Most backcountry enthusiasts of today choose to leave the signal mirror at home (if they even own one at all) as their trust in modern electronics has grown, and to some extent justifiably so. However, should calamity strike during their remote travels, would they have an alternative means of effective, nonverbal communication to mark their position and ultimately expedite their rescue? To be clear, I’m not suggesting that an electromagnetic pulse or other terror strike against our infrastructure, events of which could render an electronic device inoperable, is likely to occur during their next backcountry trip. It is reasonable, though, to suggest that calamity strikes when one least expects it, and although an operable electronic device can dramatically assist with the coordinated dispatch of a rescue aircraft to their proximity, it ultimately will not provide them with timely text or voice communication from their ground position to an overhead aircraft.
By which other means could they make their ground position known? Well, there are several that come to mind for many of us, I’m sure. Here, we’ll briefly explore the use of a signal mirror to mark a ground position.
BACKGROUND
As an experienced helicopter aircrewman with a logbook that consists of several thousand flight hours, I can attest to (1) the modern relevance of a traditional signal mirror and (2) how challenging it can be to pinpoint an individual’s ground position from an aerial platform. To this day, many of our modern aircrew that serve in the U.S. military fly with a handheld, CSEL (Combat Survivor Evader Locator) system as well as a traditional signal mirror to serve as an alternative means of communication and marking. Additionally, it can often be incredibly difficult for overhead aircrew to visually acquire a ground survivor, even when provided with an accurate coordinate from which to orient their scan. Add in some dense vegetation, or even worse an overhead canopy, and the degree of difficulty to visually acquire a ground survivor with nothing more than a backpack and weapon becomes further magnified.
What’s the point here, you may be asking yourself? Well, there are times when all of the technology available to us in the modern world simply can’t replace the proven effectiveness of a simple, handheld tool!
IMPORTANCE OF PROPER STOWAGE
A signal mirror requires disciplined stewardship when it comes to its proper stowage. It is most likely that those who carry a signal mirror will do so for a lifetime without ever truly needing it to support a rescue, but if that rescue were to become a reality, would the signal mirror they’ve been carrying for so long be ready for use? Basically, a signal mirror must be clean and free of defects such as scratches, cracks, or chips to ensure its maximum range of use and effectiveness of communication. It’s best to keep a signal mirror within a protective sheath that’s both padded and secure…always.
IDEAL SIGHT ALIGNMENT
Ideally, both hands will be capable of use should the need for employing a signal mirror present itself. Here, the establishment of the signal mirror’s proper sight alignment is quite easy and any “shine” casted can be done so with confidence toward the receiver. To establish proper sight alignment, simply hold the signal mirror in your dominant hand with the mirror-side oriented toward the sun while extending your non-dominant hand beyond it. With your non-dominant hand, form a simple “V” with your index and middle finger while further orienting both hands until the “shine” is captured on the skin that is the lower-webbing between your non-dominant hand’s index and middle finger. From here, you can adjust your orientation to account for the receiver’s position (i.e., rescue aircraft, ground rescue party, etc.) while keeping the “shine” in said lower-webbing. This effort can be considered your sight alignment of the signal mirror and it’s what provides you with confidence in the transmission of your “shine.”
IDEAL SIGHT PICTURE
Such as with the ideal sight alignment of a signal mirror, the ideal sight picture also involves the use of both hands. Once further adjusted in orientation toward the receiver with the “shine” in place as described above, simply ensure that the receiver is positioned within the lower “V” of your non-dominant hand’s index and middle fingers. From there, the signal mirror can be pivoted slightly so that the “shine” is purposely casted upon the receiver in an on-and-off technique. Communication by Morse code can even be had by this technique (think “SOS”). Ultimately, though, through the establishment of ideal sight alignment and ideal sight picture, the sender casting the “shine” can do so with confidence as they witness it moving on-and-off the skin that is the lower-webbing previously described and in the direction of the intended receiver. The only variable not known thereafter is whether the receiver was looking in the general direction of the “shine” being casted. Fortunately, many aircrew are trained to a standard scanning pattern of 20-degrees per second and it’s likely that a persistent “shine” will indeed pay off.
ONE-HANDED OPERATION
Fortunately for us, signal mirrors have been used as a means of nonverbal communication and positional marking for centuries, and through that time the need for optional, one-handed operation became known. It is because of this that many signal mirrors today include a hole in the center with a retroreflective grid. While looking through this hole, and with proper orientation between the sun and the intended receiver, a bright spot that is a display of where the “shine” is being casted can be seen. When this bright spot is positioned over the intended receiver, the “shine” can be casted in an on-and-off technique with similar confidence to the primary technique described above.
WHAT TO DO?
As you prepare to embark on an upcoming backcountry adventure, even if it’s just for a day, consider what communication and position marking assets you’ll bring with you. An ultralight approach to the gear that accompanies you requires a balanced thought process. Just because you think you can omit a piece of gear doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. Cheers!
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