A good, rugged, accurate compass is a necessity in any outdoorsmen’s repertoire. Compasses vary in shapes and sizes but usually just tell the direction from a small circular shaped object. These, despite being used for ages, are quite ineffective compared to today’s compasses. They are easily lost and are practically useless in the dark unless you have some sort of a light source to read them. Now there is no reason for stressing when heading into the woods with a compass as the new makes and models have all that is needed for survival.