Light: for self, not camp.

[Galax]

Many sources have told me that I should be lit up at night to avoid getting crashed into and such. My problem is that I'm very short of cash at the moment. I've embroidered my nighttime clothes with glow-in-the-dark thread, but I'm concerned that this won't be bright enough (especially if I'm out for a long time and the glow dies down). How bad of an idea would it be to go with just this? I know glow sticks are an option, but it creates a lot of non-earth-friendly trash. I'm just not sure where to look for low-cost options. Could you folks help me out?

[Angel Ben]

That probably won't be sufficient on its own. I hate glow sticks as well, both for environmental reasons and the ever important not looking like a raver. My main light source this year is a water bottle with an embedded solar panel and LED that will run 8 hours with a full day's charge. I'll be hanging it from a strap and it will illuminate myself as well as the ground below me (and give me a light for the potties too). I also have a couple small battery powered LEDs that I can put on my bag.

EL-wire is an old favorite, as well. They even sell no-solder kits now so it's not hard. I personally shy away from it lately because it's gotten too ubiquitous.

[Jp]

do you NEED a personal light, no, unless you're on a bike in which case BLM could cite you. It's also not going to be as dark this year with the moon being out quite a bit. That said, a light's not a bad idea. Seems like i see very cheap LED flashlights everywhere, discount grocery, hardware sporting goods, should be able to find something servicable for a few dollars. Or borrow one. Another good idea is a red bike flashy, should be able to get that for $5 or less at a bike or sporting goods shop, most have clips to hook it on clothing or a pack. A pair of double AA batteries should last all week in a flashing light.

Jp

[Burp!]

Uhh yeah, you are really going to need to find some glow sticks/blinkies to cover your self in, because without them you are going to be walking around with your arms out in front of yourself trying to not bump into anything. Also, try maneuvering around in porta potty at night without light. They are constantly digging people out of those things in the morning.

Go to some gadgety place and buy cheepo headlamp/ flashlight, should be more than $5 for something that will get you through the week.

Down with the Flash!!!!!

T.

[phil]

Shining a flashlight on the ground is sufficient. I know it's not all trendy and such, but you just need to be seen by people around you.

Lighting the ground makes it clearer where in space you are. A light on your body may be real dim and real close or real bright but in Fernley. If the ground is lit, I can tell the distance better.

Hang a flashlight from your belt shining on the ground or similar cheap trick. Even one LED so long as it hits the ground.

Other opinions vary.

[MikeVDS]

Carry a kerosene lamp. Fire, hot, burn, good. Clean burning oil if you plan on taking it into the potties. You'll suffocate if you use that citrinella tiki torch crap.

[gyre]

Walmart has been closing out some 1 watt Brinkmann headlamps for $11.
Also some others including a garrity with a red blinky on the back.

I use a 3 watt brinkmann from target but $11 is a deal.

I have some AA red flashers from wlmart for $1.50.

[DJ Dominus]

[quote="gyre"]Walmart has been closing out some 1 watt Brinkmann headlamps for $11.
Also some others including a garrity with a red blinky on the back.

I use a 3 watt brinkmann from target but $11 is a deal.

I have some AA red flashers from wlmart for $1.50.[/quote]

Walmart is a bane for America. Don't by from Walmart. Devil spawn owned. Devil spawn controlled.

[Eric]

I do some bare-minimum EL lights so that I'm not a darkwad, and also use the same trick as Phil most of the time- a small flashlight on my belt or clipped to my clothes, pointed down.

I do have front & back lights on my bike as well.

[Clar-i-ty]

I just bought four for us to wear at night. They work great. Look in the isle with tools and such. Dollar tree is good for good cheap flashlights as well.

[gyre]

Walmart has been closing out some 1 watt Brinkmann headlamps for $11.
Also some others including a garrity with a red blinky on the back.

I use a 3 watt brinkmann from target but $11 is a deal.

I have some AA red flashers from wlmart for $1.50.

Walmart is a bane for America. Don't by from Walmart. Devil spawn owned. Devil spawn controlled.

Nite-hawk and sten have some true digitals.
Not available at walmart.

[robotland]

Walmart has been closing out some 1 watt Brinkmann headlamps for $11.
Also some others including a garrity with a red blinky on the back.

I use a 3 watt brinkmann from target but $11 is a deal.

I have some AA red flashers from wlmart for $1.50.

Walmart is a bane for America. Don't by from Walmart. Devil spawn owned. Devil spawn controlled.

