Competition for the chem light

February 25th, 2009 | AUSA Winter 2009 | Posted by Gina Cavallaro

The  satisfying “crack” of the chem light as it breaks open inside the plastic casing  may soon be a thing of the past.

Brothers Greg and Doug Kennedy of Moab, Utah, have developed a multi-functional light stick that acts like a chem light. But unlike that device, whose only talent is to glow in one bright color, the Kennedy brothers’ Lazer Brite 2 Tactical Lighting System is as versatile as a bad guy looking for an alibi.

It’s about the same length as a chem light, but by using  “reversible head technology” the light source can be pointed inward to light up the tube like a chem light or it can be pointed outward to become a flashlight. The device comes in six visible colors and one for infrared

There is also a map reading kit complet with case and light discipline features and another style in green that opens and closes in the middle of the tube like the iris of a cat, revealing only as much light as a soldier needs.

The only drawback for soldiers could be that the Lazer Brite 2 system uses batteries, but they’re ridiculously light weight CR2032 coin batteries like those found in computers and garage door openers, Kennedy said. One pack of 12 — which comes in a row that looks like individually packaged Alka Seltzer tablets — is good for 450 hours of light, according to Kennedy, whose company already sells up to 10,000 of the lights each month to the Defense Logistics Agency.

Check out the product at www.lazerbrite.com.

Tags: AUSA, chem light

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