LED Light Sticks

Weebdog · Post by **Weebdog** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 3:04 pm

For those of you that don't like the chemical light sticks, here's an alternative. I just found LED light sticks at Costco. There are 5 to a pack (2 red, 2 orange and 1 white/blue), comes with batteries in each light and 2 additional spare sets of batteries. The lights flash or stay on constant. Each light comes with a nice lanyard. Cost - $14.99 I couldn't find them on line on the Costco web page so you will probaby have to go to Costco to get them.

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 2:14 am

Walgreens has multicolored with different patterns for 2 bucks each. If you google about you should be able to find the ones for 1 dollar each and 75 cents for large orders.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 11:30 am

Be sure to look for ones with changeable batteries.
I found the little flashlights with an add on diffuser.

VelcroChicken · Post by **VelcroChicken** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 2:32 pm

Out of curiosity, what's wrong with chemical glow sticks?

Is there some kind of environmental impact from them? I've always wondered that.

Or is it just that they don't last very long? (the cheaper ones anyways.)

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 3:06 pm

Too dim, too expensive and too short a runtime.

And they taste terrible.

Post by **mdmf007** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:19 pm

VelcroChicken wrote:Out of curiosity, what's wrong with chemical glow sticks?
Is there some kind of environmental impact from them? I've always wondered that.
Or is it just that they don't last very long? (the cheaper ones anyways.)

Glowsticks cant be recycled (well they could but they would have to be drained and cleaned - to cost prohibitive) There is enough plastic in a single glow stick by weight to make 5 water bottles.

The chemicals arent all that bad for the environment, and are actually non-toxic, they taste like crap and stink though.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:35 pm

It's a mess if your break one in your duffel.

Glow thinkies are so yesterday.

They are a moop mess on the playa..

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:04 pm

I'm kind of a heretic on the question. So many blinkies don't have changible batteries, and it's not always evident when you're buying them what the case will be. And a lot of the leds I've own, including two desklamps, come under the heading "cheap shit from china that breaks in a month." And the batteries are often odd sizes that you have to really track down. Plus it's often cheaper to just buy new blinkies. And I basically think that anything electronic is dirty manufacturing and special disposal. I simply don't think it's realistic for every event attendee to go through the extra trouble that doing blinkies properly is.

VelcroChicken · Post by **VelcroChicken** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:17 pm

Why do so many people seem to know what the chemicals in glow sticks taste like? This concerns me even more.

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:33 pm

I have never had the chance to try glow stick juice.

I have tried numerous doggie treats and have found almost all of them to be rather bland and often without the taste of bacon as advertised.

I think folks that know about the taste of glow stick juice MAY have tried one of the mouth lights and got to teeth grinding. Others like me just like to taste things.

I try to taste anything and everything non-toxic at least once.

VelcroChicken · Post by **VelcroChicken** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:44 pm

It must've been happy days for you when crayons became non-toxic.

Actually, they say that on there, but were they toxic at any time? That'd be a poor product for children. Kind of like milk products today, apparently.

Something about "trying glow stick juice" just grosses me out. I don't think I like the word juice.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:45 pm

China can't produce an egg without poisoning a canton.

Always worth checking battery choices.

http://www.niteize.com/productdetail.ph ... uct_id=126
http://www.inovalight.com/micro.html

I have seen cheaper versions of this approach.
Side diffracting fiber optics with LEDs have been suggested too.

Almost everything from Nite-ize seems to have replaceable batteries.
http://www.niteize.com/productdetail.ph ... duct_id=42

This one is sort of interesting.
Check out the 3 color mode.
Very bright.
I've seen this one in the flesh.
Seems tough.
http://www.inovalight.com/247.html

LED Info
http://ledmuseum.home.att.net/

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 8:44 pm

Here's one called Glo-toob.
Supposed to be on the rugged side.
And they make an infra-red version.
That would drive the people with infra-red devices a little nuts.
Not on the cheap side, but most glowsticks won't take being run over.
http://www.glo-toob.com/main.html

Here's an interesting site.
Elwire glowsticks and so on.
http://www.dansdata.com/krillsticks.htm

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 9:21 pm

I have a couple Glo-tubes and damn near all the Nite-Ize products as well as some Inova lights. All have performed well for many years.

Along those lines Sure-Fire makes some decent lights.. the G2 is nice and light if you want to keep weight down. I use a G2 Surefire and an Inova 3watt LED both take 123lithium batteries. I usually use the Walgreens LED sticks on the camelbak since they can have batteries changed. Dorcy makes LED sticks too that can have batteries replaced that I plan on trying sometime.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 9:35 pm

Have you taken a Glo-toob to 350 atmospheres yet?

Check out the Arc lights.

VelcroChicken · Post by **VelcroChicken** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 7:06 am

Someone test the SCUBA cap on the glo-toob down to its limit at 11,500 feet. You'll be ok, I promise. :D

Edit:

Have you taken a Glo-toob to 350 atmospheres yet?

Oops. Someone already suggested :<