As many of you would agree, signaling for rescue in any survival situation is extremely important. The more signaling ‘know-how’ tactics you have in your mental preparedness Bag-O-Tricks the better your chances are of rescue – plain and simple.
However, with that said, the way you use a survival rescue tool is just as important (if not more important) than the actual tool itself. Whether it’s a smoke signal, a flare gun or a blaze orange flag, if you don’t know how to effectively use the signaling device your chances of rescue go way down.
In this post I’d like to introduce you to a very simple nighttime signaling technique called the BUZZ-SAW. The technique is most effectively used with a breakable glow stick, though I’ve seen it done with fire as well.
Glow Stick: Survival Signaling Tool
The Breakable Glow Stick is a great survival tool. Not only can it be used as an emergency light source, but it makes for a great nighttime survival distress signal. Even though it’s a 1-time use product, I highly recommend packing a couple of these in your BushCraft Pack and your Bug Out Bag. They are only about $1 and are very light weight. You can also purchase a battery powered LED version that has a glow stick on one end and an actual flashlight on the other. This can be used in the same way as a regular 1-time use glow-stick.
When executing any kind of distress signal, it needs to appear as unnatural as possible in contrast to your surroundings. This typically includes bright colors, movement and/or odd shapes. Sets of 3 is a universal signal for distress as well. When using a Glow Stick as a nighttime survival signal, there is definitely a WRONG way and a RIGHT way to get the job done. In a survival situation even the simplest of details are critical. From a long distance, it is surprisingly easy to mistake the light from a glow stick as a random glimmer on water or a reflection from the moon or even a lightning bug. Just cracking the stick and moving it around is not enough…not even close. The best way to ensure visibility is for the signal to be as unnatural to your surroundings as possible.
With a glow stick, the BUZZ SAW is the best way to accomplish this task. To set your glow stick, simply tie on a 3 foot or so length of cord to the end of a glow stick. Shoe-strings work great. This turns your glow stick into a sling.
Glow Stick With Sling Attached
To make the BUZZ SAW effect, swing your glow stick in circles as fast as you can with the circles facing the direction of where you want to signal. This creates a very unnatural full circle of light called a BUZZ SAW. It is absolutely unmistakable in a nighttime setting. It can be confused for nothing in nature and very little even in urban environments. It is an excellent signaling method.
Below is a shot of the BUZZ SAW method being used with a burning torch attached to a piece of cordage.
Buzz Saw: Signaling Method with Burning Torch
Tuck this tip away – you never know when you’ll need it.
Cheers-
Creek
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This is excellent information – thank you for sharing!
Can I suggest glow stick bracelets instead? For a dollar, you can get 5 or more of them and they are much thinner than even the small glow sticks.You could probably get 3-4 in your BOB for the same size and weight. That means you can have 3-4 more chances to use the buzz saw. Nice technique. I’ve bought them at the Dollar Tree stores for…well, a dollar. Search “glow-in-the-dark bracelets”.
This is a great idea.
Gaye,Nice Blog you have here. hmmm. the question of hwoumch time we have, is Definately a crap shoot. I am however, concernedabout the Occupyers ramping up their violence later thisyear,they seam to think its ok to attack anyone with money. there has been multiply murders, and rapes. they are funded by George Soros, and the discusting things they do in public, makesmy stomach belch nasty’s. they have stayed in homes, and churches, defiling, vandalizing, stealing where ever they go. and with elections just a few monthsaway, anything can happen. don’t know ifanyone has ever heard of George Soros, but he is partof the driving force of collapsing the U.S. economy. He actually made1-billion in one night when Venezuela’ economy crashed. He hasstated publically that next year there will be fundamentalchanges for us, I don’t have a crystal ball, but I don’t have good feelings about that. He also statedthat if obi man is not re-elected, he will instigate chaos by claiming election fraud, either way, we as a free people will get screwed. Obi man, if elected, will eviscerate the 1st, and 2nd amendendments. This whole mess about abortions, birth control, etc. is not about women’s rights. it’s an attack on religion. The peeps alreadyhave planned parenthood, they already do all of those things. if the peeps from all faiths don’t band together and fight this, well, we lose. He has also told the Brady’s that if he gets re-elected, he will do whateverit takes to ban all privately owned weapons in the U.S. even if he has to do it under-handedly. I could go on and on, but I don’t want to be the cause of your blood pressure sky rocketing, mine does at times, but I have chosen to be informed as much as I can, not that I can do much about it,but I have better understanding of what lies ahead in the next few years. I recently found out that our borders are not only open and porous, but have been deliberately set up this way. Just south of of the Mexican side of the border is a Hezbollah training center, and large one at that, so Iran, Hugo Chavez, and Cuba can invade quite easily. now, you may think that our northern border is safe, I thought so until recently, truth is, we are much more vulnerable than our southern border is. and there are big cities everywhere. make no mistake, Hezbollah, the Muslim brotherhood keep stating that they’re life’s goal is to eliminate Israel, and the west. take heed, because they are here already. I learned several years backthat there are more than 100 sleeper cells right here on U.S. soil just waiting, working jobs, blending Right in. It’s gloomy to say this, but they have us over a barrel. It’s really bone chilling to know that the majority of the younger generation have been brainwashed into thinking that our constitution doesn’t give us much in the way of freedoms and think we should eliminate it. and writing up a new one, modeled after the one in South Africa. and we paid for that too. if things continue at the same rate, which is conservatively speaking, we will see the death of America. years ago I tried to warn people about this, now it’s out in the open and obvious, only those who still have their heads in the sand, refuse to grasp the thought of something happening here. I estimate that within 3 years if he is re-elected, we will have a new godless currency, new traditions, and many other fundamental changes. oh, and this open-society that George talks about instituting, won’t be the happy place we see on TV. has anyone ever heard of Zeitgeist? he is behind that too. ok, typing on thisphone is making my fingers go numb. So, maybe with lots of prayers and what ever is left of good politicians we have left, things Can be turned around. I’m sceptical, but I pray for this country. It is getting increasingly more difficult to speak out against the blatant corruption happening, the 1st amendment is all but been stomped on., my grandchildren will never have the freedoms I grew up with, and even sadder is the fact that they won’t even know what they’ve lost. Oh, meat glue-Yuck!!!! just another reason to eat in, not out.