Now that it's long enough to see without a mirror, I finally upgraded my dreadtail.
Behold: The Utili-Dread!
For those of you who don't know me, my longest dreadlock is at the very base of my skull, and hangs down my spine when loose. It's rather difficult to take a photo of my own back, and I know the pictures are horrible quality, so (someday) I'll update with better pictures and more examples of how I use my homegrown lanyard.
What I did:
I made an eye in my dreadlock by whipping it--using half-hitches--for about two inches with #8 nylon twine. I then folded that section around two small keyrings, and whipped the end down tight. It's not a true splice, but it will more than hold for my purposes.
Why I did it:
Attatched to the keyrings is a small gate-clip. The pictures show a Photon Freedom attatched to it, but it easily comes off and can be replaced by any small keychain tool. So far I've only really used the light, but soon I intend to try a pen as well. Since my dreadtail previously had an additional nut that I removed to add the clip, the weight is still less than I'm used to, even with the Photon. As you can see in the first picture, I can reach it with ease, so any tool will be completely and quickly accessible once attached.
--What about it smacking me in the face when I move vigorously, getting in the way, or caught on things?
There have been beads and nuts on this dreadlock for years--I'm already used to it. Enough that before any training, coaching, or otherwise energetic physical activity, I tie a knot in the dreadlock to shorten it. (Now I suppose I can clip it to something else as well.) Also, this particular dreadlock was grown with a purpose in mind from the start: it wraps around the rest of my hair as a band to hold everything together, so often it's already out of the way along with the rest.
My first obvious purpose for the Photon--beyond just having it--is to be a beacon on my body when I ride my bike at night. Seattle bike law only requires a front white light and a rear red reflector, however, having a back red light, especially a blinking light (which the photon does) is more obvious than a reflector from a distance. After riding in this city for a few years, I'm convinced that the lights raise my chances of being seen significantly. So? Red light on my tail, white light on my neck, and I don't even have to remember to remove them from my bike so they're not stolen.
This is what tacpunk is all about.
:)
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