Emergency Strobe A Must For Outdoors
Product: Emergency Strobe
Description: A U.S. Coast Guard-approved hand-sized, waterproof, battery-powered strobe light.
Pro: Completely waterproof and extremely durable, and I thrashed the stuffing out of mine over an eight-day period banging against rocks, being dropped, tossed, stepped on, and even submerged for periods as long as 20 to 30 minutes (my pack was submerged, I was not). A spring assembly inside ensures that the battery always remains in contact with the bulb, even with rough handling. The light is extremely bright and visible for miles in clear atmospheric conditions and will flash up to 70 times per minute for up to 16 hours. After 16 hours, the strobe will still flash for up to another 60 hours (depending on battery life) at a rate of several times per minute. The strobe on/off switch is easy to use, even with gloved and very wet and cold hands. The belt clip attaches the strobe securely to a waist belt, pack strap, PFD strap or other strap-like surface.
Con: It’s heavy, primarily because of the D-cell battery, but then again, how much weight is too much when a life, maybe your own, might be a stake?
Comments: I never imagined that I would have occasion to test this strobe in a life-and-death scenario, but things have a funny way of working out. While in the backcountry of Utah during an adventure race in the spring of 1995, my teammates and I used our compact radio to call for assistance for a member of another team who had collapsed from serious dehydration. An emergency rescue team responded, but since it was during the dead of night with no moon, they were unsure if they could locate us quickly. Fortunately, we were carrying several Emergency Strobes which we used to alert the emergency helicopter to our position and to mark out a landing area for it to use. I know of several friends who use the strobe to place on the top of their vehicle when they are out exploring very remote backcountry so that when dusk settles in they can locate the vehicle easily. I pack one in my vehicle for emergency use just in case the weather turns really sour and I need to alert other vehicles of my presence.
Suggested Retail: $23
Company: MPI Outdoors, 85-D Flagship Drive, North Andover, MA 01845; (800) 343-5827