Compass Equipment Maintenance - BUBBLE!
#CheckYourPreps – A practise that should be VERY familiar with ALL preppers!
If you do not periodically check your stores or contingencies then you may be in for a big surprise come the 'Day of the Races'!
I regularly cast my eyes over my gear and equipment, stores and tools, this time though I did a thorough job and delved into my Bushcraft and Bug Out Gear.
When it came to my compass I found the ever dreaded bubble and it was a BIG one!
Bubbles, any bubbles can have big implications when navigating – Basically, it ruins and interferes with the needle.
Its a common problem! And they are not cheap.
Usually caused by hairline cracks due to being crushed in pockets or packs or in storage. A common practice would be to sit on your rucksack whilst waiting for transport etc, this too is a common reason for failure.
There are many myths and lores as to how to remedy the ailment from the use of a syringe re-fill it and seal it with superglue to the 'radiator' cure!
At altitude the bubble will increase in size due to temperature change and pressure changes, so even smaller bubbles may at some instance cause problems.
So, moral of the story – CHECK YOUR PREPS! Do not be complacent, in this instance it was a compass! No harm done!
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Dang, that is a big bubble! I have a small button compass with a small bubble, haven't got round to fixing it. Might be more energy spent fixing it that could be spent just replacing it. I have 2 other main compasses.
On the lookout now for a standby, incase this one develops another bubble.
Well: if you're on the lookout for a bubble that needs deflating, here's one for you.
:-)
I personally carry two compasses but you are apsolutely correct it’s way better to check and maintain gear now. Imagine being up the hills, the fog comes in and then you realise you have that bubble serious situation. Also I’ve never thought about the causes of that fault think il look into a finding a case or small padded bag. Good post.
The Silva Compasses are excellent, although i may look for a robust Prismatic in the future (a good old brass WW2 one).
Its a right bummer when the dreaded bubble appears.
This is a good idea, I guess it's time to go through my gear and make sure everything is in order.
Its a never ending job and one that needs doing. A good rolling maintenance programme and checking regime should highlight most problems...
Thanks for watching / commenting man.
my mat ewas just asking about this
Has or did he have a bubble?
he has a bubble