Uses of UV / Reflective / Glow in the Dark paint for Nightcaches

[+supertbone]

I have a letterbox hybrid in the works and with in the past week I have decided to make it into a nightcache. I have seen reflective tacks used sucessfully on the two night caches that I have been on. I have also heard of people using UV / reflective / glow in the dark paint. What would be an appropriate way of applying these types of paint? Are signs, trees, or rocks sprayed? Spraying these items sounds "iffy".

 

Any guidance on the matter would be helpful. Thanks.

[+NorthWes]

Don't paint signs!!! Most government entities classify that as vandalism - even a felony in some cases (ok - I confess - I'm a sign guy...). Besides, 'reflective' paint is horrid & useless.

 

Better - go to your local sign shop and ask for 3M Scotchlight Engineer grade reflective sheeting (or the brighter High Intensity or Diamond Grade stuff) - they might even have scraps they'd give you (we give away scrap for 'safety projects' like ATV helmets all the time) - you don't need much in the way of square inches at all... The stuff's self-adhesive, and you can make your own reflectors with a utility knife and a base substrate (large-head tacks, etc). Then you can do custom stuff... - I've even used 'black' reflective sheeting on some night caches up here in Alaska to 'hide' the reflector during the daytime.

[bogleman]

I too have a "friend" who has provided me with all the reflective material that my heart could desire - enough to cover a 5 gallon bucket and then some. I even made my own fire tacks. When I'm done with the cache all I have to do is pull a few tacks and I'm good to go. If you are going to paint anything keep it to the container.

[+briansnat]

I have also heard of people using UV / reflective / glow in the dark paint.

 

That kind of cache would not be listed if the reviewer knew that paint was used and would be archived immediatley if they find out.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

I have also heard of people using UV / reflective / glow in the dark paint.

 

That kind of cache would not be listed if the reviewer knew that paint was used and would be archived immediatley if they find out.

 

What if the paint is used to cover say a dowel or dead stick that is stuck in the ground along the cache route? Not unlike the fiberglass driveway markers at the supply stores, but they would blend in a lot more in the woods.

[+Lil Devil]

I know of a night cache where the owner used glow-in-the-dark femo clay to make some rocks they planted in the field. In some cases the bottom of the rocks had coords to the next stage on them, in others it just gave a compass direction to travel and you had to shine your light everywhere until something glowed. In all cases the glow-in-the-dark object was brought in so he never "vandalized" anything.

[+Kit Fox]

The problem with UV paint is that it isn't very visible from more than a few feet away, when using most portable UV lights. You might get a better range, if you use the large "theater sized UV lights."

 

Jonathan,

 

I'm surprised you haven't tried my Big Ben Night Cache. It utilizes invisible UV light, not the kind that starts as a bright color, than glows under a blacklight.

 

I know of a night cache where the owner used glow-in-the-dark femo clay to make some rocks they planted in the field. In some cases the bottom of the rocks had coords to the next stage on them, in others it just gave a compass direction to travel and you had to shine your light everywhere until something glowed. In all cases the glow-in-the-dark object was brought in so he never "vandalized" anything.

 

That is how I made mine. I brought the item to the first location, and since the paint is invisible, nobody can claim vandalizm.

 

The key thing to remember is that UV paint wont make a good trail to follow, due to it's wavelength, and limited range. I spent an hour on the phone with a manufacturer of UV Paint, so i'll save you the any headaches.

Edited December 12, 2006 by Kit Fox

[+Lil Devil]

The key thing to remember is that UV paint wont make a good trail to follow, due to it's wavelength, and limited range.

Very true. The cache I mentioned works well because in most cases the glowing object simply marks the location where coordinates are hidden to the next stage. For example, one lone rock in a huge rockpile would never be found during the day, but at night, when holding a UV light, that rock sticks out like a sore thumb. Pick up the rock, and the coords are etched on the bottom.

[victoria_foster]

(advertisement deleted by moderator -- note this topic was bumped to post this ad everyone)

Edited September 23, 2010 by mtn-man

[+pmolan]

The (removed) ink:

 

•Has a long life - tested to last more than 100 years

 

They had UV lights in 1910?

 

William H. Byler is credited with inventing the black light in 1935, and according to the University of Central Missouri,

 

Read more: Who Invented the Black Light? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5344886_invented...l#ixzz10IJzvb5f

Edited September 23, 2010 by mtn-man

[+Panther&Pine]

The (removed) ink:

 

•Has a long life - tested to last more than 100 years

 

They had UV lights in 1910?

 

William H. Byler is credited with inventing the black light in 1935, and according to the University of Central Missouri,

 

Read more: Who Invented the Black Light? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5344886_invented...l#ixzz10IJzvb5f

Time travel?

Edited September 23, 2010 by mtn-man

[+Are_we_there_yet?]

We have talked about using the glow-in-the-dark paint for a cache as well. Our thought was to put it on a good sized flat magnet, that way you wouldn't actually be painting someone else's property.