Glow sticks and chem lights

Glow sticks and chemical lights

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Which light will help you
read a topographical
map? Green or blue. These
provide the most ambient
light and allow you to see
the map.

How can you use a chem
light for trail marking or
signaling? Light the way
with green or yellow.

Which chem light is best
for keeping a low
profile? Red. It's great for
hiding.

Which color is best for
hunting? Red. A red chem
light doesn't draw too
much attention to animals.

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Surface Trip Flare

Orange Chemical light

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Above, a soldier waves a chem light affixed to a paracord in a pattern to
signal air traffic to go. The spinning technique is called a buzz saw! The
pattern above are chem lights fashioned to a buzz saw (picture a bola in
different lengths). In red or orange it might signal an extraction point.

The possibilities for use of a chem light are endless! Have your
d uct tape handy to easily affix a chem light where you need it.

Finally, be sure to have some mylar so you can wrap up your
lights. A disadvantage of a glow stick is that you can't turn
them off! If you're in a situation where you need to hide, then
having a way to conceal the lite is important.

So now you know the difference between chem lights and glow
sticks, what they are and how to use the different colors.

Happy endings...
Chem lights are longer lasting than solar-power, and also can
outlast crank-power, shake-power and battery-power! Don't toy
around, power up your survival kits with chem lights.

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Above, a chemlight holder has the ability to focus the intensity of light or
to mask it entirely. A chem light holder can help you use a chem stick like
a flashlight, or direct the light for reading. You can also accomplish these
objectives with duct tape.

How to use a Chem Light
There's more to know about chem lights! Aside from the obvious
use of illumination and various uses of color, below are some
practical ways preppers can use a chemical light...

Nineteen reasons to have chem lights in your
survival kit:

Acting as a flashlight when you don't have one. While
the lighting isn't as focused as a tactical torch, a chem
light provides enough "glow" to get from point A to point B,
so you can find your way around in the dark when the
lights go out. You can also slide the chem light back into
the packaging after cracking it to help direct the light
through the base. To provide directional lighting you can
tape over one side (in this way the 360 light won't shine in
your eyes and blind you for reading).
Reading a topographical map on the journey. Do NOT
choose red for this task.
Keeping a low profile when you need some illumination.
Choose red for this task.
Trail marking to direct camp goers. Bright yellow is good
for this purpose.
Marking cordage. With a chemical light stick, you can
mark the end of a rope which might be critical to survival.
Keeping a large group together. If everyone in the group
has a chem light it helps avoid separation.
Marking an area for roadside emergencies. While flare
sticks are good for road emergencies, glow sticks can help
mark car and people for other situations. It's also ideal for
gas leaks and marking fallen objects.
Perimeter marking. The military may use chemical sticks
to indicate friendly perimeter zones.
Avoiding tripping, slipping and falling. In camping,
chemical light sticks can help you identify where the tent
cord and stakes are located to avoid tripping. You might
also indicate safe paths and thereby avoiding slippery or
muddy areas.
Making a water lantern. Inserting a chemical stick into a
milk jug full of water or a Naglene water bottle will create
a temporary reading lamp.
Identifying a cleared room. Placing in a doorway, a chem
light might indicate a cleared room to military personnel or
first responders.
Indicating "man overboard." When the Navy has a man
overboard, they reach for a ChemLight to mark his or her
location.
Marking extraction position. When a downed Air Force
pilot needs to mark his position for extraction, he trusts
only military grade ChemLights.
Lighting up under wet conditions. Lightsticks will work
under wet conditions.
Marking field debris. Chem lights can help mark field
debris obstacles for nightfall after a disaster such as an
earthquake, hurricane or tornado.
Lighting for when there are undetectable gases. After
an earthquake it may be safer to use chemlights or solar
than to light up candles and kerosene lamps.
Identifying unit or vehicle positions by color. The military
may mark red as 1st platoon or green 2nd, for example.
Entertaining children is another use of chemical lights.
While they are entertaining, they also provide a safe light
when compared to candle-light in an emergency for times
when batteries die or when you are out of solar lighting.
What's more, they are fun and provide a morale booster,
which may be all you need to keep a child feeling safe and
secure in an emergency.
Signaling for help or providing directives. The clever
prepper can use a light stick with paracord in military
fashion to signal air traffic or to help first responders
identify the distress location, or to give the "green light" to
go!

