NEWS: Hillgoers Warned about Magnets in Clothing

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 UKC/UKH News 15 Feb 2018
Magnetic gloves montage, 4 kbMountaineering Scotland have issued a warning to walkers and climbers to beware of the effects of magnets, not just in electronic equipment but - of all things - in clothing too.

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 Chris Sansum 15 Feb 2018
In reply to UKC/UKH News:

Different type of issue, but the worst use of a magnet I've seen is the magnet on the quick release clip on Petzl meteor helmets (meteor 2 I think). They attract stones which gather around the magnets, and can prevent the closure clip from closing properly. You can never tell (unless you inspect it closely and clean it if required before each use, which defeats the object of a 'quick' clip) whether the helmet clip is safely done up - it has a tendency to undo without warning, or just not be secure. Not ideal for a piece of personal protection equipment...

Post edited at 12:41
 felt 15 Feb 2018
In reply to UKC/UKH News:

They play havoc with the mechanism in your automatic watch, although there are worse things than being too early.

Having said that, you've got to be an esoteric navigator these days just to rely on a watch.

 steveriley 16 Feb 2018
In reply to UKC/UKH News:

Doh! I did once buy a compass with reversed polarity - thankfully noticed before walking off the end of the earth

 philipjardine 17 Feb 2018
In reply to UKC/UKH News:

some ski googles have magnets these days as well

 olddirtydoggy 18 Feb 2018
In reply to UKC/UKH News:

Why the hell would an outdoor manufacturer make a pair of gloves with magnets them? I heard about this a few weeks ago where a team in Scotland had exactly this happen with a pair of gloves. Helmets I kind of get but to put magnets in the hands and chest is just insane. Should we have a black list of bad products? Who would like to name and shame first?

RunningInCircles 18 Feb 2018
In reply to olddirtydoggy:

Got some fingerless gloves which convert into mitts, Rab ones have Velcro and the Marmot ones have magnets...

Can't see the magnets being strong enough to cause a problem while handling a compass, they are on the back of the hand. Obviously, storing the two next to each other would be a problem... The upside to the magnets is that you can stick your mitts to a radiator when you get home

4
 Toerag 19 Feb 2018
In reply to RunningInCircles:

> The upside to the magnets is that you can stick your mitts to a radiator when you get home

...if you get home and aren't left wandering aimlessly over the moors with a knackered compass...

 

 Greasy Prusiks 19 Feb 2018
In reply to RunningInCircles:

> Can't see the magnets being strong enough to cause a problem while handling a compass,

I think I understand where your username comes from now. 

 Tringa 14 Mar 2018
In reply to UKC/UKH News:

In addition to magnetic fasteners in clothing reversing the polarity of a compass stored close to the fastener there is also the magnetic field from a mobile phone to consider.

I think most, if not all, walkers carry a mobile now, either to use in an emergency or as check on their position. The magnetic field of a mobile is strong enough to cause deviation of a compass needle so even if a compass is kept well away from any magnetic closures there is a chance a bearing could be incorrect if the reading is taken close to a mobile stored in nearby pocket.  


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