Steve and Karen
Ranger
This is really two safety/convenience hacks, but they go together.
We recently shared a small site with my son and daughter-in law who were tenting. In addition, we had both the side tent and galley canopy set up. Needless to say, it was tight, and there was zero ambient light. In the dark I nearly did a couple face plants after tripping over several ground stakes that I should have known were there. Because I put them there. But I didn't always have my headlamp lighting the way... and my brain wasn't always protecting me from myself.
I started looking at glow-in-the-dark solutions. They make glow-in-the-dark stakes. But at least one reviewer/camper
found they only lasted 15-20 minutes after being left out all day in the sun, so I took the review at face value and didn't bother with that approach, or similar hard plastic rings you can put on the stakes.
I wanted something that would last several hours and not require any input from me: i.e. put the stakes in the ground, let the sun charge them for several hours, give me several hours of glowing after sunset, and I will go to bed, with my face intact.
I tried some phosphorescent paint from Michaels on some small sections of pipe insulation... something that could easily go around a stake/guyline. The cheap FolkArt brand paint was a total failure. 15 minutes tops. I decided to splurge on the DecoArt brand, also from Michaels. Success. I put them out 3 hours before actual sunset; 3 hours after sunset it was still glowing sufficiently to prevent a trip. In the morning (total darkness), it was still visibly glowing, though faintly. 2 hours after sunset I did recharge one with just 5 seconds of flashlight exposure and it was back to full strength. There are a couple different phosphorescent chemistries; DecoArt seems to have nailed one for general consumers.
To make them, I drizzled it on like icing in several layers and let each dry. It stays rubbery and won't crack or fall off.
View attachment IMG_4398 2.jpg
View attachment IMG_4397.jpg
I also acquired some 3M Diamond Grade self-adhesive reflective tape. Which is what you see on the sides of the foam. Seems to stick. If it doesn't, I go epoxy.
The Diamond Grade is 3M's top reflective tape since it can be seen from any angle, even approaching 90 degrees, and is almost universally used in road signage, so you already probably have a pretty good idea what it can do. Their lower grade prismatic doesn't have quite the intensity or angle spread, but is still good. Glass bead stuff (most cheap Amazon) requires that you look at it pretty much head-on to discern any reflectivity.
The 3M tape was initially acquired to add some reflectivity to the trailer, and a couple places around the house and driveway.
I put the tape on some of the less conspicuous places on the trailer, but areas that would still be visible to others while on the road: on the lower frame beneath the front storage, the side of the bumper mounting frame, and on my solar panel frame on top, for 360 reflectivity. This stuff also reflects really well when it's just starting to get dark. This also happens to be the transitional time when we are most compromised by the Purkinje Shift (for the bio-science dweebs) when different colors, object outlines, and light intensities are difficult for our eyes to process and parse. The intensity of the Diamond Grade helps counteract that temporary deficit:
View attachment IMG_4396.jpg
I was at about a 45 deg angle from the trailer frame when I took the pic.
Obviously, you don't want to slap this stuff on everywhere; a little can go a long way. The real trick is acquiring "just a little", since it's essentially a commercial product, and priced accordingly. I was able to get a part roll for a reasonable price. My son, who tows boats extensively throughout the Northeast, at all hours, will get the rest to glow-up his trailers.
Also helps you find your way back to your site in the dead of a moonless night.
We recently shared a small site with my son and daughter-in law who were tenting. In addition, we had both the side tent and galley canopy set up. Needless to say, it was tight, and there was zero ambient light. In the dark I nearly did a couple face plants after tripping over several ground stakes that I should have known were there. Because I put them there. But I didn't always have my headlamp lighting the way... and my brain wasn't always protecting me from myself.
I started looking at glow-in-the-dark solutions. They make glow-in-the-dark stakes. But at least one reviewer/camper
I wanted something that would last several hours and not require any input from me: i.e. put the stakes in the ground, let the sun charge them for several hours, give me several hours of glowing after sunset, and I will go to bed, with my face intact.
I tried some phosphorescent paint from Michaels on some small sections of pipe insulation... something that could easily go around a stake/guyline. The cheap FolkArt brand paint was a total failure. 15 minutes tops. I decided to splurge on the DecoArt brand, also from Michaels. Success. I put them out 3 hours before actual sunset; 3 hours after sunset it was still glowing sufficiently to prevent a trip. In the morning (total darkness), it was still visibly glowing, though faintly. 2 hours after sunset I did recharge one with just 5 seconds of flashlight exposure and it was back to full strength. There are a couple different phosphorescent chemistries; DecoArt seems to have nailed one for general consumers.
To make them, I drizzled it on like icing in several layers and let each dry. It stays rubbery and won't crack or fall off.
View attachment IMG_4398 2.jpg
View attachment IMG_4397.jpg
I also acquired some 3M Diamond Grade self-adhesive reflective tape. Which is what you see on the sides of the foam. Seems to stick. If it doesn't, I go epoxy.
The Diamond Grade is 3M's top reflective tape since it can be seen from any angle, even approaching 90 degrees, and is almost universally used in road signage, so you already probably have a pretty good idea what it can do. Their lower grade prismatic doesn't have quite the intensity or angle spread, but is still good. Glass bead stuff (most cheap Amazon) requires that you look at it pretty much head-on to discern any reflectivity.
The 3M tape was initially acquired to add some reflectivity to the trailer, and a couple places around the house and driveway.
I put the tape on some of the less conspicuous places on the trailer, but areas that would still be visible to others while on the road: on the lower frame beneath the front storage, the side of the bumper mounting frame, and on my solar panel frame on top, for 360 reflectivity. This stuff also reflects really well when it's just starting to get dark. This also happens to be the transitional time when we are most compromised by the Purkinje Shift (for the bio-science dweebs) when different colors, object outlines, and light intensities are difficult for our eyes to process and parse. The intensity of the Diamond Grade helps counteract that temporary deficit:
View attachment IMG_4396.jpg
I was at about a 45 deg angle from the trailer frame when I took the pic.
Obviously, you don't want to slap this stuff on everywhere; a little can go a long way. The real trick is acquiring "just a little", since it's essentially a commercial product, and priced accordingly. I was able to get a part roll for a reasonable price. My son, who tows boats extensively throughout the Northeast, at all hours, will get the rest to glow-up his trailers.
Also helps you find your way back to your site in the dead of a moonless night.
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