Ban glow sticks bring led blinkies or anything but glow junk

[MikeVDS]

Many things I buy I use well over 10 years. I still use my pentium from 97, I run windows 98, the only furniture I buy is antique and I hope to have it just as long as it's been around, I've been collecting camping equipment for around 17 years and very little has worn out and if it has I learned not to buy that again, my vehicles are 1974, 1994 and 1996. We live in a society of convenience which leads to disposable everything. I'm not a fan of that method and try not to support it, which you don't have to if you're willing to spend more for better products to save long term and maintain them.

I also work in a facility that's been around since the 20's with a lot of original equipment. They added on over the years so there are varying degrees of age to the equipment. It's actually really interesting. Some of the stuff was built really well, and the stuff that wasn't is long gone by now.

[jimstamper]

Been thinking about glow sticks on a string idea. Uh, can you reel them in in daylight or only at night?

Why not reward the ones that bend over to pick it up in the day with a full can of beer, besides you might have reeled in a pretty good person, who would stoop to pick up your junk!

Ps. When I say Ban I mean NO sales of Glow Sticks on the Playa by BM organization. Lack of precise wording on my part. But it did get people talking!

I use a 1980's macintosh, the original One scanner from about 1984 and the first laser printer Apple put out. Some people do look at the enviromental foot print of what they buy. Newer, better faster is not my thing. If it still does what I need, I keep using it. Right now my van is "new" with 151,000 miles. Ask me in 10 years it might still be here.

Best wishes to all in 2007! See ya at the burn! Jim

[MikeVDS]

Why not reward the ones that bend over to pick it up in the day with a full can of beer, besides you might have reeled in a pretty good person, who would stoop to pick up your junk!

That's a great idea.

[ibdave]

Ps. When I say Ban I mean NO sales of Glow Sticks on the Playa by BM organization.

In the 9 years of attending Burning Man I have not seen nor heard of the BMORG ever selling glowsticks ect...
They do advise you to light up yourself for your and others safety..


Don't be a DARKWAD

[unjonharley]

/
DARKWAD..... great word!

[jimstamper]

[quote="ibdave"][quote="jimstamper"]

Ps. When I say Ban I mean NO sales of Glow Sticks on the Playa by BM organization. [/quote]

In the 9 years of attending Burning Man I have not seen nor heard of the BMORG ever selling glowsticks ect...
They do advise you to light up yourself for your and others safety..


[size=18]Don't be a DARKWAD[/size][/quote]

You missed the beginning of this topic. Maybe you did not participate in the census at BM but it had questions about selling glow sticks and other commodities besides coffee and ice. Why would they ask about your opinion of selling items if they were not considering it? Hey, I've been at BM for 9 years too. Happy anniversary to us.. Happy anniversary to us. Jim

[geekster]

I have seen Rangers giving glowsticks to unlit people on the playa and I support that. No matter what you think about glowsticks, an unlit person is a hazard to themself and others. No matter how they got to the state of being unlit after dark, there they are. It is better to light them and a glowstick is an inexpensive way to get them through the next few hours being a little less of a hazard than they otherwise would have been. Is it perfect? Fuck no, but it is BETTER than being dark.

2007 won't be so bad, it will be nearly like 2005 as far as the moon goes. Pretty bright.

[jimstamper]

Yep I agree, a unlit person is a problem for everyone ELSE! I propose a supply of dunce caps with a led on top for the rangers to give out. That way at least you will be able to see them from 360 degrees.

[Ugly Dougly]

"Lit" or "lighted"?
I'd rather be lit.

[skibear]

4 or 5 PBR's & I'm lit pretty well!

[phil]

And use LEDs or EL wire for it:

http://enlighted.com/pages/bras.shtml

[Hoolie]

This is an issue I've grappled with for a while now. I really hate using disposable, single-use products. But personal lighting is an absolute necessity at BM, and there just isn't anything I'm aware of that's as easy, as versatile, and as affordable as glow sticks. But I'd like to find a better way. There must be a greener alternative. Perhaps LEDs powered with rechargeable batteries and a solar charger?

[unjonharley]

This is an issue I've grappled with for a while now. I really hate using disposable, single-use products. But personal lighting is an absolute necessity at BM, and there just isn't anything I'm aware of that's as easy, as versatile, and as affordable as glow sticks. But I'd like to find a better way. There must be a greener alternative. Perhaps LEDs powered with rechargeable batteries and a solar charger?

\
You can have a cheap LED head lamp from Harbor Freight around five bucks. One set of battries should last more than a week. Wal-Mart has cheap flashing tail light. Or a button type red flasher. For bike head light a three$ incandescant headlamp works best. Two AA batteries have last me over 36 hour in a cave adventure.

[phil]

This is an issue I've grappled with for a while now.

There's no easy, simple answer to anything. Solar chargers are made from printed circuit stuff, so the manufacture process is nasty and there's no real way to recycle solar chargers. Rechargeable batteries can be recycled, of course, if people go to the effort. It may well be that glow sticks are the cleanest way to have the necessary light at night.

Louise and I use battery-powered lights, but we have uses year-round for lights and rechargeables, so the costs make more sense for us. We have a gel cell and a regular lead acid battery, a charger for them, and a couple of inverters. We are ham radio operators, and we volunteer for events through out the year where we use our batteries to power radios. We also expect to be able to use our stuff for some period of time after an earthquake.

So we have a lot of rechargeable AAs, AAAs, and smaller sealed lead acid batteries that we can bring to the event and keep charged. My suggestion is to look for ways to make those work for you year-round; then having them at Burning Man is just another use, not the only one. (Get your ham radio license and volunteer. :->)

[thejohnstamos]

i had a great little piece of EL wire that wasn't attached to anything- so i used it a few times.

