Magnets in jacket storm flaps a no-no

[sardog1]

Some newer jackets made by Bergans (a leading Norwegian outdoor clothing manufacturer) include magnetic closures in the storm flaps. This "innovation" has the "surprising" result of affecting compasses and magnetic card strips in ways unimagined and not desired by folks wearing them in the mountains.

I haven't seen this type of closure yet in jackets over here. I have seen it in glomitts, so I'm posting this alert, in the event that any of you come across the technology. Let us know if you do, please.

 

[TCD]

The EMS goretex rainhat has a magnet in the brim so that it can be flipped up "Aussie" style. Hat is from about 2004.

 

[woodsxc]

My MH Torch has a stiffened strip in the storm flap to keep it in place and that works just fine for me.

When I'm snowboarding at a resort, I wear an Oakley Wing Man jacket. It has a magnet in the hood and one in the upper back so that the hood doesn't flap around when it's down. It works really well and is a great feature, but they didn't go overboard and stuck to velcro on the stormflaps.

 

[hikingmaineac]

I'll never forget the time I was trying to bushwhack with my fingerless mittens that have a magnet that holds the "mitten flap" back when you have them in "glove mode". I was trying to take a bearing, but ended up standing there, turning in circles wondering why the needle wasn't turning as well.

 

[forestgnome]

Great post; very interesting. How far away would your compass need to be from such a small magnet to be uneffected? You could place the compass on the ground and stand back.

 

[spencer]

Should I be concerned that these magnets will affect my GPS?

 

[jniehof]

Should I be concerned that these magnets will affect my GPS?

Not unless you take the magnet and wave it back and forth a billion times a second.

(So, no.)

 

[Papa Bear]

Should I be concerned that these magnets will affect my GPS?

Some GPS units have a magnetic compass built in (like my Garmin 60CSx), others use the satellite signals. The ones which use the satellites require you to move. So if you set a bearing and start walking, in 15 or 20 seconds the bearing pointer will suddenly lock in. When you stop, you lose the bearing in this type (which is traditional way of doing things till they started adding the magnetic compass - as well as barometers for elevation). When they started adding these analog components to the base digital unit, things got complicated.

So the answer is maybe.

 

[sardog1]

Be advised that a very small amount of magnetic material can affect a compass if it's close enough. I've found that the wire rod of a surveyor marking flag can affect a compass while I'm holding each near my chest. I'm told that bra wires can have the same effect.

 

[Paradox]

Should I be concerned that these magnets will affect my GPS?

Not the GPS receiver itself, but if it has a compass feature then that will be affected.