UKH

Safety alert: Outdoor Research Meteor mitts have four small magnets on each inner which DO affect a magnetic compass. These are brilliant mitts, but could affect navigation in life-threatening circumstances. I've removed the magnets from mine as of 17 December 2017. I've messaged OR about the problem but have had no response yet.

I'd hate anyone on here to follow a bearing off a cliff in a whiteout because they hadn't noticed these magnets - which are there to hold the folding thumb and finger sections back when wearing the inner mitt alone.

Since posting this alert on Facebook I've had reports of people de-magnetising their compasses when storing them in the same pocket as these mitts. I've also had reports that other gloves have magnets in them and this has caused at least one fell-runner to be lost in cloud for hours when trying to follow a bearing. Other reported sources of magnetic problems for compasses have included magnetic clips for hydration systems, mobile phones and even the Apple Watch. If you're planning to use a compass to navigate (or as a backup for your GPS), check it against your kit before you depart, and don't put it in the same pocket as your phone.

This thread was started in the WINTER CLIMBING forum and has now been moved.
Please could you try and post in the correct forum, it makes life easier for both users and moderators.

Climbing Gear
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In reply to Pete_Frost:

Yes, I've seen magnetic closures pop up in other outdoor clothing, and thought 'not very smart'.

As you say, be wary of anything drawing current from a battery, too. Phones these days don't seem to have magnets as strong as they used to, but the speaker will have a magnet (just checked my Moto E2; just able to hang on to a scalpel blade).

In reply to UKH Forums:

Thanks moderator. I posted on winter climbing because I wanted winter climbers to see the post and check for magnets that could cause them to navigate off a cliff in a whiteout. Please consider moving it back because the post is about winter safety, not gear.

In reply to Pete_Frost:
Hmm now I wonder if those petzl magnetic helmet closures could have any effect? Might have to do some experiments..,

In reply to UKH Forums:

I'm intrigued. The only rationale for this must be that the gear forum is more widely read than the winter climbing one, because if that wasn't the case....

In reply to pebbles:

Those magnetic buckles seem rather prone to prompt loud swearing when they come undone halfway up a route, I'm sure it never happened before you told me about them doing that!

In reply to Deadeye:
Is the practical solution two posts: main post in Gear, alert and link in Winter? Should be acceptable...

In reply to Pete_Frost:

I nearly bought some softshell convertible mitts that had magnetic retainers to hold the mitt flap back (may have been Marmot) but plumped for the Mountain Equipment convertible mitt as it used good old fashioned velcro instead as I suspected the magnet would affect a compass.
Almost glad to hear that my paranoia paid off.
It almost seems like a rookie error for a designer of outdoor kit to stick magnets to gloves!

In reply to angry pirate:


Agreed. Negligent.

In reply to Bob Kemp:

Done! Re-posted to Winter Climbing with a note to the moderator to ask them to leave it in place. Thanks for the suggestion. Here's hoping people see the post and check all their kit for interference with compasses before they have to navigate in dangerous terrain.