Last Updated on October 6, 2022 by admin_hunter
When packing a survival kit in your backpack, you may include an emergency whistle, flashlight, and food, but there’s also something you include: military glow sticks. Military glow sticks are a great resource to have while you’re camping or hiking because they can provide bright lighting immediately once they’re activated.
Unlike a flashlight, you don’t have to worry about the military glow sticks having charged batteries in order to illuminate. This is what makes having military glow sticks in your backpack a great emergency lighting solution.
What are Military Glow Sticks?
Military glow sticks have two main components: the chemical housing and the plastic sheath. The chemical housing is what holds the chemicals that will glow when activated. The plastic sheath is what gives the military glow sticks their shape and protects the chemical housing.
Industrial glow sticks are called military glow sticks because they are carried by the military and used for a variety of tactical applications. The military uses industrial glow sticks because of how bright they are and how long the glow lasts.
Military glow sticks can be anywhere from 6 to 10 inches long and they often have a ring or connector at one end that allows you to attach them to a lanyard, bracelet, or necklace.
The best military glow sticks will be packaged in foil to expand their shelf life as long as possible before needing to be used. A military glow stick packed in foil should have around a four-year shelf life.
How to Activate a Military Glow Stick
To activate a military glow stick, you will need to bend the glow stick with enough force that the glass housing breaks. Once broken, the chemicals will mix together and begin to glow. You can shake the glow stick to mix the chemicals together to make sure the glow stick lights up from end to end.
Once activated a military glow stick will illuminate for 12 or more hours.
Why You Need Military Glow Sticks in Your Backpack
No Power Source or Batteries Required
The single most important reason you need to have military glow sticks in your backpack is that they don’t require any batteries or power sources for them to work. When you’re in an emergency, you need survival tools that will work every time.
Flashlights and candles may not always be the best option because the batteries in the flashlight could be dead or corroded, and candles may not ignite or stay lit if it’s raining. Plus, military glow sticks take up very little room in your backpack or survival kit, so you should always keep them on hand.
Long Shelf Life
Military glow sticks also have a long shelf life, typically around 4 years. This means you can throw them in your backpack and leave them in there, using your flashlight or candle as needed. That way, if an emergency occurs and your flashlight or candle can’t be used, you can use the military glow stick for lighting.
Easy to Use
All you have to do to activate the glow stick is bend it to break the glass and activate the chemicals. You can shake the glow stick to mix the chemicals so that the glow stick illuminates as bright as possible.
Waterproof
If it’s raining, you don’t have to worry about the glow sticks getting wet and not working. You can use them in the rain or snow and they will work just as well as they would in dry conditions. The only thing that may have an effect on the glow stick is the temperature.
Sometimes colder temperatures can cause the glow stick to glow dimmer than when the glow stick is hot. You can heat the glow stick by holding it in your hands to warm the chemicals. This should help the glow stick to glow brightly.
360-Degree Illumination
Unlike a flashlight that will provide light in the direction that it’s pointed, a military glow stick’s cylindrical shape will provide illumination in all directions as opposed to just one. This is ideal for emergencies when you are in distress and need someone from all directions to see your light.
Best Military Glow Stick Options
- Industrial Grade Glow Sticks – (20) 6” Sticks
- Glow Mind Glow Sticks – (20) 6” Sticks
- Swiss Safe Premium 6” Glow Sticks (12)
- Cyalume 10” Industrial Glow Sticks (10)
When to Use Military Glow Sticks
You can use military glow sticks when you need a light source while camping, hiking, or hunting, but they are also ideal for emergencies when you may be in distress at night. You may become lost in the woods or even injured while hiking, camping, or hunting and need attention immediately. Using a military glow stick to signal your location will help you identify your location so that you can be found.
But military glow sticks aren’t just for outdoor use. We recommend keeping military glow sticks in your home during those times when you may be without power and need light. You can easily activate military glow sticks and place them in your home to help provide light when the power is out at night.
Military glow sticks are a great option to use if you have a flashlight with low or dying batteries. You can preserve the batteries in your flashlight by using military glow sticks instead of the flashlight.
Try to always choose military-grade or industrial-grade glow sticks as opposed to cheap options available from party supplies stores. The cheap options won’t last long or provide nearly as much illumination as the military-grade and industrial-grade glow sticks.
Conclusion
The next time you prepare your survival kit, whether it’s at home or for hunting, hiking, or camping, you should include military glow sticks. They take up very little room in your survival kit and can be a great source of light when you need it. Military glow sticks are great to have in emergencies, but you should also keep them on hand when you just need a light source and don’t want to use the battery from your flashlight.