Glow sticks (aka Lightsticks or Cyalume SnapLights) should be part of your winter emergency kit.  It gets dark awfully early around here in the winter, and if your group becomes enmeshed in a sh*tshow and daylight starts to run out, finishing up and getting off the water safely can become a challenge.

I've never had to use it, but I carry a Glow Stick in my 1st Aid Kit for this kind of situation.  If I'm the only one with a Glow Stick, I'd have the best/lead kayaker wear it on the back of his PFD so everyone can follow his line.  If there is only one injured or weak paddler in the group, I'd put the glow stick on the back of his PFD so the group can keep an eye on him and rescue him quickly if he swims.  But ideally, everyone in the group should have a glow stick on their PFD so it's easy to keep track of the group in the dark.

Glow sticks are waterproof, super cheap, and weigh almost nothing.  Put one in your emergency kit already!

I'd advocate a small vial of acid for every kayaker's kit, as well. It works really well in tandem with the glow sticks, and if you get stuck out overnight, it should keep you entertained until daylight.

Also useful for those times when everything is going just so right.

I keep one in my pfd, as well as my med kit, camera case and throw bag.

Good suggestion.
The glow sticks are a good idea too, I guess

Im just teasin- glow sticks are cool. Acid...welllll...
I guided in Montana w/ a Utah boy who used to swear by having a tab of 'cid in his first aid "in case I gotta bust a move out of the Wasatch". I guess its instant chemically induced "beast mode" with some extra special effects thrown in.

Really though, here's what I really think:
Yeah, I could need that sh*t tomorrow. HOWEVER. In my 30 yrs of legit avid experience I never needed that sh*t.

People are way to accepting of the "sh*t Happens" axiom.
But its more accurate to say "people allow sh*t to Happen" or "people set themselves up for sh*t to Happen to them".

More emphasis should be put on sealing up the leaks so sh*t can't Happen. Know your own abilities before you plunge into those kind of adventure. Know your limitations. Don't be fooled by the river's all inclusive tendency to flush your junkshow to the bottom of the rapid, don't be fooled by the 40 years of boat design that trick you into believing you got more skill than you do. The boat is deserves more credit than you think.

Be punctual at the park and ride. Have your sh*t together. Don't follow the unqualified fool. Poratage that rapid, Gumby, because its gonna burn up less time than picking up the pieces once that yardsale unfolds and The Fellowship of The Ring is torn asunder, spread hither and thither upstream and down. Get an early start. Its winter.

And for god's sake go into the wilderness with your food, water, FIREWOOD and whatever else you need, boyscouts. There ain't no stores out here. Some kids I know need to get some merit badges revoked.

Ahhh...that lil tirade felt good. Havent had one of those in awhile. Yeah glowsticks are cool. Then if there happens to be a rave at Split Rock you are prepared!


Oh yeah let me ammend the comment with the inclusion of A REAL MAP. Babes in Da Woods need to understand that there aint no cel service where ever your likely to get stuck in a dark canyon, usually. Theres a correlation. Get a Wa state Gazeteer, (Topo maps ussually if you are hiking) and dont blindly ASSUME you know where access points are. Follow the Leader, or accept the consequences.

Stay out of trouble, and put some planning into things. Its way easier.

Edited by jP - 03 Nov 2014 at 4:27pm

I carry a flashlight, a small led one... Change batteries every year. Have used it once... That's a long story...

This one time, I had a glowstick. I actually wished I had a flash light instead.......