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Have you ever lost camp tools in the bottomless night of a moonless, moist Midwestern woodland?–find them with glow cord lanyards. Tools dropped into deep taiga snow pack?–spot them easily using glow cord snow flags. Tripping over your own tent guy lines at night in your local state park?–see your glow cord guy lines every time. Trouble returning to your wilderness stealth campsite after dark?–find it quickly by stringing a glow cord streamer high over a branch limb, and leave yourself a glow in the dark ‘bread crumbs’ trail by tying short segments at eye level along your approach trail.

Glow cord is a fairly new signaling material supporting readiness. Brightly colored cord is much easier to see in the daylight. Bright tiny reflections answer the searching beam of your headlamp in darkness. Glow cord is turned out with reflective strands weaved into the cord or cord sheath. This stuff is surprisingly effective.

Signaling for rescue in the wilds uses devices and materials that reflect or emit, the primary signals groupings. A smoky fire emits smoke and light. A signal mirror reflects sunshine. A whistle emits sound that carries far. A brightly colored jacket reflects contrasting wave lengths of sun light. Radio communications emit a radio signal that travels very far–globally with a communications satellite bounce!

Not all signaling is rescue signaling. Glow cord is a form of reflectance signaling for camp utility.  Visual signals help you keep your stuff organized and close at hand when needed.

Our mantra: See, but don’t be seen unless you desire to be seen.

Signaling is more than smoke & mirrors: Signaling and communications are inseparable skills sets for readiness. Examples: pre-trip, trip, and post-trip communications with families, agencies, and so on; coordination among group members and cooperation with other groups: and risk management; making guy lines, tools, and camps visible; a hunter being seen wearing an orange vest; and so on. Even so, glow cord is not a visual eyesore for most, from a distance at least–not on the scale of say, an orange tent pitched in a green alpine meadow. Subdued colors in camp, earth tones for clothing and equipment are desirable choices for low impact camping. Our suggested mantra: See, but don’t be seen unless you desire to be seen.

Outdoor Readiness Trials Triad: Well-being (Homeostasis Management), Way-finding (Navigation & Route-finding), Securing (Communications & Signaling).

Signaling is the third leg of our Outdoor Readiness Trials Triad: Homeostasis Management, Navigation & Route-finding, Signaling & Communications. The triad represents a geometry of primary outdoor skills groupings. Your three-legged stool grows sturdy as your knowledge balloons, your skills exhibit fluency,  and your experience builds competence leading to confidence.

Tom Bain, Outdoor Readiness