Nite-hawk and sten have some true digitals.
Not available at walmart.

Bike blinkies and flashlights at WalMart- 1 to 3 dollars. The same, at the only camping store for fifty miles, 20 to 50 dollars. Better The Devil You Know. We don't ALL live in PC land- Do what you can where you can, but pluck NOT the mote from thy neighbor's eye, etc. etc...
I find the profusion of dollar stores to be a far greater threat...But they also have blinky lights. Go buy some, and then help an old lady across the street or plant a tree or something. Sheesh.

[AntiM]

Yeah well, our Wal-Mart grudge is personal, the distribution centers treat professional drivers like retarded criminals.

Oriental trading, or any party supply store, presto: blinkies on the cheap. from the same slave wage child labor pool too.

We got 9LED flashlights at 2 for $5 from majorsurplusnsurvival, got them in three days, fast shipping, there may yet be time.

[Trixy]

[quote="AntiM"] from the same slave wage child labor pool too.


Ha, Ha, Ha. I'm sure it's true, that's what makes it SO funny!

[robotland]

Yeah well, our Wal-Mart grudge is personal, the distribution centers treat professional drivers like retarded criminals.

Well, we KNOW you're not criminals. *rim shot*
.....They obviously don't have a CLUE how much you rock.

It IS like Dawn Of The Dead in there, most of the time. And the most common lights are LCD- "lowest common denominator".

[capjbadger]

Yeah well, our Wal-Mart grudge is personal, the distribution centers treat professional drivers like retarded criminals.

That's SMOOTH criminals damnit!

Badger

[BoxaRox]

I walk in the dark and take my chances.

Anything big enough to hurt me, (going the 5 MPH limit) I can avoid.

I will gladly become a speed bump for anything smaller to remind them to slow the fuck down.

[munney]

OK, If you can afford to go to BurningMan, then you can afford to get a couple lights for your front and back side.

I walk in the dark and take my chances.

Anything big enough to hurt me, (going the 5 MPH limit) I can avoid.

I will gladly become a speed bump for anything smaller to remind them to slow the fuck down.

I hate to disagree, but I have
A. Been hit by bikers, going just 5 MPH and faster and
B.Have almost hit people not wearing any glow/blinkie/fire/LED/EL/Whatever...

Back to A:roll: . If you are driving any vehicle, Please pay attention, and if you are less than sober, please pay extra attention of where you're heading, and what's around you.
IT hurts when a human 100 pounds or more plus a 20 pound vehicle, comes at you at 5 MPH, especially when you aren't expecting it.
At one point last year, I got hit by a wasted Biker, and my first reaction of this violent experience was to Raise a Hand in Defence, Attack, and Kick the rave right out of this freakshow, then a tiny voice inside says, "Dont hit the Stupid for they know not what they are doing..." So I just yelled profanity as this irresponsible person ride away.

As for B:roll: . It kinda sucks when it's night time and you are cruising 5 MPH in your vehicle, and all of a sudden there is a person/people right in front of you, wearing no visible light. One has to Swirve and or Stop your momentum to avoid hitting the Clueless people without light.

An Accident is more than hitting a Speedbump, it can cause injury, and I for one, prefer to stay out of the infirmary, I like to experience BRC without bandages.

For all intensive purposes, Dont Be a Deushce Nozzle

[Galax]

OK, If you can afford to go to BurningMan, then you can afford to get a couple lights for your front and back side.

I applied for a low income ticket using money I got from making and selling duct tape wallets and bags and a christmas gift from my grandmother. I stayed home sober on my 21st birthday last year and put the money I saved toward my ticket.

My husband saved up for his ticket but was laid off the same day he got the paycheck that would finally allow him to buy it, and the money had to go to bills instead while we both looked for more work. Since I've wanted to go for so long and finally have a ticket this year, he has worked himself half to death trying to scrape up enough to send me rather than have me sell my ticket to pay the bills. He refused to see me give up on this.

In the past few weeks, we did telemarketing through a temp agency that refused to pay us for our training, we've done our best to get day labor work, we've sold half of our movies, games, books, and the like, sold my mandolin, and plan to sell plasma next. I still have to borrow $100 from my roommate.

I sewed my playa outfits from scraps of fabric I found around the house, clothes that didn't fit anymore, an old sheet, my husband's uniforms from the Air Force, and broken bits of decorative stuff I picked up off the floor when I worked at a craft store and pocketed rather than throwing them away.

