Re: Pocket flashlights

So as we got around Yosemite a few weeks ago, we of course needed some lighting source to get around our campsite and other dimly or unlit areas.

I brought some of the old standbys that I've used in the past, including a trusty Petzl Tikka headlamp. That one is bright and extremely well constructed, but occasionally suffers from flicker.

My flashlight of choice was a 9 LED/3 AAA model from Outback Flashlights - a small company in Utah with manufacturing done in China. They've got an "Australian" theme to their products, with a kangaroo logo and names like "Sheila", "Bonzer", "Bushman", etc. I guess the Sheila is marketed towards women with geometric and flower patterns, but I found one model that I liked at a gift shop in Mt Rainier last year. It's identical in construction to some solid colored flashlights with a different name. That light is rock-solid with excellent brightness (even with rechargeables) and no flickering. I've seen some of their products sold elsewhere (incl Yosemite) but they were either priced too high or the offerings were limited. I just bought a bunch of their lights on clearance from the manufacturer.

I also brought along a cheap 9 LED light I got at Fry's Electronics for $3. It's bright enough, but there's constant flicker and it refused to work for a while after I dropped it. I've tried several 9 LED/3 AAA lights from different sellers, but most weren't very good. Some had burned out lights while others flickered like crazy.

What do people here use for getting around in the dark? I remember my trip back in Dec 2005 I only had this rubber coated 2 AA light from Ace Hardware. I didn't exactly come prepared. I've seen a lot of groups carrying big old 6V lantern cells as well as the occasional propane mantle lantern.

Always a trade off and many factors to balance size, weight, cost, illumination:
Regarding pocket flashlight, I go for the microlights like Princeton Tec:


http://www.rei.com/product/659995

Some brands allow a "switched" position to keep light on.

I have a couple of "battery-less" flashlights that work remarkably well (the battery is charged by specific motion of crank or tilting the flashlight) for short episodes of walking in the dark. One minute of cranking gives about 15 minutes of LED light of decreasing luminosity. Probably too heavy for backpacking.

Search "crank" "flashlight" for resources.

---

The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

Quote
Frank Furter
Always a trade off and many factors to balance size, weight, cost, illumination:
Regarding pocket flashlight, I go for the microlights like Princeton Tec:
http://www.rei.com/product/659995

Standard issue loan to everyone that I take backpacking is one of the above microlights (white LED) attached to a Super Tinker Swiss Army knife.
[Put it in your pocket and leave it there unless you are using it (either the light or knife/attachments) or sleeping.]
These things put out a more-than-adequate amount of light. You don't need anything more for illumination. Also, the more that you scorch your eyeballs, the longer it takes to dark adapt again.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/07/2009 02:25PM by szalkowski.

I use a 3 million candlepower searchlight attached to two deep cycle 12V marine batteries; drag it behind me in a child's wheelbarrow. Is that why my feet and back still hurt a month later?

Jim

Quote
tomdisco
I use a 3 million candlepower searchlight attached to two deep cycle 12V marine batteries; drag it behind me in a child's wheelbarrow. Is that why my feet and back still hurt a month later?

Jim

Unlikely.
Keep using it.

After reading Vince's post below, I thought that I should mention that I also carry one of these (Model P4):
http://www.ledlenserusa.com/product_forward.php?prodNum=8404
in the "emergency kit" portion of my pack.

The individual Princeton Tec Pulsars are quite adequate for "normal use" backcountry situations.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/07/2009 06:37PM by szalkowski.

I keep three headlamps...one on my head, two in the backpack as backups, from a variety of sources, the most expensive a Princeton Tec. In addition to that, two flashlights from Harbor Freight that look like this (you can get them elsewhere too, but for more money). Can't be scrimpy on night lights in case you get in a bind...plus according to survivorman you can use your headlamp to start a camp fire if need be...

Below are the flashlights, two-pack usually runs $4 but sometimes they'll give you a coupon for $3 the pair. They are very bright and don't flicker. I have eight of them, some in the house, some in the car, some in the backpack. Batteries included.

Quote
Vince
I keep three headlamps...one on my head, two in the backpack as backups, from a variety of sources, the most expensive a Princeton Tec. In addition to that, two flashlights from Harbor Freight that look like this (you can get them elsewhere too, but for more money). Can't be scrimpy on night lights in case you get in a bind...plus according to survivorman you can use your headlamp to start a camp fire if need be...

Below are the flashlights, two-pack usually runs $4 but sometimes they'll give you a coupon for $3 the pair. They are very bright and don't flicker. I have eight of them, some in the house, some in the car, some in the backpack. Batteries included.

I've seen a similar (possibly the same manufacturer) light sold by a company called Miraclebeam. Looks remarkably similar. That light flickers a lot and I dropped it on my last Yosemite trip and I couldn't get it to work again for a day after fiddling with the battery caddy and the switch. There are a lot of generic manufacturers in China who will sell the same design to anyone. The photo below actually doesn't look quite like what I got. Mine has a sharper bezel around the lens - pretty much the same color and look as the one you referenced down to the thin ring and the lightweight crimped lanyard.

http://www.miraclebeam.com/item_display.asp?pid=2602&cid=3

I have the same one Vince has (but it seems heavy), also a petzel headlamp, and REI sells a tiny single beam led light that attaches to your jacket zipper (or backpack) that works great for an emergency (and they do happen, as my headlamp went out a couple of trips ago)

B