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[FreeFlier]

I know/knew three different men who started a fire with a jug of water . . . and a friend nearly set his pickup on fire with bottled water . . .

There is a reason that the logging companies forbade clear glass water jugs! They had to be brown glass, painted, or have an opaque covering. Withy basketwork also protected the glass. (Nowadays they use plastic or metal.)

To spell it out, the clear glass container of water can act as a magnifying lens and ignite anything dry and flammable at the focal point.

BTW, I would not count a magnifying lest, etc as one of the three methods . . . too much chance you'd need a fire at night or in cloudy weather.

The last time I needed a fire in a hurry, I used a road flare . . . worked great.

--FreeFlier

[Typeminer]

One sunny day a few years ago, I smelled smoke while I was working. And then I noticed that a magnifying glass that had been standing in the pen jar for at least 5 years was trying to light up my desk.

It lives in a drawer now.

[Warrl]

Redundancy is really good in some circumstances. I know that people who go exploring caves (and know what they are doing) demand that EACH person in the group carry TWO sources of light.

(I read of a college group that went out and, not 15 minutes into their exploring, heard a voice ahead of them: "OH THANK GOD! IT'S REAL!" The group's plans were delayed as they escorted three non-members to the cave mouth and summoned paramedics to treat the three for dehydration and hypothermia. The idiots had gone in with a cumulative grand total of ONE light source... and dropped it into a pool. About the same time the previous day.)

[FreeFlier]

Redundancy is really good in some circumstances. I know that people who go exploring caves (and know what they are doing) demand that EACH person in the group carry TWO sources of light.

I remember it as three separate sources of light.

(I read of a college group that went out and, not 15 minutes into their exploring, heard a voice ahead of them: "OH THANK GOD! IT'S REAL!" The group's plans were delayed as they escorted three non-members to the cave mouth and summoned paramedics to treat the three for dehydration and hypothermia. The idiots had gone in with a cumulative grand total of ONE light source... and dropped it into a pool. About the same time the previous day.)

And this would be why.

In fact, I habitually carried three sources of light every day . . . something about being at work in the back of studio A when the power went off (some drunken idiot whacked the one power pole that could knock out all of lower campus) and having to crawl out in the dark - it seemed that the emergency lights all needed new batteries!

--FreeFlier

[Dave]

I remember it as three separate sources of light.

Having one of them be a chemical light-stick is a good idea. "Intrinsically safe" (cannot spark an explosion), waterproof, can produce at least some light for quite a few hours, comes in multiple light-colors so you can color-coordinate with your outfits, or use different colors to mark different sorts of hazards.

[Alkarii]

Yeah... I have a few glow sticks, in several colors; some are 8 hour sticks, and a lot are 12. I grab some every now and then, so I'm up to 18. I have this thing called a crush light, and I can recharge it via USB, or the solar panel on top. I also have a couple of headlamps, and one of those Fulton military flashlights. You know the kind I mean... Green, shaped like an upside down L, and comes with a bunch of lenses.

What I don't have, though, is a solar recharger for batteries.

[Atomic]

I remember it as three separate sources of light.

"There are FOUR Lights!"

[lake_wrangler]

I remember it as three separate sources of light.

"There are FOUR Lights!"

"I understood that reference."

[Warrl]

Redundancy is really good in some circumstances. I know that people who go exploring caves (and know what they are doing) demand that EACH person in the group carry TWO sources of light.

I remember it as three separate sources of light.

I definitely remember reading it as two. However, I could easily imagine someone saying that it's three for small groups or solo (and solo is probably discouraged). Then to avoid arguments over how many people are in a "small" group, going for three all the time.

There's this lovely phenomenon called "cave dark". Commonly found in, obviously, caves. Nobody will ever really see it... because the human brain refuses to believe it can be THAT dark, and creates spots of light that aren't really there. Unfortunately, these spots of light do not actually provide any illumination. Thus, by the time a rescuer's lamps show up, the lost light-less person may have learned not to believe in the light they see. (And if they're in bad shape, they may decline to call for help from yet another hallucination.)

[lake_wrangler]

Here is the quote (from my wallpaper changer) which greeted me, as I came on my computer:

“Love is an exploding cigar we willingly smoke.” - Lynda Barry

Think what you want...

[FreeFlier]

I remember it as three separate sources of light.

Having one of them be a chemical light-stick is a good idea. "Intrinsically safe" (cannot spark an explosion), waterproof, can produce at least some light for quite a few hours, comes in multiple light-colors so you can color-coordinate with your outfits, or use different colors to mark different sorts of hazards.

Yep.

