Signal Mirror

A good signal mirror should be an essential part of any survival kit.  It's old technology but it works.  How does 20 plus miles sound?

A small 3" x 5" is a wonderful addition to any day pack.  It needs no batteries, is compact and is simple to use.

Care should be taken in the purchase of a mirror.  Sadly, most of the sales associates behind the counter at the major box stores (sporting goods section) don't have a clue.  Thankfully Doug Ritter at http://www.equipped.org/ knows.  He has a fine post that reviews signal mirror essentials here.  He identifies what to look for in a quality mirror and further points out those that are fake (above, mirror to the right.)  He also mentions that quality mirrors are sold by Coghlan and can be found at REI and Walmart.

I've found several fine videos on YouTube that show you how to use a mirror.  Here is an example:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lvMD7u2jOI.

Here is an example of a mirror flash seen from 22 miles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWG6nRvdFiU