How do I use those FireTacks ?
Most FireTacks come in 3D pyramids, 4D cubes and flat Hex tacks. When marking a fairly straight trail or a trail without a lot of foliage, use 3D tacks, one per tree, to be viewed from the side. When marking T-Junctions, or sharp curves, us 4D tacks since they can be seen from head on AND from the sides. When you want tacks coming/going on both sides of the tree, use our flat Hex tacks.
When marking on public property, we recommend Stealth Bright, Diamond Bright or WildFire color FireTacks because they are harder to see out in nature. When marking private property where you don't need to hide trails, use Blaze, Ice, WildFire or Diamond Bright FireTacks.
FireTape is an excellent Hi-Vis marker too, with velcro on each end to loop on branches or loop them together for larger saplings. It is reusable, washable and really tough stuff.
So, you are starting your trail. At the "trail head" or starting point, put either FireTape, or two 4D FireTacks side by side or up and down, or our Boundary Markers, at the start of Your trail, wrapped on a sapling or post. PLAN your trail in advance, so you have both 3D and 4D FireTacks for the straight-aways, or twists and turns. FireTacks can be placed high on the tree, midway, or even near the ground - just so your light source is near you face or shoulders since they are retro-reflective. PUT 3Ds so you can view them from the sides. When the trail twists, use 4Ds so you can view them from the side OR head on. You can use several FireTacks on one tree at your destination point, whether that is for GeoCache, hunting or Park navigation. If your destination if more permanent, use GearMarkers to affix to metal or plastic at your destination point.
When removing FireTacks, to use again on other trails, it is easiest done at night. Follow your tack trail to your destination, THEN remove the tacks going back OUT again. NEVER start removing FireTacks at night at the start of your trail since you will end up in the middle of nowhere in the dark and might have to spend the night! Removing FireTacks from Trail End back to Start is especially important with our Stealth Bright FireTacks because you cannot see them during the daytime and you HAVE to remove them at night.
Removing all FireTacks from abandoned trails is important too, because otherwise you may be going into a wooded area in the dark and see dozens of old FireTacks on trees and you will get all turned around. FireTacks hi-vis reflectives last as long as TEN YEARS - which is good for re-using them but bad if you leave lots of marked trails that you don't use anymore!
If you have questions about USE of FireTacks, please post them here.
I will post a photo of a 4D FireTack I found in the woods last week, that is TEN YEARS old and STILL bright!
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