9 Survival Uses for a Blacklight

Source: https://www.askaprepper.com/

Blacklights are devices that emit ultraviolet light, which can be extremely beneficial in survival situations. This type of light is beyond the spectrum of visible light that humans can see.

However, it is a form of electromagnetic radiation that can be absorbed by some materials that then convert the energy to visible light.

This process is called fluorescence, which is great for blacklight parties and detective shows, but there are also practical and potentially lifesaving uses for blacklights in survival situations.

Here are nine survival uses for a blacklight.

Water Purification

Certain blacklights can be very effective at purifying water. When used in conjunction with effective filtering, UV-C blacklights are extremely capable of neutralizing a wide range of microorganisms by causing severe damage to their DNA and making them incapable of replication.

Weaker UV-A blacklights are also capable of this but require the water to be in a clear plastic bottle and it takes significantly longer. To put the differences in perspective, UV-A (longwave) is used in tanning beds, while UV-C (shortwave) is used to purify water and air in healthcare settings.

In a survival situation, however, if you don’t have a blacklight, you can use this method to extract clean, drinkable water out of thin air. Water is one of the most vital resources for survival, and this technique might even save your life when SHTF.

Scorpion Detection

Scorpions are found in much of the southern and western reaches of the US and can be potentially dangerous.

They love to crawl inside boots and packs at night, but luckily, their exoskeletons contain materials that fluoresce under blacklight, giving a blue-green glow that is easily spotted.

This can also be useful when traveling on foot or setting up camp at night if you want to check the area first.

Inspecting Gear for Fungal Growth

Fungal growth can be good or bad, depending on your situation. If you are foraging for food and need to continue your search into the night, chanterelles, honey, sweet tooth, and other species of edible mushrooms fluoresce under UV light.

Many toxic species also fluoresce, so you will need to know your mushroom identification beforehand. Many species of mold will fluoresce, so you can use a blacklight to check your gear or any potential sleeping area for growth before it gets out of hand or you unintentionally immerse yourself within their spores.

Prolonged exposure to certain fungi can lead to infections in the body, particularly respiratory or skin infections. If you inhale fungal spores or come into contact with contaminated surfaces, you may develop an infection that could require antibiotics.

Antibiotics will be very hard to come by in a crisis, when medical supplies are scarce and access to professional healthcare may be limited. You can’t generally buy antibiotics over the counter, so here is how to stockpile antibiotics without a prescription.

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