Orange normally denotes a crew chief, and yellow is for workers, god knows what the pink one means that i was wearing LOL.
Hi Viz test, orange versus yellow in the woods
- Thread starter w00dsmoke
- Start date
SimonM,
I believe those type of hivis "straps" are actually cycling clips.....as an option to the old spring clip.....but they can be damned useful....especially if hicking allong a country road in poor laight or at night.
I have a red reflectorised strip on my baccy tin (same material as road signs) which I "show" to oncoming traffic when walking back to camp from the pub, As its on my baccy tin, it's always with me and I've been told it is very effect....not only because it is reflective but because of the movement.
Smoggy
I believe those type of hivis "straps" are actually cycling clips.....as an option to the old spring clip.....but they can be damned useful....especially if hicking allong a country road in poor laight or at night.
I have a red reflectorised strip on my baccy tin (same material as road signs) which I "show" to oncoming traffic when walking back to camp from the pub, As its on my baccy tin, it's always with me and I've been told it is very effect....not only because it is reflective but because of the movement.
Smoggy
In the US hunters in woodland are required to wear bright orange vests to reduce the chance of shooting each other.
SimonM
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
4.5m x 4.5m polycotton. Great for Meets and Scout camps but not so good for backpacking!
Simon
Ambulances are now predominantly yellow (specifically Euro Yellow RAL 1016), as part of European standardisation. Apparently this particular colour provides a 'peak response' in the human eye, which is why it was chosen.
I understand that deer are colour blind to orange, which is why it's used for hunting safety clothing in the US and Germany, amongst other countries.
Dayglo orange marker panels were also used for IFF purposes during desert operations in Iraq - with mixed success - they were apparently invisible to US A-10 pilots.
I understand that deer are colour blind to orange, which is why it's used for hunting safety clothing in the US and Germany, amongst other countries.
Dayglo orange marker panels were also used for IFF purposes during desert operations in Iraq - with mixed success - they were apparently invisible to US A-10 pilots.
I would of always said yellow, just from my motorcycle days, however my friend carries a coolbox in a orange paperboys bag, and you can see the bloody thing miles away, so from that i would say orange stands out the most!!!
Agreed, we have so many yellow polars here that in the autumn yellow could actually be camouflage in some areas.
Some places orange does not quite work; maybe not the best example of orange earth, but if you happen to be in a slightly 'orange' environment and need to signal an aircraft.....
I think it was in Colin Fletcher's book, "The Man Who Walked Through Time", on his Grand Canyon trip. At one point he lays out his orange panel in order to signal his location for a supply drop (it may have been an orange sleeping bag). The pilot has a pretty good idea where to be looking for Fletcher's orange marker panel, flys right over it but does not make the drop. Not cool, what gives? It occurs to Fletcher that the orange panel does not stand out against the surrounding terrain, and the pilot simply couldn't see it. Next day he lays out a marker again, this time white (can't remember exactly what) and the drop goes off without a hitch. Anybody read this recently, or have a copy to fact check?
Mylar space blanket can work pretty well for a signal panel.
Also, orange garments are a reasonable idea for anyone walking around the woods during hunting season, hunter or not. Sometimes it's shoot first, confirm it's identity later. At least leave the fuzzy brown fleece hoodie for another outing.
more orange
I have a Orange air panel in my kit bag on the RRV car to peg out when we are calling in the Air Ambulance it is a double sided orange think they have gone away from teh yellow/orange. Plus when I worked on the Air Ambulance we found that the orange circle on the roofs of the ambulances and police cars stood out more than the yellow ambulance plus a policeman or ambulance man standing in a corn field with a yellow hi viz jacket on was hard to spot from 300ft up.
It depends...
Firstly, I´m severely red/green colourblind which gives me the effect that on the scale from dark red, through orange to yellow, the closer to yellow, the better I see it.
This does not (I hope
) apply to rescue aircrews but as 12% of the worlds male population have it, it can be something to consider.
For me, dark red is virtually invisible!!
When hunting we often wear red garments. I tell my huntingbuddies that if you want me to see you, wear orange!
Why is huntinggear blaze orange and not yellow? Because in the spectrum that deer can see, red, orange and green blend but yellow and blue stand out. If you want to be seen by people but not animals, wear orange but not yellow.
I used to do mineclearing for the UN and the visibility of colourmarkings was considered important...
The only colour NOT to be found in nature is blue!
Blue is also the first colour to fade when daylight goes low...
(This could be a problem during mineclearing operations as a temporary safe lane in a minefield would be marked by spraypainting the outlines on the ground blue. I would walk out to the end of the lane and glass the area for telltale signs of mines. When it got to to dark I would put down my binos and turn around to walk back. The blue lines are now almost invisible...)
