Breaklights

Posted by: Anonymous

Breaklights - 05/08/02 06:47 AM

I can't find those Cyalume sticks anywhere...I saw some Coleman ones at Target, are they all the same, or am I better off with a Cyalume?<br><br>Be nice to have something as a nightlight when I don't feel like running my batteries down.
Posted by: Anonymous

Re: Breaklights - 05/08/02 12:52 PM

There are two manufacturers Cylume and OmniGlow. Same company, two brand names. I would hazard to guess if you read the label on the Coleman product it would also say Cylume or Omiglow in the fine print next to the legal waviers.<br><br>The real determing factor is the foil wrapper still intact. If it is punctured, they will off gas and not work. They should also have an expiration date stamped into the foil wrapper, usually along the seam. <br><br>I have been able to get some that have been expired seveal years. As long as the wrapper was still intact, they activated and worked fine. <br><br>There are several sources on the web that sell then in bulk. The going price seems to be about $2 per stick if you buy a dozen or more. Target and other retailers seem to be closer to $3 per.<br><br>Check the fishing department of the Mart stores for small ones. About 1.5 inches long by 1/4" round. In the lure section they sell small ones in a flat paper pouch about 2" square. Some come with ear ring mounts and others come with fishing line mounts. For younger kids these are easier to activate but may be a choking hazard. My wife bought about a dozen of the earring models around Halloween. The kids loved them. I was thinkging about putting some in the kids kits. Either size in my opinion is there to make the kids feel better in a dark environment and not really for lighting their way.<br><br>A more cost effective product might be LED flashlights or Krill lights if you planning on using them as night lights. Lithium batteries in either LED or Krill will give you days if not weeks of night light while chem light sticks give you 1 night.
Posted by: Anonymous

Re: Breaklights - 05/08/02 12:54 PM

Try a dive shop. They are popular with scuba divers for night diving. One thing about Cyalumes is that they often go dead in the package - very uninspiring when you need them. I have found that the version sold in marine stores and USCG certified for attachment to PFDs works very reliably. I have kept several around long after their expiration date (like nine years) and they have always provided light when activiated. I hope this prompts a war story from Chris.
Posted by: paramedicpete

Re: Breaklights - 05/08/02 02:14 PM

Consider a KRILL light as an alternative. The green extreme version (I like the 360 degree KRILL) is pretty close to the light generated by a light stick. You can turn them on and off as needed. The prices have come down somewhat from when they were first introduced. They are heavier than a chemical light stick. I use mine with rechargeable Ni-MH batteries with 3 sources of recharging - Brunton solar, household 110v current and 12v car. I am in the process of buying the Ni-MH for my other flashlights (mostly the LED varieties), radios, etc. as the alkaline batteries run down. Pete
Posted by: Anonymous

Re: Breaklights - 05/08/02 06:04 PM

You to can try a surplus store or a fishing gear shop (they are very small about 1 inch I have some of them in my psk)
Posted by: bones

Re: Breaklights - 05/09/02 12:11 AM

The 1" and 2" versions can be used to light the way, for your feet anyway, by taping them to the bottom of a staff or handy stick and sweeping it like a blind man's cane across the path in front of you. If you use a longer stick and hold it vertically at mid-arm's length, the top of the stick/staff will keep branches from your face as well as lighting the path.
Posted by: Chris Kavanaugh

Re: Breaklights - 05/09/02 06:49 AM

Chem light war stories? I have only one. I was on a field excavation with multiple units on a mortuary complex. We set up a perimeter of chem lights to mark the excavation at night. we were camped close by, and the thought was to warn off any chance ranch vehicle. I woke up at sunrise to a strange noise and a lone figure acting agitated on the site. Thinking we had an upset indian, I woke our native monitor( we were expecting an elder to oversee further excavation and re interment of the remains.) We walked over to find a Basque shepherd, his dog and several sheep fallen in our units.My entire vocabulary of Basco consisted of "hello, I love you" taught by a friend of that ancestry. Remember, signals are good only if an observer sees, and understands their meaning.
Posted by: Anonymous

Re: Breaklights - 05/09/02 12:38 PM

Cool idea.
Posted by: Yukon

Re: Breaklights - 05/10/02 12:04 AM

I put the larger ones in my kids PSK 's , and to make sure that they stay ok till needed i place the breaklights in a plastic camping toothbrush tube , it protects them till they are needed.<br><br>Yukon (a former lurker on this site)
Posted by: paramedicpete

Re: Breaklights - 05/10/02 02:11 PM

Do you keep the lights in the original air tight packaging?
Posted by: Yukon

Re: Breaklights - 05/11/02 01:02 AM

Yes , i still keep them in the origional packaging, it is quicker and they last longer, as well as it also keeps them from rattling around in the container .<br><br>Yukon
Posted by: Tjin

Re: Breaklights - 05/11/02 01:46 PM

i have seen mini breaklights without packeging..
Posted by: Nomad

Re: Breaklights - 05/12/02 02:57 AM

I no longer carry chemical lights for all the reasons posted previously. Changed to a CMG Infinity ($18) and prefer it. Much longer and brighter light. Much more practical and easier to maintain. I know it will work, cause I can test it. I frequently leave it on all night like a night light when I am sleeping in a unfamilar location. Hate to bang and thrash around in the dark at night. I usually change the battery (rechargable NiMh) after about 3 days. Never let it go to see how long it will run. Hmmmm.... I will do that over the next several nights and see how it goes... report to follow...
Posted by: red_jeep

Re: Breaklights - 05/12/02 03:36 PM

Try the Sportsman's Guilde (www.sportsmansguide.com). They sell a 6-pack assortment for about $10, and a 12-pack for $18. They're the Snap Light brand (same as Cyalume) and have both holes and hooks at the top.<br><br>I bought the 12-pack and am quite pleased so far. SpG also carries NATO lifeboat matches, and a few other survival goodies that are actually useful. Just watch out because a lot of their other stuff is junk.