I cant think of a time when a simple compass such as the Suunto A10 was less than adequate. ...
I'll put in another vote for the Suunto A-10. Mine is old and looks different than the ones you see on the Internet now (photo of mine is attached). But a quick look shows you can still get them for as low as $10.
I have a more expensive one but my compass needs are not real sophisticated. And the A-10 is so easy to carry, I've opted for it to use in more countries than I can recall.