My food for the trip is planned around what I could get cheap or free that would still provide the vitamins I need, and I borrowed most of my supplies and scrounged the rest. I have yet to even find a flashlight I can borrow, and while I'm sure at this point that I can get enough money for gas (since my husband swears he'd rather sit in the dark for a week when the electricity gets cut off than see me unable to go if we can't scrape up enough cash for both), I'm not sure how much more than that there will be.

Please do not tell me what I can afford.

[Valkyrie]

Maybe it might be good to stop worrying then? I've never been before, but I get the distinct impression that if you're doing what you can, and you're clearly in need then the generous people of the playa will help cover the rest.

From what I understand, there are people that come in with little to nothing, and although people resent them for not putting in the effort, they still are looked after and given what they need. It sounds to me like there would be no resentment for you.

If the currency of the playa is stories, it sounds like you're pretty wealthy.

[Toolmaker]

Walgreens has some battery powered blinky glowsticks for 2 bucks each. You can get a hand crank dynamo flashlight for 5-10 bucks and save money by not needing batteries. Small EL wire strips powered by 2 AAs or a 9V last a little while since they don't suck the juice so fast.

[munney]

Half of me has pitty for Galax and her His crew, We all go through rough times, and yet the other part of me wants to hide behind the electronic walls of the internet and talk smack.

Here's a thought, :::::: I want a Cow, I really want the experience of a Cow, Oh, but I dont have a farm, or a place for the Cow, or a Vehicle for the Cow to get to my Apt. But I scrimpt and saved and got laid (off) the day I was getting my Low income Cow subsidiary, and everyone who has cows has such fun, and..... Can someone help me with Cow Lights, Cuz I really want to have Cow.

Eat Playa Pancakes, Mooch Drinks, and wear the same outfit all week, but dont get in my way at night without Lights.

Sorry to sound like Snagglepuss remarks, but I want to take my cow to the SuperBowl I hear its fun.....

Wa Waa Waaa, Gag me with a Spoon, Call the Wambulance , Dont be a DeuscheNozzle

A Friendly message from your Local Burner [/img]

[Galax]

Wa Waa Waaa, Gag me with a Spoon, Call the Wambulance , Dont be a DeuscheNozzle

Please follow your own advice.

I was not asking for pity, I was explaining why money is short since you seemed unable to take my word for it. If I was looking for pity, I would have posted my story (and in more detail) in the first place. I was also insulted by your comment and was hoping to show you that you can't judge somebody's financial situation without knowing anything about it. Perhaps I shouldn't have tried to be polite, since that seems to be a foreign concept to you.

I had a serious question about a safety precaution. You are not being helpful, just mean-spirited. I am not interested in filling this forum with arguments and drama. This is a "Q & A" forum. I asked a question. If you do not have an answer, please take your nasty comments elsewhere.

[Valkyrie]

So what was the purpose of this thread again? You wanted to know if you needed lights? I think, with few exceptions, the answer is pretty obviously "yes". Of course, I'm sure you've read and re-read the survival guide a couple dozen times like I have so you know that already, right?

Then folks chime in about cheap alternatives. Of course, people want to be Helpful, but everyone's definition of "cheap" is relative. In fact this is a rare thread in which there is a great deal of helpfulness with only minimal sniping, very little mockery and much seriousness.

I think it would be a mistake to expect this to continue. My last post was aimed at getting you to "shut up already" about it, lest someone go for the "low hanging fruit".

Everyone has their own stories. I could spend hours telling you about each and every time I didn't get to do something big and cool that I'd prepared for for a silly long time. And most of them are a lot more interesting than "I got laid off at just the wrong time" although there has been one or two of those. (Does anyone know what a bone cyst is?) But the sad stories get tedious after a while, especially if they're nothing new, and sweetie, although yours is pitiable, it's not anything I haven't heard before. Except the bit about gathering stuff from the floor of the craft shop. That sounds.. crafty. Oh, and where did you get the glow-in-the-dark thread? That sounds neat.

Stop stressing or you'll spoil the event for yourself. You're only 21. (And why the heck didn't friends get you drunk on your birthday? You're not supposed to pay for that anyway!) You have a lifetime ahead of you so don't stress out already. I'm 40 (shhh, don't tell anyone!) and have been working at this perhaps a bit longer than you have. The advice I gave my niece I think still holds: "Life doesn't get any easier, you just learn to deal with the curves. This way, you can take on bigger and more difficult things and survive by using the old solutions for what has now become easy stuff."

