SUUNTO AIM-6 NH
This little oddly shaped ‘thumb compass’ is designed for taking a bearing while moving fast, as when orienteering or on mountain marathons. The idea is that it’s strapped round your thumb with the adjustable loop provided and the map held in the same hand. The idea and the name come from the orienteering technique of ‘thumbing’ the map, which means moving the tip of your thumb along the map as you go.
The Aim-6 has a straight end to the baseplate with an arrow on it that’s easier to place precisely on the map than your thumb. The compass capsule rotates and has orienting lines. There are no cardinal points or degrees marked, though, just a red north end to the needle. You can still take a bearing off the map as with a conventional baseplate compass. There’s no number to remember, however, so you need to be careful the capsule isn’t moved accidentally. There are marks on the edge of the capsule, but these are nowhere near as precise as degrees. However, if you memorise the position you can keep moving without having to turn the capsule, which I guess saves a little time in a race.
Unsurprisingly the needle is very stable when you’re moving. To achieve this, it has neodymium magnets to keep it in position.
The Aim 6 is a good compass if you use it as intended, which is to say all the time on your thumb. It can be used like a conventional compass and a lanyard is provided but it’s not as easy to do as with a conventional compass. If you’re planning on running navigation events it could be a good choice, but I wouldn’t pick it up for general hillwalking.
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