I was shopping at Big Lots yesterday and scored Halloween toy glow-sticks. When the lights go out, glow sticks are cheaper and safer than candles and allow you to function without having to burn flashlight batteries. I like that they are small and light weight. I am considering these glow-toys for an Altoids-type survival kit, car-kit, purse and EDCs.
These are the glow sticks that you break and shake to mix chemicals. Given the price, and the fact that they were toys, I didn’t expect much in performance but thought they were worth the investment, if for no other reason than to keep the little ones entertained and feeling secure should the lights go out. The package included green, orange, blue and white sticks.
Well, let me tell you – I was impressed. They were very bright. Not bright enough to read with, but just one glow-toy cast a wonderful gentle glow throughout a rather large room. They glowed very bright for about 5 hours. After that they faded to about 50%, no longer illuminating the whole room but certainly bright enough to mark something you may want to find in the dark. At 10 hours they were pretty much done.
Stroll through the Halloween décor and toys section at your dollar store for interesting items that may be added to your preparedness supplies.
I saw the cutest YouTube video of a dad who did a stick figure costume for his little one this isn’t the one i saw, I couldnt find it but this is the same idea, too cute! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7N7rxkB7W8
Who doesn’t love to play with GlowSticks? There are entire web sites that sell them for as little as three cents each, in quantity.
Did you ever wonder what’s in a glow stick? How about:
1. A glass ampule: that’s what breaks to mix the chemicals that glow;
2. Luminol: the stuff that will glow blue or green when mixed with any blood (human or animal), certain metals (copper), bleach, urine, or oxidizing agents. It is made from hydrazine and 3-nitrophthalic acid with boiling triethylene glycol. As the water in the solution evaporates, the solution transforms into 5-nitrophthalhydrazide. The solution is then mixed with dithionite to produce luminol.
Luminol can then be mixed with hydrogen peroxide and applied to an oxidizing agent to produce its chemilumenscent effects.(tech-faq.com)
The chemical notation is: C6H7N3O2.
3. Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate: copper, lead, iron, cadmium, chromium, arsenic and antimony. Luminol in effect “steals” electrons from heavy metals like copper, which causes the reaction that creates the bluish glow in glow sticks. (ehow.com)
Arsenic? You betcha!
4. Sodium carbonate: an alkaline sodium salt made of carbonic acid. It can be found in household items like soap, bleaching solutions and water softening solutions, as well as in chemicals used for darkroom photography. This compound is composed of sodium, carbon and oxygen and is written as Na2CO3. It acts as a mixing agent for the other chemicals in the glow stick solution.
5. Hydrogen Peroxide. We all know what this is and how to use it, I’m sure.
6. Distilled Water.
As you can see, there are many chemicals in glow sticks that could be dangerous, improperly handled.
Cheap, somewhat effective and fun “tools”? You betcha! But “toys” for children. I think not.
Even adults should handle with care.
Glow sticks are purdy! But I won’t be handling the carelessly, either.
OK, here’s my worry for the day:
Well, you would think the U.S. gooberment would have put a stop to this by now, but, NO!
I have a rescue furbaby who has permanent kidney damage from the SAME jerkey “treats” that are now poisoning more pets. Her incident occurred eight (8) years ago. She is on a special diet (which is not a big deal; it’s just part of our routine now). But she is aging and the kidney problem will take a toll.
I find it interesting that the Chinese who can afford to do so buy American-made dog food and treats for their beloved pets.
The treat in question is sold lots of places, but, primarily “Wal-Mart” (China-Mart). It is currently marketed under several names, not the least of which is “Waggin’ Train”. They are jerkey-like treats.
PLEASE buy ONLY “Made in the USA” – it is the only safety. Pet foods ARE NOT regulated and do not have to comply with any particular laws regarding content, no matter what else you may have been told.
You can easily find “Made in USA” pet foods. However, if the packaging does not specifically use the words “MADE” in the USA, it is not. Most of them will read, “DISTRIBUTED” in the USA; this means made in China, shipped over in the hulls of monster cargo ships, complete with rats crawling all over it, and then packaged here.
A quick note on Blue Buffalo – they are made in the USA, and they are top grade products, but, many of them contain these tiny dark “balls” of something that my dogs pick out and throw on the floor – they will not eat them, whatever they are. I’ve been told by other pet owners their pets do the same thing!
U.S. products ARE more expensive than the cheap Chinese toxic grain kibble. It doesn’t take a Rhodes scholar to understand why. And dogs were never designed to eat grains, just so you know. Avoid the cheap foods for this reason. Ol’Roy is good for one thing only: starting a hot compost. Don’t feed it to your furbabies.
Dogs are like any living creature: feed them poorly and, over time, they will develop many health problems. Love your furbaby? Feed it well.
And stack it high, while you still can!
Our vet told us “throw away all the snickers” and feed our lab-brat only her daily portion of 3 cups (she’s 83#) of her high-end dog food (Natural Health) which contains NO corn etc. We read the ingredients very studiously when we started her out. She’s never eaten puppy food of any kind because it’s usually loaded with stuff a dog doesn’t need. Her biggest “treat” is an ice cube or a slice of apple…or a cherry tomato when she can sneak it from under the vine in the garden where it’s dropped! LOL She chews on a large nylabone…never rawhides, never real bones. Everybody who’s ever seen her can attest that she’s “big for a female” and “a lovely chocolate” suade coat. Braggin…yep. But, she’s our 24-7 side kick…we’re retired so she very seldom spends time alone. Just wifey’s input with a strong 2nd from Mr. WE2! LOL
Have you tried UV Paqlite? They give about the same amount of light, but are recharged by the sun or any light. They too last about 10 hours on a recharge. We use one in our bathroom as a nightlight. You can find out more at: http://www.uvpaqlite.com/
BTW, I am not affiliated with the company in any way.
Huh. New one on me. Team?
Will be checking this out…and thanks for disclaimer, TD2. It’s good to know when a poster is suggesting a product only because they like the product.
MADE IN THE USA!!!!
Yeppers. One of the best teethers for dogs is cold carrots. They can have as many as they like; they are good for them. For puppies, use cold baby carrots for teethers. We started ours out like this, and, to this day, a cold baby carrot is a “treat”.
Larger carrots for larger dogs, but do wash and clean them before feeding, if at all possible. And don’t give them the green tops.
I shop at Pet Supply, and they have an area dedicated to Made in USA dog treats. But I still read the labels! Local grocery started carrying chicken jerky called Nudges, which is manufactured by Tyson Pet Products located in IA. Now, that doesn’t mean it isnt full of antibiotics or anything, but it IS American sourced. I havent vetted the wesite, but it’s http://www.nudgesdogtreats.com