Glow Sticks vs. Chemical Lights
How to use Chem Lights

A glow stick is not the same as a chemical light stick!
Don't toy around! Power up your bugout bag, car and survival
kits with chemical lights, not glow sticks. Anyone who has spent
time in the military is familiar with chem lights, 12-hour military
grade light sticks. Don't be fooled by the dollar store variety.
Military grade chemical sticks can be seen a mile away and
much more.

Chem lights vs. Glow Sticks ~ What they
are and how to use the different colors...

Real glow sticks are called "Chem Lights"...
What makes a real chemical light better than a glow stick?
Below is a partial list:

Duration and distance. A chemical grade light stick can
last 8 to 12 hours and be seen a mile away with 360-
degree illumination. You can't do that with a toy glow
stick. This is perhaps the main distinction, but there are
more reasons to choose a chem light over a glow stick.

Color. Glow sticks often include pink or orange in the mix,
but not a true red and glow stick never come in white.
Chemical sticks on the other hand come in white and many
other colors. Red is ideal for creating a low level lighting
which may be necessary when you want to avoid
detection. White is also an important color not found in
glow sticks. A white chemical stick emits the brightest
light, which is immensely useful as general illumination the
way you'd use a flashlight Below you can learn the
difference and know how to use the different colors.

Longer shelf life: Chem lights are more sturdy and won't
break apart like the toy kinds. They also have a longer
shelf life than what you get with the dollar store varieties.
This is another important distinction. Chem lights with foil
wrap can last four years! In short, you get what you pay for.

What's more, a chemical light stick is waterproof, non-
flammable, and non-sparking, which makes them useful in
hazardous situations where sparks or flame could cause an
explosion (e.g., a break in gas mains after an earthquake).

Real chemical lights have value to the military, and therefore
they also have value to preppers! Chemical sticks offer a steady
light with out heat. They are ideal for marking, signaling and
illuminating, but there's so much more to know.

Below you'll find the value of chem lights and how to use them,
including:

Which chem light will help you read a topographical map?
How can you use a chem light for trail marking?
Which chem light is best for keeping a low profile?
Which color is best for hunting?

How to use Chemical Light Colors
Think carefully of your situation, the application and desired
results when selecting the chemical lights you need. On chem
light color uses, here's what to know:

Red Chem Lights (up to 12 hours): Red is an important
color in military terms. Red glow stic ks, or chem lights,
don't draw attention to your position ~ it's much harder for
animals and humans to see! The illumination capabilities
of the red chem lights are ideal if you want to hide. It's a
dim light and it won't light up to give away your position if
you're hiding from human predators, but if you want to
keep animals away, don't use the red chemical light. Use
something brighter to keep the night creatures away.

Red is

also

not the best choice in colors if you're looking to

illuminate

a large area

or if you're looking to read

topograph

ical maps. The red lines will be hard if not

impossible to

see on a topographical map.

The red light

will wash them

away making them nearly impossible to

read.

Red has many purposes and should be on the top of the

list of colors to get. Among the top reasons

to choose red

is to increase

night vision.

Red is

best

for preserving your

night vision for such tasks as hunting.

Green Chem Lights (up to 12 hours - can be seen a mile
away). Green signifies "go" and is best used when you
want to be seen at long distances. Green has a strong
output that can be seen a mile away! Green is a better
choice for helping to read topographical maps, than red,
which as aforementioned is a bad choice. That's because
green gives the most visible light.

