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THE GEAR JUNKIE: VIP SIGNAL LIGHT
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Lost in the woods? Adrift at sea? The VIP Signal Light is the ultimate "see and be seen" emergency beacon, a weird little LED unit built by Adventure Lights Inc. of Beaconsfield, Quebec, that can do such things as blip a visual SOS signal for 350 hours straight.
Tested in deserts, the Arctic, in the stratosphere and hundreds of feet underwater, this beacon is rated to hold up in almost any environmental condition imaginable, including 330 feet underwater and in temps ranging from minus-40 to 120 degrees.
It can be used as a flashlight for small tasks, an always-on blinker to add visibility when you're boating or biking on the road, or, in an emergency, as a beacon that signals the international SOS distress call -- dit-dit-dit, dah-dah-dah, dit-dit-dit -- via a visual Morse code.
I tested the VIP Standard Yellow Case model, an $81 light that has a focused amber LED, which is a color meant to enhance visibility and help penetrate smoke and fog, according to the company.
The product is strangely shaped but functional, with a metal belt clip and zip-ties to secure the light permanently to a backpack, life preserver or other object. It runs on a lithium battery (included) for a quoted 350 hours. It measures about 3 by 2 by 1¼ inches and weighs 4 ounces -- light and unobtrusive in most any extreme situation.
STEPHEN REGENOLD
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