I also had a sort-of reusable glow stick that used and LED light. Very helpful.

[Hoolie]

U.J. & Phil,

Well, I definitely use battery powered lights on my bike, and I do use them year-round. But I've found the glow sticks are easier to work with on my person...for when I park the bike and walk around. I usually do one around my hatband, neck, wrists, etc. so I can be seen from all sides. Plus, there often seems to be light deficient people around me, and I end up handing out glow sticks to them as well. Perhaps this year my goal will be to design a fun, battery powered contraption that really stands out...like a lighted hat.

[phil]

But I've found the glow sticks are easier to work with on my person...for when I park the bike and walk around. I usually do one around my hatband, neck, wrists, etc. so I can be seen from all sides. Plus, there often seems to be light deficient people around me, and I end up handing out glow sticks to them as well.

My apologies - I wasnt' clear in my response. "There's no easy, simple answer" should have included using glow sticks, EL wire, battery-powered lights, and more. Louise and I buy glow bracelets and necklaces and hand them out to dark people, too.

I have no objection to glow sticks and other one-use products - there's no one simple solution to making everyone visible at night. It may well be that glow sticks are less harsh environmentally than buying a solar panel for one use at Burning Man, then never using it again.

[phil]

http://aving.net/usa/news/default.asp?m ... &SP_Num=53
This is to recharge a cellphone, but heck, guys! Somebody needs to hack this sucker and make it recharge _all_ our batteries. Remember all those headlight generator sets for bikes from back in the 70s and 80s? Ride around all day and recharge your batteries for use at night.

[MikeVDS]

That's not too hard to do, the problem is that you're putting on extra resistance and making your bike harder to ride around. Depending on how much harder you're willing to peddle, you'll get more energy. I did some rough calculations of how much harder you'd have to work to charge specific things. It's basically worthwhile for small things but if you don't remember those night time lamps on the bikes made you go significantly slower. With LEDs now, it's not such a problem.

[phil]

And use LEDs or EL wire for it:

http://enlighted.com/pages/bras.shtml

ATTENTION GRRLZ: DO NOT WEAR YOUR LIGHT UP BRAS TO BOSTON.

[Teo del Fuego]

http://aving.net/usa/news/default.asp?m ... &SP_Num=53
This is to recharge a cellphone, but heck, guys! Somebody needs to hack this sucker and make it recharge _all_ our batteries. Remember all those headlight generator sets for bikes from back in the 70s and 80s? Ride around all day and recharge your batteries for use at night.

Just paid $9.99 last night at Target for 6v generator (came with headlight and taillight I dont need) to power series of ping-pong ball encased UV LEDs on my Playa bike. hope it works!

[phil]

> That's not too hard to do, the problem is that you're putting on
> extra resistance and making your bike harder to ride around.
> Depending on how much harder you're willing to peddle, you'll
> get more energy.

I do remember, but the extra effort was not more than noticeable, especially on flat terrain like the playa (although headwinds will make a difference). I don't think the difference was 'significant.' Maybe I remember wrong, like all those miles I had to walk uphill in the snow to get to school in the 1st grade. :->

[phil]

> Just paid $9.99 last night at Target for 6v generator
> (came with headlight and taillight I dont need) to power
> series of ping-pong ball encased UV LEDs on my Playa
> bike. hope it works!

Let me know if you want me to take pictures! I'll be happy to post them to our Web site after the Burn.

[Teo del Fuego]

Thanks for the offer Phil. I've got so much crap hanging off this 1940's Roadmaster that it already weighs close to 80 pounds. So, it may wind up being just my Denver Cruiser. (It does have a cupholder though.)

[phil]

(It does have a cupholder though.)

PLEASE take a picture and post it somewhere. I've got to see that.

[neccessity]

If it helps put any minds at ease, I'm working on an art project for this year that centers on this exact problem!

The concept is a tree of rebirth. I think it's going to look a little sad during the day, but the plan goes like this: The tree will have a few long willowy branches surrounding a large empty trunk. Each night the branches will get new leaves of glowsticks. Each day I will collect "spent" sticks, necklaces, etcetera and place them in the trunk. The base will be lit with LEDs, which will shine light through the old sticks and necklaces, making them glow again!

Whilst I work on building this, anyone who wants to sign on as a Dead Stick Collector is more than welcome!!!!

FWIW: I had this idea on playa before I heard the theme for 07. Synchronicity rules.

[unjonharley]

If it helps put any minds at ease, I'm working on an art project for this year that centers on this exact problem!

The concept is a tree of rebirth. I think it's going to look a little sad during the day, but the plan goes like this: The tree will have a few long willowy branches surrounding a large empty trunk. Each night the branches will get new leaves of glowsticks. Each day I will collect "spent" sticks, necklaces, etcetera and place them in the trunk. The base will be lit with LEDs, which will shine light through the old sticks and necklaces, making them glow again!

Whilst I work on building this, anyone who wants to sign on as a Dead Stick Collector is more than welcome!!!!

FWIW: I had this idea on playa before I heard the theme for 07. Synchronicity rules.

/\
I'll give you all the dead glowy IF you give me all your dead batteries to dispose of.....

[neccessity]

/\
I'll give you all the dead glowy IF you give me all your dead batteries to dispose of.....

Deal. Assuming that we use disposable batteries at all.

[phil]

If it helps put any minds at ease, I'm working on an art project for this year that centers on this exact problem!

Cupholders on bikes? Dude ... I think it was solved. Wasn't it?

[unjonharley]

/\
I'll give you all the dead glowy IF you give me all your dead batteries to dispose of.....

Deal. Assuming that we use disposable batteries at all.

\/
The Moop Mobil picks dozens of batteries from the streets every year.

Because you gave me this idea.. I interact with camps with 50's music.. So I will be in a position to ask for used glowies and batteries..