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PROVO — Those who love the outdoors may soon be seeing new lighting products, coming in part from a team of BYU students trying to fill a need.
The industrial design team of BYU students came up with the idea after talking to hardcore women campers, hikers and back country enthusiasts. They found a need for more specific lighting options.
The all-female team came up with designs for a bracelet that doubles as a table-top ambient light while doing research for Black Diamond Equipment, an outdoor equipment store based in Salt Lake City. It can also be worn on a wrist, hung on a jacket or worn as a headlamp. It's a thin, pocket-sized device that glows, and can be worn on a woman's hair while also working with a helmet.
"(It's) just enough to feel secure that there's not a bear or a mountain lion creeping behind you," said Jeremy Saxton, senior industrial designer at Black Diamond Equipment.
The research from the team is now being incorporated into Black Diamond products, but it initially took the company by surprise.
"We are mostly male designers, and it's something we really wouldn't have thought of," Saxton said, adding that the team had a lot of ideas of products for women to enjoy the outdoors more.
"It's not all about just having huge amounts of light in the back country or while camping or while outdoors," he said. "Sometimes it's just about having a small amount of light that makes the user feel secure or safe."
