This is the Brunton Tag-Along 9045 Chill Compass, each one is made in Riverton, Wyoming from recycled and reclaimed acrylic, with a lanyard made from recycled soft drink bottles (RPET), and they cost just $15 USD apiece.
As the saying goes, the best compass is the one you have with you. This is the fundamental ethos behind the 9045 Chill Compass – it’s designed to be inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to attach to a backpack, belt loop, or simply hung from your rear vision mirror.
This compass is designed to be strapped to a backpack or your belt loop and provide quick reference bearings.
Brunton’s story begins with Canadian-born geologist David W. Brunton, who invented the Pocket Transit Compass in 1894. His invention combined a magnetic compass, clinometer, and spirit level in a compact, portable device. It allowed for quick and accurate measurements of strikes and dips in geological formations, revolutionizing fieldwork for geologists and mining engineers.
In 1896, Brunton partnered with William Ainsworth to manufacture and distribute the compass. The William Ainsworth & Sons company in Denver, Colorado, produced Brunton’s invention under the name “Brunton’s Patent Pocket Transit” for decades.
As the compass gained popularity among professionals and military personnel, the Brunton name became synonymous with good quality, and perhaps more importantly, reliability in the field. In the mid-20th century, the company expanded its product line to include other outdoor and surveying equipment.
Brunton continues to create new equipment, introducing digital compasses and other outdoor navigation tools, the Tag-Along 9045 Chill Compass is one of their most recent creations. It was designed as an inexpensive compass that can be carried daily, or just brought with you when you’re heading into the great outdoors.
The low $15 USD MSRP of the 9045 Chill Compass makes it ideal for use in situations or environments where more expensive compasses might get lost or damaged.
As noted in the introduction, it’s made from recycled and reclaimed acrylic and the lanyard is made from recycled soft drink bottles. It weighs just 0.6 oz, it measures in at 2⅖” x 1⅘” x ½”, and it incudes a reliable fluid-filled compass and a thermometer which allows you to keep track of the local temperature.
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