Reflective kites in night-O

[Q]

Hi I'm planning some evening orienteering training sessions which are aimed at people of all abilities, including complete beginners.

So I'd like to make the kites as easy to spot (in the dark) as possible.

I know I've been to events with reflective markers before. Does anyone have advice as to how this is done? Is reflective tape the way forward?

Thanks,

Alison.

[pyrat]

one method would be to spill lots of juice and sh*t round your flat and use kitchen towels to mop it up.

do this for a while until you have a collection of the carboard tubes.

then buy some silver duct tape and wrap the tubes in the tape.

If you dont want to waste bottles of red wine and turkey on obtaining the cardboard, cheap pvc piping would be a worthy replacement.

Go out on the pull to an 'industry night' and find a man in the trade who owns a powertool. You will need to drill a hole in the tubing / cardboard about 2 inches from the top. Thread some garden string / old laces from dead o shoes through the hole for hanging on trees / bushes.

Have fun.

[rocky]

alison... you should maybe speak to oleg, he was getting very excited about his new reflective purchase today!

[Seamus]

I think it might have been suggested before but you could always use the free CD's you get to install internet on your computer or use dud blank CD's as you controls.

As long as you hang them well enough, and you don't come in from an edge side, you'll be fine.

[Guest]

Or you could actually use proper night reflectors...

[RJ]

Alison, we have had this debate on another thread, but I think everyone has missed the point. Everyone seems to like a reflective bit on the marker so they can find the marker more easily. I think that smacks of a 'hit or miss' bingo type system.

You should be able to navigate to the control feature, whatever the conditions, and then the control will be seen. The thing about night-O is that the terrain and the features become so much more of a technical challenge. I believe the answer is to use 'easier' features at night, at least ones that are more obvious, and are easier to locate. For the novice/beginner just use really obvious features.

The sport is about finding the features, in day or night conditions. It isn't about sweeping the area with a torch to spot the reflective tape..... it must be around here somewhere! The control features being used should be the stronger examples in the area.... you can still make the legs interesting, and make the challenge worthwhile, just don't have folk scratching their head in the circle.

IMO don't bother with reflective tape. For our series of twenty night events over the last fifteen years we have had no problems.... we employ good planning!!

[Mrs H.]

Alsion - this is what we do in the incredibly popular western night league.

the format is a one hour score with a "yellow" loop of controls say 1-7 for novices.

We put reflective tape on those controls 1-7 only.

Now at the first night event me and Mr H ever put on we bought some very cheap small squares of reflective material from an office supplies shop and had grave doubt whether they would be sufficient. We need'nt have worried. the first person out headed off to his first control where he saw another orienteer's light already there " Oh" he said"I'm surprised to see anyone here before me" He muttered on to this mysterious person as he got closer to the control, only to find he was talking to the reflection of his own head torch! These cheap little squares of material were THAT good! Thankfully he had the good grace to tells us about it when he got back and give us all a good laugh. the relective squares looks very insignificant bits of sort of hologrammatic material and are self adhesive.

Hope this heps

[Meat Market]

I don't really have a valid opinion on this but since this is the 20000th post in the discussion forum, the milky bars are on me!

[Godders]

At the Scottish Night Champs we used reflective tape from Halfords (the sort they sell for boy racer stripes).

It was very much appreciated by one competitor with a Petzl who was able to see the controls before falling over them.

Reflective controls, or lights as used in Sweden, make night events fairer and more enjoyable. I agree that you should navigate to the feature but once there it should be obvious where the control is.

[rocky]

Reflective controls, or lights as used in Sweden, make night events fairer and more enjoyable. I agree that you should navigate to the feature but once there it should be obvious where the control is.

Totally agree, how is it a fair race if you can stand 10m from the control an not spot it, which was my experience on many occasions pre-reflective tape at scottish events.

Tinto Night race on Inshriach a couple of years back would have been impossible without reflective tape, as it was it was just damn hard.

[Zokko!]

IMO don't bother with reflective tape. For our series of twenty night events over the last fifteen years we have had no problems.... we employ good planning!!

Having enjoyed a few of the excellent WCOC night events over the last few years, I would go along with the good planning claim. However I have often picked up the mini control markers used at these events by the reflection from the shiny aluminium stake! Not quite so bright as the "proper" reflectors I have seen used elsewhere, but still a great help.

[bob h]

Having enjoyed a few of the excellent WCOC night events over the last few years, I would go along with the good planning claim. However I have often picked up the mini control markers used at these events by the reflection from the shiny aluminium stake! Not quite so bright as the "proper" reflectors I have seen used elsewhere, but still a great help.

This is true. The mini red and white control markers easily stand out as they don't blend in with the forest/fell. I have often spotted controls from up to 100 metres away using a strong headlight without difficulty (providing I'm in the right place, which wasn't the case at Wasdale!).