Compass in Metric or Inches?

[mat10x]

hey guys,

i'm interested in getting into orienteering.

Was looking at a Suunto MC2 Global compass. i see that it comes in metric or inches. I believe most orienteering maps are in metric...but what about standard maps?

which compass would be better for US maps/land navigation in general? metric or inches?

thx.

[trackmagic]

I believe military maps are in meters and USGS is in yards. Not sure on that though. I would get whatever scale map you are likely to use.

[BangBang77]

OP

I teach wilderness SAR and navigation nationally and in my opinion the Suunto MC-2 AZ IN (inches) is the best compass available.

The grid on a USGS topo map is 1 kilometer square. In the contiguous states, the 7.5 minute 1:24000 scale is the most prolific map used and also the most useful for land navigation.

It basically boils down to whether you want to figure distances on your map in metric or standard. More important is the grid reader you'll use. I highly recommend the Forestry Suppliers UTM Grid Reader II.

If you want more in depth info or opinions feel free to PM me. I have a recommended gear list that I give my students.