Chemlights?

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  • bcd007

    Marksman
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    Jan 21, 2010
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    Anyone out there scratch your head about putting chemlights in your kit? Sure, they are neat and all, and if you cut the green ones open you get Predator blood, but they put out so little light I can’t seem to find a good use for them (compared to the weight/space they take up). Anyone have a great use for chemlights that I’m missing?

    And since winter is coming (ahhh, see what I did there!), I thought I’d share an item that always finds it way into the Jeep when the weather turns cold. And that’s Readyheat blankets. These are basically chemical hand warmers in a blanket size. They last about 6 hours, and top out around 100 degrees. When it comes to staying alive, or preventing shock in an accident victim when it’s frigid out, you can’t beat them.

    i get mine a Chinook Medical Supplies. Not cheap, and once they are exposed to air there’s no way to turn them off.
    But they generate their own heat and are big enough to wrap around someone and seal off the foot end. Check them out.

    -Bob...
     

    actaeon277

    Grandmaster
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    Nov 20, 2011
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    Chemlights put out enough light to read a map, or get something out of a bag.
    They don't have a battery that goes dead.
    They don't have electronics that can fail.
    Why not have a couple?
     

    Clay Pigeon

    Shooter
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    Aug 3, 2016
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    Summitville
    Have you ever been 40 miles outside of a citys lights at night and you can't see your hand in front of your face?
    #ChemlightsMatter


    Edit, sorry I was being politically incorrect, I will tow the line...................
     
    Last edited:

    Lilboog82

    Sharpshooter
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    Oct 26, 2014
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    Indiana
    Chemlights work great for nightlights when we go camping. Plenty of light emitted to not stub toe or trip over anything in our shanty, I mean cabin. The green/yellow ones at least. The blue ones not so much, and orange ehhhh.
     

    actaeon277

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    Used to give them to the scouts for them to run around and have fun at night.
    Used get the mini-lights and tape them to Frisbees.
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    Aug 18, 2011
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    Used to give them to the scouts for them to run around and have fun at night.
    Used get the mini-lights and tape them to Frisbees.

    The mini-lights (bobber lights?) are handy to take to gun shows for guns that you can't use a bore light on easily (especially handy for muzzle loaders). I keep a few in my gun show backpack. Once you crack them, you can drop them down the bore of the gun to check its condition.
     

    bcd007

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    Jan 21, 2010
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    I have been in the mountains at night, and for sure it’s darker than crazy. Just not sure what would make me choose a chemlight over a flashlight? Click.. on. Get what I need, click off.
     

    bcd007

    Marksman
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    Jan 21, 2010
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    The mini-lights (bobber lights?) are handy to take to gun shows for guns that you can't use a bore light on easily (especially handy for muzzle loaders). I keep a few in my gun show backpack. Once you crack them, you can drop them down the bore of the gun to check its condition.

    The one use I’ve found is attaching the small ones to each person’s backpack. If you have to hike in the dark, or dark and rain (it’s a blast, you should all try it), it makes keeping up easier for sure!
     

    bcd007

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    Jan 21, 2010
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    From readyheat website they state 5 yrs.

    I had one for right at 4 years that I finally had to open. Heated up fine in 10 minutes, lastEd for hours.
    i keep 2 in the Jeep and one in the house (just in case). You can also save a bit of cash and buy the smaller ones, but since I’m 6’3, I get the 60” version.
     

    actaeon277

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    I have been in the mountains at night, and for sure it’s darker than crazy. Just not sure what would make me choose a chemlight over a flashlight? Click.. on. Get what I need, click off.

    A backup to the flashlight.
    When you clicky - no lighty.
     

    teddy12b

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    Nov 25, 2008
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    I have chemlights at the house, and for the most part they only come out when there's a bad storm and they're scared. When all my kids and neighbor kids were little we bought super cheap glow sticks on ebay or amazon and hand them out to the kids so we could tell where they were. It was easy to see a a blue colored glow stick over here, or a red one over there and know the kids were ok playing outdoors at night. When I would go out at night for a ruck getting ready for an event I would clip on on the back of my pack and make sure it was visible so some car wouldn't come up speeding from behind me. Other than those things, I really don't have much use a glow stick.

    Back in the old days I never understood why uncle sam was supplying the chem lights. The last thing I ever wanted was a flashlight that would not turn off on command. I get the appeal of the light not turning off or running out of batteries, but they're a single use item that take up a lot of space.

    If you need a backup source of light check out a photon light: https://www.amazon.com/LRI-PRK-Phot...4&sr=1-1-f6b8d51f-2c55-4dc3-89ad-0c3639671b2d

    We used those clipped to our shirt collars way back in the day and if you held it right you put off a little glow. If you didn't cover it at all you could be seen for miles and use it to signal, which on more than one occasion we did when radios were crapping out.

    Personally, I like a modern flashlight that has two settings that are usually 1.) a dim 5 lumen ish type that'll make your battery last forever, and 2.) a full blast power of the sun type of setting. This flashlight is an example of what I'm talking about:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X6DM9XH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    In my vehicle, I have a photon, the streamlight, a headlight, and probably another 2 or three other flashlights if I really looked hard. With any kind of light, one is none.
     

    actaeon277

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    I don't know about now, but the navy has used chemlights on life preservers for "man overboard" at night.
    Batteries went dead. Bulbs died (before LED). Seals failed corroding connections.
     
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