Offbeat: Blue Force Gear Marking Light Stick Dispenser

Anyone who has ever had to deal with multiple chemical light stick deployments in a tactical operation knows how time consuming and what a pain in the you-know-what that can be. Blue Force Gear® (BFG) changed all that with its innovative and very cool new Marking and Recognition Chemstick Dispenser (MARCO™) marking light stick dispenser.MARCO is designed to revolutionize room clearing and routine marking by saving users critical pre-mission prep time, eliminating the need to unwrap, tape, and bundle marking chemical light sticks by providing a more efficient, effective, and compact way to carry and deploy chemical light sticks for tactical missions.

MARCO also has applications for the everyday consumer and outdoors enthusiast, such as trailing downed game at night, marking trails and paths, and marking the location of tent stakes and guy lines, to name a few.“We’re dedicated to always providing the best tactical gear possible to all of our customers,” said Ashley Burnsed, CEO of Blue Force Gear. “MARCO will take away the frustration and wasted hours of prepping marking light bundles and transform the way marking sticks are carried.”

MARCO consists of an injection-molded thermoplastic, steel spring-loaded one-time-use dispenser that holds 30 two-inch-long military-grade chemical light sticks. It’s a magazine for deploying light sticks. The dispenser is translucent, allowing you to see the number of light sticks remaining.

It takes up little space. The dispenser measures 5.33 inches high x 2.33 inches wide x 0.73 inch deep. Packaged, it’s 6x3x.75 inches.

It takes only seconds to prep. Just open the Mylar® package containing the preloaded dispenser, insert the MARCO dispenser into its belt, MOLLE or Kydex® pouch, and proceed to your mission. The dispenser also protects the light sticks from accidental activation.Marking light stick deployment is just as simple. It requires less effort and is faster than the traditional method. Simply push one light stick partially out of the dispenser with your thumb, use your index finger to flex the light stick up or down on the lip of the dispenser until it activates, then pull the activated light stick out of the MARCO dispenser and deploy as needed. That’s all there is to do!

Each stick provides four hours of illumination. At the time of this writing, the MARCO dispenser was available with green light sticks. Other colors are on the way.

The MARCO should be kept in its original Mylar packaging until needed. The package bears an expiration date, after which the light sticks should not be used for other than training purposes.

In their original foil packaging, light sticks have up to a four-year shelf life from the date of manufacture, depending on the environment they’re stored in. Light sticks begin degrading once removed from their packaging. For maximum shelf life, store in a dry, room-temperature environment.

Three different carrying pouches are available from Blue Force Gear for the MARCO dispenser: a Kydex® Pouch, Ten-Speed® Belt Pouch Hanger, and Helium Whisper® Ten-Speed Pouch. Each pouch holds a single MARCO dispenser.

The most secure of the MARCO pouches is the Kydex Pouch, which is molded specifically to clasp the light stick dispenser. It has a heavy-duty belt clip that can be adjusted for right- or left-hand use, as well as for optimal position and angle. Witness holes make it easy to see how many light sticks are left. It’s available in Black and Coyote Brown.

The Ten-Speed Belt Pouch Hanger is designed to be worn hanging off the belt or attached directly to the pants. It places the MARCO dispenser in a similar position to the traditional light stick bundle. It uses Ten-Speed technology and military-grade elastic to retain the MARCO dispenser. It also offers multi-use capabilities and fits similarly sized items. The pouch comes equipped with a quick-release buckle and is available in Black, Coyote Brown, and MultiCam®.

The Helium Whisper Ten-Speed Pouch is designed to attach to PALS webbing to provide easy access to MARCO. It uses the same combat-proven Ten-Speed technology and military-grade elastic to securely retain the MARCO dispenser. It’s available in Black, Coyote Brown, and MultiCam.

The MARCO is a great piece of kit for anyone who needs to carry and deploy light sticks. It saves time, reduces bulk, and is a much more efficient means of deployment.

The MARCO marking light stick dispenser has a suggested retail price of $65.00. The Kydex Pouch is $39.00, the Ten-Speed Belt Pouch $19.00, and the Helium Whisper Ten-Speed Pouch $29.00.