The Brunton Pioneer 26DNL floats, so it’s easily retrieved should you accidentally drop it overboard like our Boundary Waters tester did. Its navigational features are just as handy on land, too: It has a large, bright mirror for sighting—a detail that becomes increasingly critical when taking long-distance bearings. The needle’s dampening time (how long it takes to settle) is almost nil; it fixed into position as quickly as our tester turned his body. Bummer: Only the compass circle is transparent; the opaque baseplate obscures small portions of the map. $22; 1.2 oz.; brunton.com
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