This is something that has become more common with the proliferation of smart phones, electronic car keys, digital cameras and, ironically, gps units which can cause the good old fashioned compass to flip polarity.
I know it sometimes happens, but have never seen it occur.
For solo offroad adventures, I've kept phone and compass in the same easily accessible front pocket of my vest pack for the past year. It was fine last time I used it, but threw the towel in last night.
This is something that has become more common with the proliferation of smart phones, electronic car keys, digital cameras and, ironically, gps units which can cause the good old fashioned compass to flip polarity.