Led strobes - or just a blinky bike rear light - are light, cheap, mostly waterproof and run a good long time. And would would be easy to spot at night by searchers & aircraft. What are the plusses and minuses of packing a small strobe in your kit?

Strobes are small and can significantly aid in recovery.

I personally do not see a minus other than weight, and that is not very much.

I carry the ACR Military Distress Marker Strobe, I can get them in my area for around $20-30. They run on AA batteries, and they do not weigh much (about 5 ounces), a little bulky for a pocket kit. They are bright, easy to use and very reliable.

Strobes in the woods are definetly an attention getter.

Most of the higher powered headlamps have a built in strobe function. My personal opinion is spend the few extra dollars that a strobe costs and get a waterproof headlamp with a high lumen output. It would be compact and multiuse. The strobe feature uses little battery power. I've played with my headlamp's strobe feature while camping and it can be seen from a good distance.

I've always planned that Princeton Tec EOS headlamp I carry when out & about outdoors has a blinking mode that is rated for giving blinks of the highest brightness for 116 hours on a fresh pair of AA batteries, so I've always figured I could use that.

The only negative is that it is somewhat directional ... so it would be best pointed at a target. Something translucent and light colored (patch of white t-shirt/underwear?) could make it viewable 360 degrees, but would decrease the brightness.

I also have a red Rescue Laser, but I don't carry it with me on every trip.

I agree on the efficacy of a strobe, but don't carry a dedicated unit. I too have a Princeton Tec EOS which has a strobe function as do several other headlamps. But for EDC, all of our family members carry Photon Freedom Micro LED keychain lights in multiple places (keys, zipper pulls, etc.). The Photons include a SOS mode and carrying several provides redundancy. The Photons are not waterproof however we've soaked them many times and when they dry out they work again. The brighter the better but there is anecdotal news that even the weakest light source can be effective - remember the story of the climber aiming his cell phone display at a search helicopter who did spot it? And we know a flashing source is more effective than a steady light.

My high-end LED flashlights all have a strobe mode, and there's such a flashlight in our two main kits (and one in my pocket, and one in my laptop bag, and so on). I also have a pair of dedicated military-style strobes in our main kits. I wouldn't necessarily buy one but since I already had them I put them in.

What's nice about having dedicated strobes is that you can put them where they can be seen and let them run, without losing your ability to see and move around in the dark.

I am a big fan of the ACR 4F strobe. I carried one for years during SAR operations, using them fairly regularly, and they worked flawlessly to alert choppers and other rescuers to our location. I have also carried them when sea kayaking in a pocket of my PFD. They are great tools, but they are a bit specialized and somewhat heavy for most recreational trips.

A good many lights now incorporate a strobe function, but most of them are not as bright as the 4F. I have an EOS and its strobe is way better than nothing, but it doesn't appear to be in the same league as the 4F. Brighter is better. A good many of the bike units probably aren't bright enough,judging from what I see when out at night.

Okay, confession time -- I like hotlinks.

Not being that familiar with the ACR lights I checked their website and found the MS-2000 Military-Spec Strobe Light is the light mentioned by Montanero; it's the only one that mentions Combat Search and Rescue.

Another option for those looking for something lighter would/could be the Planet Bike Superflash Stealth Rear Bike Light They advertise 1 mile visibility which should be plenty.

You want hotlinks - I give you hotlinks:

http://www.acrartex.com/products/catalog/rescue-and-distress-lights/firefly3/

I didn't scrounge around for links to the 4F;I believe it is no longer in production, although there is a lively commerce in providing updated batteries (usually lithium rather than the original mercury battery).

The equivalent evidently is the firefly 3.

One thought about strobe lights carried for hiking and outdoor use. Chances are we will be more likely to deploy them for some travel incident relative to a hiking trip - indicating your presence while changing a tire on the side of the highway, for instance. I would be interested in the opinions of experts here on the forum - wouldn't a red filter be more appropriate for such highway related use? At close range,the white light of a Firefly 3 or a 4F is likely to be too disconcerting. Opinions?

eGear(maker of the PICO light) makes a strobe that can be worn on a watch band.It is called the GUARDIAN.Run time in strobe mode is 250 hours and one hundred hours in steady on mode.Something the size of a watchband compass and only $12.95 is a no brainer.

BOATMAN
John

This LED flashlight has both a strobe and S.O.S mode. If you remove the lens collar you get a 360 degree spread. It runs on three AAA batteries (I use lithium). This is, by far, the best light I have owned.

Nebo Redline Tactical Flashlight Strobe S.O.S 220 Lumen #5581

Hikermor, the strobe in Russ's link uses standard AAs, it was the older military strobe that used the special battery. There have been modifications for those old ones to take a CR123, but they are not durable or reliable.

The firefly is not as durable. I tried those and had 2 out of 5 fail sitting on a shelf. I found them during my normal pre-operational inspection, and I converted to all of the military types. I have never had one of the ACRs fail on me, and I abuse them.

The advantage to these dedicated strobes is ease of use (one hand operation), 360 degree light (no need to point at a target, great when you are injured), and durability.

These ACR military strobes are generally expensive, anywhere from $60 to $120, but I can get them for much less. I do not send anyone out without one, even when they are carrying the PLB. You can turn them on and guide someone to your position without alerting the SAR folks.

Any thoughts on the Streamlight Sidewinder? I have one but due to where and on which kit it's kept, it sees near zero use. That said, the reviews look good and it was one of the lights mentioned in my last water survival class.

