Engines 
RIB Directory 
RIB TV 
Current Issue 
WHO’S AFRAID OF THE DARK?
Share this post
Nitestik is a new safety marker available in six colours that uses photoluminescent pigment, making it highly visible, even in total darkness.
Inside each Nitestik is a small rod of an aluminate silicate that will give continuous light for over 12 hours by absorbing natural or artificial light. This rare alkali will charge and emit light 365 days a year for more than 10 years.
Unlike other fluorescent ‘glow sticks’, Nitestik is non-toxic and contains no radioactive material. It needs no power source as it charges from natural light, the charge time being dictated by the strength of the ‘charge light source’ and unlike other chemical products can be re-used, so they’re not just one night stands.
Uses for the Nitestick are endless from keyrings to equipment bags and pet tags to door markers, but the outcome is the same; you’ll never lose your stuff after dark again.
Nitestik (SRP £5.99) are available from Cotswold Outdoors (www.cotswoldoutdoor.co.uk) and other leading outdoor retailers.
Scientific explanation for why they glow:
Photoluminescence occurs by electromagnetic excitation and the material also emits while the energy source is present. But with photoluminescence the relaxation of the electron back to the ground state and subsequent emission of photons of light continues long after the excitation source is removed. This is termed the "afterglow".