Green will give a

strong light output

and will generally last

the longest of all

the color choices

The green SnapLight is

so bright it can

be seen from up to a mile away.

On the

other hand, green

is not going to be good for

roadside

emergencies. Pick

yellow

or orange

for that task.

Blue Chem Lights (up to 8 hours - strong output). Blue
is not good for map reading, but it's another good choice
when you need to illuminate up to a mile away! The
downside is that the blue chem lights last up to 8 hours
and not 12 as most of the others.

Yellow Chem Lights (up to 12 hours). When you want to
really illuminate an area, and not hide, yellow is an ideal
option. Generally, the yellow glow sticks will last longer
than white. With yellow, you'll generally get 12 hours of
use! Also, yellow can signify "caution" to motorists, making
it an ideal color choice for roadside emergencies; however,
if you need a high intensity light for roadside emergencies
choose the "five-minute" orange chemlights.

You can rest assured knowing

that yellow chemical light

will provide enough light for rooms, hallways, stairwells or

your walk back to camp.

White Chem Lights (up to 8 hours). A military grade
white chem light is a high light output for up to 8 hours at
a time that's ideal to help get the job done when electric
light isn’t an option. White is an intense light and best
choice if you want to illuminate a large area. For whatever
reason, the white lights usually have a shorter duration as
they are more intense. The downside is that the white
chem lights generally last only up to 8 hours and not 12 as
most of the others.

Orange (high intensity - 5 minutes). One thing you'll
notice about orange chemlights is that they have a five-
minute duration. This is important! You see, the shorter
the burn time, the more intense and brighter it glows!
Orange chemical lights are different than all the others.
They are for emergencies requiring a short and high-
intensity light, such as for trip flares and signaling
helicopters. While the other colors typically last 8-12
hours, the orange chem light lasts just 5 minutes. While
the other colors will have a four year shelf life, the orange
has just a two-year shelf life. In short, they are formulated
differently. They are intended to stay ultra bright for a
short period of time. The highest intensity in the orange
chem lights will be visible in the first five minutes. They do
not die, but they rapidly decrease intensity after the first
five minutes. This is with purpose as they are intended to
provide a short target range of glow and then fade for
tactical purposes.

Used in combination with

trip flare kit

, the orange

chem lights are very effective for perimeter security.

The Cyalume Military Graded Surface Trip Flare, pictured

immediate right, is trusted by US Armed Forces, Special

Operations Groups and SWAT teams to provide safe,

effective intrusion alerts during nighttime tactical and

training operations. Non-Flammable and Non-Toxic, this

surface trip flare will not start a fire like pyrotechnic ones

often do.

The Cyalume Military Graded Surface Trip Flare

comes with a black 100 foot trip wire which is much better

than thread and mouse traps. It's

useful

as a deployed

alert system for a prepper's bugout location.

NOTE: Be careful buying orange chemlights. Some have a 12-
hour duration and these are not the kind needed to signal
helicopters. Look closely at what you're buying. The ChemLights
for a trip flare have five minute intensity. These are the ones
that are powerful enough to signal air traffic if they have not
expired. They are specially formulated for five minute duration,
cost a little more and have only a two year shelf life.

Why use Cylalume ChemLight and not a Glow stick?
Cyalume ChemLight is the gold standard in chemical light
technology. Standard issue for U.S. military personnel around
the globe, these tactical-grade light sticks aren’t some child’s
toy you find at a party store. Each color has a specific purpose.
Use orange light

The light sticks have a hook and gate top which keeps the light
source secure whether you’re hanging, attaching or stringing
them together.

If you're looking for a chemlight which doesn't draw as much
attention to your position and is more difficult for animals and
humans to see, red is the preferred color. Use a Red chem light
when you need to illuminate up close and personal use for such
things as map reading. You can also use a red chem light when
marking a location without becoming a light house beacon. It
also does not attract as many - if any - night time animal and
insect visitors.

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