Interesting! My oldest 4F was purchased and used back in the early 1980s, perhaps even earlier. As you say, easy to deploy, 360 degree visibility, and tough. The other two are more than fifteen years old.

I did purchase adapters and they now run on two lithium CR123s, replacing the original mercury battery, which still flashed the strobe, even though it was long out of date.

Sorry to hear the issues with durability and reliability. I am a bit surprised, because my "adapter" is nothing more than an assembly that lengthens the battery cavity to accommodate the cr123s. It looks pretty sturdy. How could anything go wrong, go wrong, go wrong......

bacpacboy has one in his emergency survival kit for signaling purposes. It's lightweight, pretty water tight, inexpensive, the batteries seem to last forever and it's really easy to use. I figure that it will help signal when he's hugging his tree.

Do they make something like the 4F but with and LED emitter? Seems like it would be brighter, more reliable/durable and longer running.

How I might deploy a strobe; on a pack or hat, facing up, inside a tent or facing a large object, such as a cliff.

(And essential for slot canyons - carry extra batteries.)

My oldest 4F was "purchased" in the early 70's. It is still working if it has a battery. It has been in the sleeve pocket of my floatation coat for years (lots of years on deck in pretty bad weather). When doing SAR I took it with me also. I could not think of a more reliable unit.

hikermor,
where did you get the adapter for the 4F? I would love to continue using it. Do you know of a source for the colored filters? I have lost or broken all of mine.

Phaedrus,

The LED would be nowhere near as bright, hard to be more reliable (see above) but would certainly run longer on a battery.

I have several of the eGear Guardian's, one on my dog's harness, one in my pack, one in my car, etc. They are almost always used in the steady mode for protection while walking, changing a tire, etc. or for keeping a group together at night. Great product, not for the same purposes as a true, high power strobe. Could someone find you with one, of course, but not as easily as an ACR 4F, particularly if you were not in a perfectly dark wilderness.

Respectfully,

Jerry

I've never owned a Sidewinder. It looks cool, especially if you want headlight-like functionality without strapping something onto your dome.

Streamlight as a company impresses me. I own several of their products and their way of handling a customer service issue with me was excellent. A weaponlight they made broke. I called them. They shipped me a new one that arrived in two days. No proof of purchase, nothing.

Originally Posted By: Russ
Any thoughts on the Streamlight Sidewinder? I have one but due to where and on which kit it's kept, it sees near zero use. That said, the reviews

I would have to second chaosmagnet on their customer service, they have replaced a pair of 3N lights twice. No hassle.

As for their quality, I have mixed reviews. I have had several of their lights with no problems. I am now on my 5th and 6th (good customer service remember) 3N lights. All of them have had switches fail. Since this is the only product I have seen fail, I suspect it is in the design & others will not have it. Still it makes me a little uneasy about depending on other products until I have some experience with them.

Respectfully,

Jerry

It's been a while so I pulled the Streamlight Sidewinder off the vest to check the batteries; while they do have years left on their supposed shelf-life, I'll be dropping some new lithium AA's in before returning it to a kit. Unlike the ACR beacons, the Streamlight Sidewinder is not an omnidirectional beam but is more like a typical LED flashlight beam -- spot with a corona. The strobe is no brighter and is approx 50% on - 50% off, so the strobe should give more runtime than flashlight mode but with the same intensity.

All things considered, I may roll the Sidewinder to another kit and look for an ACR unit like Montanero's MS-2000 or hikermor's Firefly 3 -- the omnidirectional coverage seems a better fit for the role this light plays. The local boat supply place carries the ACR Firefly 3.

I just remembered what Doug said on the subject:

The Rescue Laser™ is the most effective nighttime and adverse weather visual signaling device. It is conspicuous and abnormal enough that it will be reported by passing aircraft, unlike a strobe in most cases. Compared to the best strobe lights . . . the Rescue Laser™ has 10 times the range and effectiveness. . . .

Jeanette Isabelle

JF,

PM sent. I dealt with them some years ago, and the transactions were perfectly satisfactory.

If you don't have your strobe, you are not out of options. On a pleasure hike, we stumbled into an accident scene that required speedy helicopter evacuation. Luckily, we did have radio communication. We indicated the rescue locality with a very large bonfire (extinguished before the chopper went into a hover above us).

Although an admirer of the 4F, I wouldn't routinely carry one as standard equipment on the typical outdoors excursion - those ounces add up. Of course with current technology, it is easy to carry a light source that incorporates a strobe mode

You what would be cool? If the made helium in little whippet canisters like nitrous or CO2 that you could use to fill a sturdy balloon and put a freedom micro in it or on on it and activate it and send it aloft on a reel of dental floss or kevlar thread. I would think that would be quite visible for some distance.

I found a 'strobe' (blinky light) which is 9/16" in diameter and 5/8" tall which includes a small spring clip. It has 3 LEDs, one red, one blue and one white (dim relative to the others). Cheap enough and small enough to carry several.

Is it generally legal to use? I thought flashing a plane with a laser would land you in Gitmo. Maybe an exception for emergency use?

Okay, Google answered my question! Guess it's legal for emergency use. Might have to pick one up!

Probably flashing a regular laser would be frowned on even in an emergency, due to the potential for eye damage.

What is being referred to is a RESCUE laser, which uses a lens to turn the small, hard to aim dot into a line which is easier to aim, 'guaranteed' to not cause any eye damage, and specifically exempted from the law about lasering planes.