There are little bitty ones intended for fishing lures that make good markers, and the slender flexible ones that make good personnel markers (wear them as a bracelet or necklace), and oversize ones for more light, and super-high-intensity lightsticks for illuminating large areas . . . the military adds IR ones that can only be seen with night vision gear . . .

One use I've seen suggested for multi-story residences is to put a door key on one, so if you have an intruder and and trapped on an upper floor, you can pop the lightstick and throw it down to the police, so they don't have to break the door down. The nightstick lets them find it immediately. I had that set when I lived in a third-floor apartment.

One night the power went off, and I took lightsticks down to the elderly folks that lived downstairs . . . then I didn't have to worry about them messing with candles. (There'd been a fire from candles up the street . . . three dead.) (It turned out that the retired gentleman in back had an electric lantern.)

I remember it as three separate sources of light.

"There are FOUR Lights!"

"I understood that reference."

but that's most relevant in a mica-lined room.

--FreeFlier

[lake_wrangler]

Another amusing quote:

My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes. -- Ronald Reagan

Apparently, it was a joke made before an actual speech, while he was testing the microphone. I find it amusing. Some people at the time thought it was in poor taste, while others really got their feathers ruffled over this...

[lake_wrangler]

And just as I closed my browser, I saw the next quote on my wallpaper:

In Seattle, Washington, it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon that is over than 6 feet in length.

[Catawampus]

Having one of them be a chemical light-stick is a good idea. "Intrinsically safe" (cannot spark an explosion), waterproof, can produce at least some light for quite a few hours, comes in multiple light-colors so you can color-coordinate with your outfits, or use different colors to mark different sorts of hazards.

Yep.

There are little bitty ones intended for fishing lures that make good markers, and the slender flexible ones that make good personnel markers (wear them as a bracelet or necklace), and oversize ones for more light, and super-high-intensity lightsticks for illuminating large areas . . . the military adds IR ones that can only e seen with night vision gear . . .

Just be sure that you don't have a whole case of the things break and leak bright glowing liquid all over the top of your vehicle when you're trying to travel stealthily through the desert at night.

[Alkarii]

I've never been to the desert, but I've been storing them in a small Plano field box, which will definitely fit in my rucksack and any of my smaller backpacks (a Vizm first responder bag, a Drago assault pack, and a Brandit 3-day bag... Which are all pretty much the same thing, in increasing quality/cost) without an issue.

I also keep seeing ads for a cipher bandana, and I'm wondering if it'd be a good buy or not. It has the alphabet in a ring, with the military phonetic alphabet next to them, followed by Morse code, sign language, and semaphore, as well as instructions for how to use a signal mirror. I already have a signal mirror, but I don't know Morse code.

Of course... Would whoever I'm signaling know Morse code or semaphore?

[Atomic]

but that's most relevant in a mica-lined room.

Of course! I wouldn't store my calendar machine anywhere else. Better safe than sorry!

[FreeFlier]

I've never been to the desert, but I've been storing them in a small Plano field box, which will definitely fit in my rucksack and any of my smaller backpacks (a Vizm first responder bag, a Drago assault pack, and a Brandit 3-day bag... Which are all pretty much the same thing, in increasing quality/cost) without an issue.

I also keep seeing ads for a cipher bandana, and I'm wondering if it'd be a good buy or not. It has the alphabet in a ring, with the military phonetic alphabet next to them, followed by Morse code, sign language, and semaphore, as well as instructions for how to use a signal mirror. I already have a signal mirror, but I don't know Morse code.

Of course... Would whoever I'm signaling know Morse code or semaphore?

Most people know the SOS signal: ...---...

Technically it's not the letters, just a nine-digit code in morse.

Some of the lights have the function built in . . . trigger it, and the light sends the signal automatically.

--FreeFlier

[Alkarii]

Yeah, there is that part. Although, at the same time, it's my understanding that smoke columns from three fires are generally recognized as a distress signal, as well as three shots from a rifle. I don't know if they need to be repeated a certain number of times at specific intervals, though. However, I can save my ammo, as my emergency whistle is definitely loud enough to require ear protection.

[jwhouk]

but that's most relevant in a mica-lined room.

Of course! I wouldn't store my calendar machine anywhere else. Better safe than sorry!

But it just went Phhhhhbbbbbbttttt!

[Alkarii]

but that's most relevant in a mica-lined room.

Of course! I wouldn't store my calendar machine anywhere else. Better safe than sorry!

But it just went Phhhhhbbbbbbttttt!

Kinda like that one UFO Bud told the cops she saw?

EDIT: I can't seem to find that particular page...