For those looking for Night Cache Reflectors

[+NimravusHSSR]

These are clips made of reflector material and reflect brightly. These would be easy to mark night trails leading to a night cache. Couple this with a UV painted Geocaching Rock containing the final coordinate and voila...a true night cache.

 

 

 

 

[This message was edited by FlashMaster on September 21, 2003 at 11:02 AM.]

[+Doc-Dean]

They look pretty good but....

 

where does one find them??

 

---------------------------------------------------

Free your mind and the rest will follow

And may no Admin bricks fly your way

[+Greenback]

These clips are interesting, you wouldn't have to nail them to trees.

[+fizzymagic]

The clips are a little too visible during the day, in my experience. The best reflectors for night caching are the "stealth" Firetacks. They appear a dull brown in daylight.

[+NimravusHSSR]

I have the green ones, they work good clipped to trees. Can barely see them even if you look for them. The trick is put it far away from trails so no one spots them but they light up under flashlight.

[+Confucius' Cat]

Very interested. Thinking about putting out a UV night cache.

 

Wal-mart is selling a UV light for five bucks in the halloween department. Got one.

 

Now where do I get UV paint that is non-shining in daylight, but only under UV?

 

"Freedom is a two-way street."

GDAE, Dave

[+NimravusHSSR]

Walmart UV light won't work. You need a real UV flashlight if you want it to shine out 50-100 yards out. The cheapies you buy at Walmart is more for close up 10-20 feet or so if even that.

 

The Inova X5 tactical U.V. works good and it's rugged. All aluminum, virtually indestructable:

 

The ARC AAA U.V. works fine too:

 

A decent U.V. light worth anything will cost around $50 on up and professional grade costing in the $100s. Otherwise, they produce a whole lot of visible light and will break if run over by a car. A good one won't do either.

 

I actually thought about a U.V. night cache but with all the cheap U.V. lights out there, I'd have to mark the trail every 10-20 feet. I would rather place it every 50 yards or so but I doubt if most people would shell out $$ for a decent U.V. light just for night caching. So that idea died.

 

You can find Clear U.V. paint on the net for about $25 a pint. That with a clear coat paint will protect it from the elements.

[+Lil Devil]

quote:

---

Originally posted by fizzymagic:

The clips are a little too visible during the day, in my experience. The best reflectors for night caching are the "stealth" Firetacks. They appear a dull brown in daylight.

---

Another neat thing about the Firetacks is that they are "retro-reflective" which means they only reflect back to the light source. If you are holding your flashlight at your waist, like muggles would, you won't see a reflection. You have to have hold the light near your head (or use a head-lamp) to see them. This greatly reduces the likelyhood that anyone other than a cacher will see them.

 

Lil Devil

[+flask]

well, this is a useful an expensive little thread, isn't it? somebody close it before i go broke...

 

-====)) -))))))))))))

presta schrader

[+NimravusHSSR]

I'm already broke. I discovered the world of Flashlights. There are flashlights out there that will make Maglites, Streamlights, Pelicans etc look like toys. The common flashlight is soooo dim. Imagine holding a flashlight in your hand much smaller than a 2D Maglite that is brighter than your cars headlight. Or a Light thats half the size of a Mag 2AA but produces a pure white flood brighter than a 5D Maglite.

 

Words cannot describe the build quality, durability and brightness of some of these fine lights. I can saw a Maglight in half, and it won't even sratch the finish of these lights...what company produces these lights you ask?

 

SureFire

 

Makes night hikes much better.

[+Eswau]

quote:

---

SureFire

---

 

Can you suggest any good vendors that sell for less than retail?

 

E

 

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everybody else.

[+NimravusHSSR]

Tactical Warehouse is excellent. Other places to check are:

 

Island Security Group

Arizona GUn Runners

Bright Guy

 

In fact, if you go to: Dealers you'll find a ton of dealers.

 

The Surefire Digital Series is incredible. It has digital regulation so every time you turn the flashlight on, it's at full brightness unlike other lights that start to dim throughout the life of the battery.

 

With the Lumamax series, there is 5watt LED models available from LUmiLed, it's brilliant white like HID. An incandescent looks downright yellow.

 

Anyway, I take LED lights and Surefires on my night hikes. Headlamps are cool too. There's a new LED headlamp by Petzl, the TIKKA Plus with 4 LEDs, 4 modes. Anyhoo....night hikes become fun.

[jackbear]

Yeah, I went through that whole processing as well, can a UV trail be done. Came to same conclusion, cost is too great. Thought of leaving one of these nice UV flashlights at the trailhead in a pre-cache, but danger of it getting lifted seemed to high in my mind. Has anyone successfully done a UV cache?

 

Grrrrrrrrr...

jackbear

[vagabond]

check your local Wally world, in sporting goods hunting section they usually have reflective tape and tacks

 

All who look are not lost

[+leatherman]

I've found Cutlery Shoppe has good prices on Sure fire.

 

POWDER!!!!!!

[+NimravusHSSR]

I think a UV cache can be done. You just have to lead them to a location say a couple of hundred years off the trail with reflective material. Then place one rock with UV paint down, under which should be the cache or the final coordinate.

 

A UV trail would be tough to do.

[+Team Kilroy]

quote:

---

You just have to lead them to a location say a couple of hundred years off the trail with reflective material.

 

Sounds like a pretty long hike ( couple hundred years)

 

A UV trail would be tough to do.

---

 

Will a UV flash light make regular reflect tape shine? Or would the searchers have to have two kinds of lights to find a cache

[+NimravusHSSR]

LOL! Oops, I meant yards.

 

Anyway, yes some reflective material shines with UV but I've tried walking through the woods without a regular light on and I was tripping every few feet. So I think people will bring a regular flashlight anyway.

[+Bob&TheGang]

Another alternative to UV paint is to use the newest type of glow in the dark paint.

 

Go to: www.hobbyglow.com/

 

This paint is little expensive (to paint an area of just 96 square inches will cost $12), but it glows for about 8 hours by being exposed to virtually any light sourse for just a few minutes (such as the sun). It does not need anytype of U/V light.

 

You could paint a GeoRock for a pretty cool night time cache.

[+NimravusHSSR]

I think a night cache needs to be hidden from casual hikers though. If there is a glowing rock, they might think it's kriptonite and investigate!