My buddy and I ended up getting lost when we were hog hunting in Texas a few years ago. Rain settled in, and the temp dropped 15 degrees almost instantly. The tiny bubble compass saved our hides. We knew a road cut through the state game area a few miles south of us, and our truck was parked in the south east corner. Ever since then I always grab it when bombing around new trails. I've been wrapping mine in blaze orange duct tape for marking trails while scouting game areas in Michigan for this upcoming deer season. It's been a handy addition.
Glad you made it out safely! Weve been there too. The best lessons involve pain, blood and suffering.
I think blaze orange makes way more sense than black. If I had lost mine that day in TX I would have been completely screwed.
Good job keeping calm and getting yourself to safety. It is a real scary feeling when you stop and realize you aren't sure how to get home.
Bright pink. Blaze orange is nice but in the fall with the orange and red leaves blanketing the forest that color can be impossible to find if dropped. Bright pink not be everyone's cup of tea but it's the most practical color for gear you don't want to lose.
Maybe the venom green / blaze orange combo. Or maybe coat the aluminum of the fire kit venom green and add a role of blaze orange duct tape in the middle at the factory.
The problem with pink (and most blues) is that most manufacturers won't use a bright enough shade so if it's even a little dirty through use or dull (color, not blade) from general prolonged carry. it might as well be camo if dropped in the woods. Pink blade with an orange handle that has a big bright blue stripe down the middle of it maybe? I don't know. Hell, Spyderco's new LC2000N Pac Salt 2s have a green handle. Drop that one anywhere but a sidewalk or the desert and good luck finding it.
I should have said fluorescent pink. I agree if something coats the paint you might be outta luck but that's true with any color. I just know fluorescent orange and green/yellow are common but both are easily lost depending on the time of the year. I guess by using both colors it would help eliminate this problem but probably not as cost effective as a single color. That being said I doubt it would ever be made. Despite its effectiveness at being spotted, most men, which are undoubtedly the bulk of these customers, wouldn't purchase a pink item.
Thanks, guys! I can't say I would've cared if it was hot pink that day or not. I'm just glad I threw it in my bag. Definitely one of those days where you never expect things to turn out the way they did. Being lost is one thing, but being soaked through by rain in 40ish degree weather suuuucks. lol
Luckily for me, I’ve never been lost. I’ve had to walk an extra 7-8 miles Backpacking a few times to get back to the truck after a shortcut led me astray. I’ve walked a few extra ridges because the landscape all looked the same. But I’ve never been lost. I always knew I was in a 50 mile radius of my truck!