Firstly, I´m severely red/green colourblind which gives me the effect that on the scale from dark red, through orange to yellow, the closer to yellow, the better I see it.
This does not (I hope
) apply to rescue aircrews but as 12% of the worlds male population have it, it can be something to consider.For me, dark red is virtually invisible!!
When hunting we often wear red garments. I tell my huntingbuddies that if you want me to see you, wear orange!
Why is huntinggear blaze orange and not yellow? Because in the spectrum that deer can see, red, orange and green blend but yellow and blue stand out. If you want to be seen by people but not animals, wear orange but not yellow.
I used to do mineclearing for the UN and the visibility of colourmarkings was considered important...
The only colour NOT to be found in nature is blue!
Blue is also the first colour to fade when daylight goes low...
(This could be a problem during mineclearing operations as a temporary safe lane in a minefield would be marked by spraypainting the outlines on the ground blue. I would walk out to the end of the lane and glass the area for telltale signs of mines. When it got to to dark I would put down my binos and turn around to walk back. The blue lines are now almost invisible...)
orange and yellow are used by divers as Surface marker bouys
but are difficult to see in the wrong place and time
low sun angles over teh sea flare the waves yellow and orange
i think the Air sea rescue guys did a test on it and Black was the best for that environment you could see it looking int to the sun etc i can vouch its hard on the eyes looking int o the sun reflecting loooking for little orange blob.
also cameras can lie about colours etc so photos arnt the best way to see them
best to carry a selection depending on where you are of at least 2 differnt types
For diving i carry audible and visual usually a whistle a large orange SMB and 1-2 very bright torches
ATB
Duncan
but are difficult to see in the wrong place and time
low sun angles over teh sea flare the waves yellow and orange
i think the Air sea rescue guys did a test on it and Black was the best for that environment
you could see it looking int to the sun etc i can vouch its hard on the eyes looking int o the sun reflecting loooking for little orange blob. also cameras can lie about colours etc so photos arnt the best way to see them
best to carry a selection depending on where you are of at least 2 differnt types
For diving i carry audible and visual usually a whistle a large orange SMB and 1-2 very bright torches
ATB
Duncan
We did some testing on this subject for our SAR/MR team in North Wales. We found that orange was the most obvious in a woodland and rural environment for the UK. Yellow was better in snow and fog on the mountains however.
In fact, stood twenty feet away, a rescuer wearing red, blue and orange in heavy fog was virtually invisible, apart from the two small patches of yellow plastic on the heels of his boots.
Alpine MR teams (Swiss i think) did testing in snow-covered ground and found yellow and blue to be the best for their terrain.
I carry a fluorescent yellow vest in virtually all of my outdoor packs, including my Mountain Rescue one. I feel it gives me the best weight/visibility/cost balance as they are very cheap, light but effective.
I've been on a couple of searches in dense Forestry Comission woodland where searchers and search dogs have walked within 10 metres of a subject without sighting them.
In fact, stood twenty feet away, a rescuer wearing red, blue and orange in heavy fog was virtually invisible, apart from the two small patches of yellow plastic on the heels of his boots.
Alpine MR teams (Swiss i think) did testing in snow-covered ground and found yellow and blue to be the best for their terrain.
I carry a fluorescent yellow vest in virtually all of my outdoor packs, including my Mountain Rescue one. I feel it gives me the best weight/visibility/cost balance as they are very cheap, light but effective.
I've been on a couple of searches in dense Forestry Comission woodland where searchers and search dogs have walked within 10 metres of a subject without sighting them.
The use of orange on the railways is related to the earlier post regarding red & green being opposite on the colour wheel.
Fluorescent yellow is close to green (and therefore signalling clear), whereas orange is closer to red (and therefore signifies caution).
Having worn hi-vis clothing for years I can relate the following from experience:
A further observation I would add is the use of reflective red banding with hi-vis yellow, which is used extensively on highways / motorway maintenance vehicles.
Fluorescent yellow is close to green (and therefore signalling clear), whereas orange is closer to red (and therefore signifies caution).
Having worn hi-vis clothing for years I can relate the following from experience:
- Hi-vis orange does not attract insects (esp. flies) to the extent that hi-vis yellow does;
- Hi-vis orange stands out better than hi-vis yellow in some circumstances, but the background must be considered - I have been to one sand & gravel pit where hi-vis orange blends into the background over a distance;
- In my opinion a mix of both hi-vis yellow & orange stands out better than either one used on its own.
A further observation I would add is the use of reflective red banding with hi-vis yellow, which is used extensively on highways / motorway maintenance vehicles.
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