Mirror

Charles W. Bryant,

mirror

Who's the fairest of them all? The fairest is the one who survives a worst-case scenario with a mirror in hand. Finding food, water and shelter are keys to making it through your harrowing experience, but so is finding rescue. In fact, no survivalist would be caught dead without a signal mirror in his or her kit.

Some mirrors are specially suited for signaling rescue and include sighting holes that allow you to more accurately aim the reflection. They better ones are typically made of something besides breakable glass, like Lexan. And some of them float so you won't lose it in water or have ties you can tether to a backpack. But in a life-or-death situation any kind of mirror will do. The great thing about signal mirrors is that size doesn't matter. Even a small 2- by 3-inch mirror flash can be seen during the daytime from about 100 miles away. They work best in good sunlight, but they also work on overcast days and can reflect headlights, flashlight beams and even bright moonlight. You can also use it to check your face for injury or simply to admire the beard you're growing.