Magnets in clothing steer hill walkers off course

MAGNETS on clothes and on mobile phone covers are leading hill walkers to get lost when compass needles go haywire.

Increasingly, magnets are being used on gloves and other modern outdoor clothing, as well as being used to keep phone covers clasped shut.

Mountaineering Scotland said a recent incident in Glen Shee was thought to have been caused by a magnetic fastening deflecting a compass needle.

It said a group of walkers had wrongly headed east instead of west before becoming disorientated.

“Fortunately, no one was hurt – just pride dented – but it could have turned out so much worse had mountain conditions been more severe,” said Heather Morning, mountain safety adviser for Mountaineering Scotland.

“The reason for the error was the compass. It had been stored in a pocket next to a mobile phone in a case which had a magnetic closure on it, and the magnet had reversed the polarity of the compass needle, so that the north arrow pointed south.”

People are already advised to keep their compasses well away from mobile phones because of the potential for magnetic interference.

“More joined-up thinking is needed between outdoor clothing manufacturers and mountain users to avoid potentially life-threatening consequences,” she added.