As I'm finishing up one small PSK (no doubt pictures and contents will follow soon) I had a revelation. Instead of putting the 2x3 signal mirror that I pirated from my Ritter PSP inside the PSK, why not put it on the outside of my PSK container (an Otterbox 1000), attached to a paracord lanyard where it could be readily gotten to without having to dump out the contents of the tightly packed PSK. Yet doing so would subject the mirror to additional punishment and abuse, potentially scratching the surface and decreasing its effectiveness. The small film that came with the mirror is hardly adequate for such a storage method. I was thinking that duct tape would work quite well, placed over the reflective side of the mirror and then peeled off when needed. But I do have some concerns, namely duct tapes ability to leave residue which would block the mirror. Has anyone tried this before? Does this sound like a good idea?

Why not 'back' the film that came with it with duct tape. Better protection and still handy and with the tape ON the FILM, you won't have to worry about residue on the mirror. Just a thought.

Try a piece of bike inner tube can also be used for tinder or ranger bands

Try clear contact/shelving paper (contact brand). You can pick up a roll for around $5 at wally world. It is semi-transparent and heavier and more durable than the clear films that typically cover fragile surfaces. It is sticky enough to stay put, but can be removed without leaving a nasty residue.

I use this stuff on most of my flashlights as a poor man's diffuser. It removes the beam artifacts and leaves a better more consistant beam for work use.

I also use the contact paper as a poor man's laminate for business cards. I print up emergency lists, phone lists, etc on card stock in a business card format. I seal it up with the clear contact paper and put these in my wallet and all preparedness kits for a more durable solution.

If all else fails you can re-line your cupboards.

Good luck, TR

What are these "ranger bands" that I hear of often, and where can I get them?

well, you can buy them for a few dollars from one of the many on-line dealers.

OR

you can cut them from bicycle inner tubes, to the exact dimension you want. and 1 inner tube will give you dozens of "ranger bands" for the same price you would pay online for a pack of 5.

I do it the cheap way because I'm too po' to afford the "o" and "r".

david.

Maybe wrapping paracord around the outside, snugging the mirror against the outside of the Otter Box? Although I don't know how well it would fit around the latch...

Wrap the mirror with Glad's PressNSeal, then wrap duct tape over that. If you need it, the PressNSeal will peel off easily from the mirror surface. But if it's glass, that's not going to do much to prevent a sharp knock on a rock or metal corner.

Why do you think you would need it so quickly? Idle curiosity...

Sue

This kit that I am putting together is going to sea with me, on my person as part of a larger "offshore survival kit" a PSK for sea (one of my earlier posts). In a man overboard situation, since your best chance of being located by the ship occurs very soon after getting wet, I would like my signalling devices to be readily available without sacrificing the watertight integrity of the rest of the PSK.

A heavy zipper bag under the rangerbands to keep it from getting scratched, or a tyvek envelope if you can find one that fits.

You could vacuum seal it (you DO have one of those neato things don't you), then cut a tear notch in the side of the plastic bag so that you could open it easily...

How about one of those plastic inserts for your wallet? It holds 5 or 6 credit cards and has a plastic flap that you slot into your wallet to hold it in place. Cut off one of the pouches (signal mirrors are credit-card sized, IIRC) then put the mirror in that and tape over it. Works for fresnel lenses too as they are also credit-card sized.

A

I tried the bike inner-tube route myself on my mirrors. I took one out a while back to find it so scrached that it was unusable. Evidently some dust or dirt got under the band and 'polished' it to a matt finish. I use the plastic mirrors for weight savings, glass ones might be tougher. I'm going to try lining the mirrored part with something like electrical tape to see if that will help protect them a little better. Also, someone in here suggested clear plastic adhesive-backed film used for protecting PDA screens, that might be the route to go. - Dave