Brunton GeoTM Transit, Azimuth (0-360°) – Professional Geological Pocket Transit with Clinometer

This is ‘the’ compass! Accurate, solid, a complete companion. However, it is a bit much for the average hiker. A good orienteering compass may be a better choice. But, I carry both Brunton Geo and Brunton TruArc 20 when off trail and exploring.

Great compass, but…. This is my third, but was a little disappointed to see that the fold-out sighting arm is now plastic instead of aluminum. For a premium compass like this, I didn’t expect to see components downgraded to plastic to save costs. I plan to return it and look for an older version that’s all aluminum.

I've used the Geo Compass on several geological mapping projects. The Geo Compass design allows readings of dip and dip direction with only one placement on the rock surface (if you are still using strike and dip you should look into the many benefits of dip/dip direction readings). You read the compass direction from the compass needle position and the dip angle from the small protractor on the side. This avoids the need to sit or lie on the ground to read the bubble level (although a bubble level is still available if you want to get dirty). So the Geo Compass allows not only more reliable readings, but is faster and you can stay off the dirt and out of the puddles. The design is similar to the "Clar" style compass used in europe for decades (why did it take us so long to see the light?) and competes with the "Freiberger Geological Stratum Compass" (which is much more expensive and has what I consider to be some quirks). The Geo Compass is solidly built and should provide years of service. The included leather case works better than I thought it would - holding the compass fairly securely even without the snap. The only downsides are that it is slightly larger than the classic style (well worth the tradeoff) and more expensive. Prices seem to fluctuate, dipping down to the $300-$350 range. I'd buy another one if I ever lost mine, even though I have a classic model available. 10 Years Later: We've beat two of these compasses up on multiple projects from Alabama to Alaska. It's still the compass I would buy if I ever lost mine. The only issue that we have had is with the stitching and snap closure on the leather cases. A visit to a shoe cobbler fixed this easily. Unfortunately, prices have remained high for several years.

I give this four stars due to the leather case that wasn't properly sewn together where the bottom loop attaches to the leather case: Half the stitching is separated. I decided to keep it and apply a very strong epoxy. If the epoxy fails I'll have to send it in for repair. The compass is everything it is advertised to be. Solid construction, lifetime warranty. One note on the warranty: Inside the users manual (back page) is a lifetime warranty that is extended to the original purchaser for as long as Brunton makes the GEO compass. This warranty instructs you to fill out and send the accompanying registration form to Brunton. I didn't get a registration form. So I called Brunton and spoke with customer service. They informed me that they no longer require the registration form. All you need is the purchase order/receipt from AMAZON. So keep that!

I use this item in my hobby--hunting and reporting on old survey benchmarks. It gives me accuracy of approximately 1.5d. Most of the time I use it hand-held, but I have also mounted it on a tripod for doing simple triangulation (resections) on survey marks and their reference points. One problem I've noticed is the difficulty of pressing and holding the needle release button when taking bearings. The button is small and hard to depress all the way, since it digs into your finger. If it is only partially depressed, an innaccurate reading will result. The ability to sight along a tape on the ground and take its bearing (using the longer extended sight and the transparent "window" on the other side of the transit) is quite useful to me. It sort of scares me that this expensive block of aluminum has no way of accepting a lanyard or other safety restraint, and so I keep worrying that I will drop it off a cliff or something. I find the bulky carrying case not useful, since my belt us usually under a pack strap anyway. Thus for quick bearings, I use a simpler baseplate compass, that I can also carry in my breast pocket and which won't send my to the poorhouse if it has to be replaced. Expensive, but it's the standard...maybe I'll have to become a geologist to make fuller use of it..!

Was not the item depicted in the photo. It is not made of aluminum and does not have the gauge on the side. I am sure it is a nice compass for what it is but the same plastic compass sells for less on Amazon with the correct description. This is clearly a deceiving ad and should be removed.

This is the US version of the Clar-type compass. It is made for structural geologists. There is no other reason to use such a heavy, bulky, and expensive compass except as a weapon of self-defense. It looks solidly made and precision machined. But it comes with several design flaws: 1. The needle is not color coded to guide the user with reading the correct end of the needle. If this were properly designed (the original description by Prof Clar is in German), the user does not have to think while measuring dip direction/dip in the field. This is not to say that users should not think in the field, but it helps, at the end of a long day, if this thing is idiot-proof. Alas, it is not. 2. While one quadrant of the dip scale is color coded, the opposite quadrant is not. That is the same omission found on the Freiberger compass, but for US newbies to dip direction/dip, it would be helpful to be consistent. It also showed that the Brunton engineers copied the German-made compasses without understanding how it works. 3. There is no provision for a laniard which means you have to set the thing down to take notes. This is a small detail but highly significant for a proper workflow in the field, especially in muddy terrains. 4. The dip scale is glued on (with not-so-superglue) rather than engraved into the metal. One of my scales has fallen off. Now, I could glue it back on but keep in mind that this is supposed to be accurate by one degree! 5. The read-off reference for the dip scale on the main part of the housing is vey hard to see, especially under low light--it is a step (not a groove, not a line) that is machined into the metal. Stylish but not functional. 6. Too heavy, too bulky. Ovreall recommendation: Don't buy. Get one of the German models. User: expert (used 4 different brands over 30 years).

Pocket Transit arrived in near-record time, even with "Standard" service. Item is exactly as advertised and of very high quality.