I will happily come back here and make a note!!”

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Posted 3 years ago