Variable light brightness can be used to blend items with their background and disguise the otherwise obvious silhouette.

This effect of counter-illumination was experimented with as early as 1916 and later during wartime in 1943 for military purposes and became known as Yehudi lights. These lights were mounted on aircraft and also projected onto ship hulls that automatically adjusted light brightness to match the background behind it.

It is interesting to note that this phenomenon also exists in nature in some squids, fish, and shrimp that have bio-illuminecent features, thus diminishing their silhouette.

This causes one to ponder what similar applications could be employed that might help to conceal private property or location to avoid attention or detection. Unlike the use of images or patterns, Yehudi lights would require power for illumination but might be more adaptive in their particular environment.

In my neck-of-the-woods one of the popular fashions is camouflage clothes because they are used so often by the hunting community here. And who doesn’t like blending with nature?! There is such a variety of clothing that feature different seasons. However, if there was any potential of becoming lost or injured and immovable, it would be more difficult to be spotted by rescuers. An exception might be if the hunter was wearing blaze-orange gear that increases their visibility to other hunters and could help rescuers as well.

When I go kayaking or canoeing I wear bright clothes so that in an emergency I can be spotted more easily by rescuers. In the worse case scenario, if I were to drown my body could be more easily spotted for recovery. For similar reasons outdoor tools are often marked or manufactured with bright colors so that they are easily seen when placed or dropped onto the ground (see Lost Or Found).

So, your clothing can serve a number of functions, whether for insulation, comfort, or style, but it can also be used for a measure of visual safety as well.

For starters, rip-stop material is really tough stuff and is not prone to tearing and if it should get a hole it will not grow in size. Because of this strength it can be adapted to function beyond it’s original intended use as a garment and into a tent-like structure by using fiberglass knock-down shock-cord rods as an “X-frame” being tied in the center with each end anchored at the corner grommets that are incorporated into the poncho design.

My poncho measures 54″x80″ and provides good coverage when configured as a tent. I am 6′ tall and have found a couple of positions to lay where I can be completely covered and yet stay somewhat comfortable. I can lay on my side in a sitting posture with my legs bent. When I feel a need to stretch my legs I remain on my side and form a “V” with my legs outstretched. While in this position there is plenty of room for my Bug-Out-Bag (B.O.B.) to lay beside me.

Should it happen to be raining, you could trench around the drip-line to divert water or build up a layer of insulation beneath you to keep you warm and comfy while at the same time separate you from the wet ground. If it’s not raining I suppose that body parts that protrude out from under the shelter wouldn’t really matter, but I prefer to be covered completely.

I carry my poncho in my B.O.B. along with an ENO double-sized hammock. I decided to try using the poncho as a rain-fly to cover the hammock. As you might see in the photo, it is slightly under-sized for rain but it could be used in a pinch with the sides held out with guy-lines. At the same time it covers the top opening of the hammock to help keep out bugs.

In either the tent or hammock rain-fly mode the camouflage pattern helps to provide a stealthy approach to camping which in some emergency circumstances could work in your favor unless you want to be highly visible in which case you would want to use a blaze-orange or other bright color to gain attention.

If I decide to upgrade yet another time, it would probably be for a larger size or a different camouflage pattern but I am quite pleased with what this poncho has delivered and look forward to testing it out in the field.

It has been written that Albert Einstein used to take a gentlemen’s handkerchief and make a knot on each corner thus creating an improvised hat that he wore while lingering outside on a hot sunny day. A popular method of tying a bandana is to fold it in half on the bias (between opposite corners) thus creating a triangle then placing this long fold on your forehead with the remaining cloth covering one’s head and tying the outside corners in the back over the remaining corner.

Recently I decided to try a cross between these two methods. I tied a knot on one of the corners which I placed on my forehead while covering my head with the rest of the cloth. Then I took the two adjacent corners on each side and tied them together in the back, thus securing my head covering. This method allows me to have much more use of available cloth that covers my neck from the elements or for added camouflage coverage. The knot in front I tuck behind the brim. The knot seems to create a better contour of the cloth and the bandana seems more stable while I wear it.

Perhaps you have a different way of tying your own bandana. Please leave a comment describing your method.