Beware: You should never explore wild caves alone or without proper gear. Consider getting in touch with a Grotto of the National Speleological Society at www.caves.org or a qualified cave club. These groups are skilled and will train you. Without sufficient knowledge, preparation, and equipment, cave exploring can lead to serious injury or death.
Glow sticks aren’t just for parties anymore! They can serve as backup or emergency light sources anytime you find yourself without a strong flashlight. When it comes to the dark corners of a wild cave, this situation can happen more often than you might think.
These days, glow sticks are often used as commercial-grade safety tools, but they can be quite handy for caving as well. Maybe your flashlight accidentally hits a protruding rock in a narrow corridor, or the battery runs out because your trip takes longer than anticipated. Whatever the case may be, it’s good to have a backup light source.
This handheld, portable source of light is now included in every good disaster preparedness kit and recreation pack. It is an ideal illumination tool in challenging outdoor scenarios. Engineers have designed it for instant illumination. They’re light, easy to pack, don’t need batteries, and the best ones last a long time.
One major advantage is that they can be cracked and used in just a few seconds, and you don’t need to look at anything to be able to do it in the dark. But perhaps the best thing about glow sticks is they are non-flammable and cool to the touch, so even kids can use them safely. In this review article, we’ll cover some of the best glow sticks in the market that can assist in your caving adventures.
Cyalume Snap Light Stick With Five-Year Shelf Life
Cyalume 9-00721 Snap Light Stick (20 pack)
The Cyalume Snap Light Stick is an industrial grade red light stick that provides illumination for up to 12 hours. It is 6 inches long, and because it's red, it provides a slightly dimmer light than other colors.
This can be ideal for those who don't want their glow stick to be blindingly bright in extremely dark areas, like a cave, but it is a limitation in other situations.
Something noteworthy about Cyalume Light Sticks is that they have a hook and hole top for hanging them, and a five-year shelf life. This means they can be stuffed in your emergency bag and left alone for quite a while until you need them on an outing.
- Cheap for industrial grade light sticks
- 20 in a pack, with a 5-year shelf life to last extra long
- Red light provides not-so-bright lighting
- Has a hook and hole top for hanging overhead
- Not ideal if you want an extra bright backup light source
- Unlikely to need 20 if it's only for emergencies
BINWO Reusable LED Glow Sticks (2 Pack)
If you've ever loved your glow sticks and felt sad when they finally went dim, these might be your new favorites. The BINWO Reusable LED Glow Sticks are around $20, automatically alternate between 15 different colors, and are visible up to 800 meters out.
The ABS material provides impact resistance, heat resistance, and cold resistance.
Compared to other glowsticks, these have a unique design, which fits well in your hand. Weighing only 80 grams, they are about 4 times the weight of the cheap basic glow sticks, with the benefit of not having to be discarded after use.
They last about 8-10 hours, and then can be recharged for reuse on your next trip. They use AAA batteries as well, and we all have a couple of those lying around.
If you don't love them, there is a 90-day warranty, no questions asked.
- Rechargeable, something almost no other glow stick can offer
- Uses AAA batteries, so they're easily replaceable
- Can be turned off!
- 90-day warranty
- Automatically changing colors might be distracting for serious caving
- Heavier than traditional glow sticks.
- Not ideal for an emergency pack because they require batteries
Swiss Safe Glow Stick With 12+ Hour Output
These Swiss Safe glow sticks are what you're looking for if you prefer the extra bright variation.
They're not cheap, because Swiss Safe uses industrial-grade construction. This means that each stick is individually packaged, and also guaranteed to do its job correctly. These were explicitly designed for use in an emergency, so you can rely on them in a cave environment.
However, be aware that when we say these are extra bright, we mean it. Don't abuse them, as they may be disruptive to any creatures living inside the cave, and could be a bit disorienting at first to your companions.
- Designed for emergencies with industrial grade construction
- Extremely reliable and ultra bright
- Has a hook and hole top for hanging overhead
- Customer satisfaction guaranteed by the brand
- More expensive (due to higher quality)
- Could be too bright for some people
HSGUS Ultra Bright 6 Inch Multi-Colored Glow Sticks
These HSGUS glow sticks are designed for Halloween parties, but make a great addition to an emergency kit. They are waterproof, non-flammable, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly.
The green and yellow glow sticks are brightest. We recommend those colors in general.
However, some users have reported that there was a chance of getting a dud in the pack. Some glow sticks seemed to get dimmer after just a few minutes. If this is the case, you will be covered with Amazon's refund policy, but it might be best to have a backup for this backup.
- Has a hook and hole top for hanging overhead
- Perfect for a budget emergency kit, 32 in one pack
- Lots of colors to pick from
- Some users reported a dud or two in a pack
- Lighting is less powerful compared to other glow sticks on the list
- Uneven brightness based on color
Lewtemi Jumbo (14-16 inch) Military Grade Emergency Light Sticks
The Lewtemi Jumbo Glow Sticks are not for everyone. They are designed for concerts, dance halls, and parties, but can be used as a good backup light source when camping or caving as well.
Because they're so large (14-16 inches in length), they can be used as a stationary light when you're taking a short break inside a cave and want to keep your hands free. For this reason, some cavers may appreciate the larger size and reliability of a slightly heavier, bulkier object.
These also work well underwater, as they are waterproof and built to last both in diving environments and at higher altitudes.
Some users even reported them lasting much longer than the advertised 12-hours, so it will surely compensate during any normal caving trip if your flashlight or other light sources are deemed to be too expensive for the situation.
- Can be placed on the ground for multiple people to use.
- Extra large size
- Can last much longer than the advertised time
- Excellent for divers
- Does not have a hook for hanging them overhead
- Big size means it won't be ideal for an emergency kit
- More expensive per glow stick
Conclusion
When you compare the features of glow/light sticks with flashlights, flashlights are typically going to win. If you have a powerful headlamp, especially, you will feel confident relying on just that.
However, a few features help illuminate the reason why glow sticks still get consideration by cavers. They provide sturdy, low level-lighting, tolerate extreme temperatures, and don’t require batteries or any real effort to set them up. Knowing you have this light in your pocket or backpack that will continue shining for hours, no matter the conditions of the cave, can be a comforting thing.
Of course, this doesn’t mean to forego the tactical headlamp or flashlight – you should have both (or all three) with you. Glowsticks should be more of an emergency backup light source. They could be easily dropped or lost and you don’t want to be left in the dark, do you?