Besides, from what I hear, this isn't a once in a lifetime event. It's a habit. You're gonna have to do this every year.

And please, someone toss this poor lady a cylume before someone gets hurt hitting her. I know y'all have more than enough. Sheesh.

[Galax]

My roommate's parents have a couple of small solar lamps, and she just told me she will ask to borrow one. That should do the trick, right? Thank you for your help.

[Galax]

Everyone has their own stories. I could spend hours telling you about each and every time I didn't get to do something big and cool that I'd prepared for for a silly long time. And most of them are a lot more interesting than "I got laid off at just the wrong time" although there has been one or two of those. (Does anyone know what a bone cyst is?) But the sad stories get tedious after a while, especially if they're nothing new, and sweetie, although yours is pitiable, it's not anything I haven't heard before.

Look, I was not trying to get pity, I was not trying to be interesting, and I was not trying to say that I'm the worst-off person here or anything like that. The only point I was trying to make is that I AM short of money and looking to save it if I can, and that saying that just because I can attend the event means that I can afford anything easily is unreasonable. That's it. I knew that replying to that was a bad idea, and shame on me for doing it anyway, but please know that I WAS NOT DOING IT TO GAIN SYMPATHY, just to prove a point. Can we just drop it now?

The glow-in-the-dark thread came from Jo-Ann Fabrics (I think, it's been a while since I bought it), although I think you can even find it at places like Wal-Mart. If I recall correctly, it comes in white, yellow, green, pink, blue, and purple. There may have been others, I'm not sure. Mine is green. It works okay in a sewing machine, although I've had the thread break a little more frequently than with regular thread. That could just be because I've been twisting it around in strange ways for my embroidery, though.

[Valkyrie]

Yeah, embroidery take tougher thread. Hrm. Blue glow in the dark thread. I'll have to keep that in mind. I haven't seen that stuff around here, but then again, it's been a while since I've gone into a Jo-Anne store, much less a Wal-mart.

Pardon me, but you mentioned one of my soap-boxy issues:
Yes, I'm one of those people who is adamantly opposed to shopping at Wal-Mart. They currently have over 70 class action lawsuits pending against them by various groups that they have exercised various draconic employment practices against. Having seen the stats, known people in many different levels associated with the company I'm inclined to believe the majority, if not all of those have merit.

I think something like the fact that they like to hire women and only let them work 30 hours a week (so they don't get any benefits, which start at 32 hrs/wk) and never promote them, but instead promote the few men they have over them. (One of the lawsuits I saw the numbers for, with accompanying training materials. It's pretty damning.) might be something you could relate to. (It also happens to be the largest class-action civil rights lawsuit in history.) It's kind of sad that this case has been sitting in appeals for over 3 years, since Wal-Mart didn't like early decisions against them.

I understand that in some parts of the country, there are some things you just can't get anywhere but Wal-Mart (most likely because they've run any serious competition out of business.) I feel for you, but you can also try to minimize your support

Then again, you probably don't much care for Wal-Mart either and this is just random ranting, like that fellow who stands in Sproul Plaza every day saying "Happy Happy Happy" (Berkeleyans will know EXACTLY who I'm talking about.). Whee!

[Galax]

I avoid Wal-Mart as much as possible, too. I actually worked there as a summer job once, so I know how much it sucks. And yes, the managers were male, and the other women were almost all at my level. That includes a woman I worked with who had her 70th birthday while I was there. She'd worked there for years and was still only making $7.50 per hour, even though she did her job very well.

I was in the clothing department, and honestly, just seeing things like a $3.00 woven straw hat with a tag that said "Handmade!" was enough to send me running. Even without doing any research, you can tell that something horrible must be happening just by putting the price and the amount of labor it took to make the item together.

And that's all besides how they treat the employees. Did you know we were required to watch a whole video on why we should hate union representatives, and how to chase them out of the store? Yeah, I'm with you on this one. I just mentioned it since I HAD seen the thread there.

[trevkong]

Army navy surplus sells some nifty flashlights that dont take batteries, you shake em to recharge them, they also have 2$ mini battery lanterns what i hung from my bike, the flashlights run 4.99 for a small one.

[longobord]

I had a funny experience when I went to see if I could get one of these "self winding" flashlights at my local surplus store. The guy (who was ostensibly selling them!) told me they were crap. They aren't very bright nor are they reliable. Instead he sold me a (cheaper!) little LED flashlight that he said would hold up longer and be brighter.