advice on flashlights

M

mounteveriss

Joined
Feb 20, 2003
Messages
49
All,

Please bear with me as I realize that this is probably an overdone topic. I just returned from yet another fun day/night Land Nav FTX. The 3 days at Fort Pickett most definately brought home the necessity of having a GOOD flashlight. The crook-neck GI light just doesnt cut it. My mini-maglite did passing fair, but still I am sure there are improvements to be made. I have some friends that rave about INOVA lights, but I dont know if they would be the best bet for the woods. My question is, if you were to recommend one or two compact lights (size of GI Light or less) for mainly outdoor, woodland operations, what would it be?

Thanks in advance.

Jonathan
 
My favorite outdoor light is the Princeton Tec Aurora Headlamp. The Aurora uses 3 AAA batteries to power its 3 LED lights. The lights are very bright, for great night vision and the lights last for 50-160 hours depending on brightness setting. The light is also waterproof and weights less than 3 ozs., and costs around $28 bucks. But the best feature is its a headlamp, so your hands are free to build shelters, read maps, or what ever. :D
 
I have been VERY happy with the Streamlight Tasklight 3AA Luxeon. It's longer than a Minimag due to using 3 AA batteries, but the light is fantastic for a small LED light. It's rugged, water resistant, and has a switch that allows momentary (blink) use. It has a strong central beam but a halo of lesser light covers a larger area to comfortably allow walking. As the batteries lose power many, many hours later, the light stays white. It comes in black and a sort of silver thatn they call "titanium." Lanyard included.
 
I just got back from Iraq, I used a Streamlight clipmate in night vision Green. It has three LEDs that run by three AAA Batteries. It is bright and you can see really good at night with the green light. Actiongear.com has them for around $16.00 and some change. Will last about 100 hours on one set of Batteries. Also for survival LEDs will be the only type of light I use.
 
I'll have to say the variety of LED's available from different manufacturers is the way to go.I have an INOVA.It has five LED and utilizes two 123A's.These batteries can be found in the camera section of most dept. stores or through Surefire etc.
I do think though having LED lights using common batteries that you can find even at a gas station would be a good bet,especially abroad.I have a two AA cell mag light with a three bulb LED conversion that RAM Instruments puts out,and it is a big improvement over the standard Maglight bulbs.The best thing about the LED's is their long life,and durability from jarring,dropping etc.
 
Anything from Surefire is great. I like their E2 or Outdoorsman w/25 lumen bulb or various LED for long outdoor use. Cheaper plastic housing models are available. Most of their smaller units use the Lithium 123 batteries and those have a 10 year shelf life (perfect for your bug out bag). The E2e with 75 lumen bulb with burn for an hour and melt the eyes out of your head :eek: . The 25 lumen bulb will fit too and run longer. Try Surefire directly for good prices on batteries.
 
The Princeton Tec Impact II and Attitude are good LED flashlights. These were my favorites until I discovered the Innova lights. The Impact II has a focused beam that's narrower but goes farther. Also, the Attitude has some light leakage out the side that might be undesirable under some conditions.

The Innova lights are slightly heavier but still reasonable. Their metal cases are more durable and make more sense for a soldier. The X5 produces a better beam than the Impact II or Attitude and is an outstanding small LED light (3.5 oz.). I don't recommend the X1 due to its poor performance IMO. However, the XO is amazing- it's brighter than my regular flashlights. It's also larger and heavier than the others at 5 oz. It's also expensive- $45 at tadgear.com is the best price I could find.

Bill D.
 
www.candlepowerforums.com

couple of questions you need to ask yourself:

What is your intended usage? (close up work, far away lighting, brief illumination, long run operation, light for hiking or tactical type situations, primary light, back up light, how bright do you want it, what kind of beam pattern, etc)

What power source(s) do you prefer? (rechargeable battery(ies), lithium 123's, alkaline cells (AAA to D), kinetic generated power, etc)

What price range(s) are you looking at?


Some of the new high power LED's (1-5 watt luxeon) are really getting closer to the output of Xenon bulbs. If you want bright light with a lot of "throw", go with Xenon. If you want longer run time, LEDs will typically last much longer. I'm awaiting an INOVA T3 from NewGraham - hoping it will be a good mixture of both.
 
like Samuel said, it'd be easier to make a reccomendation based on your specific uses.

i can tell you this tho, you could buy a "drop-in" luxeon for your Minimag and buy a modified Crook-Neck with a luxeon, if you wanted to keep the old tools.

i'll have more to babble about after we see what you'll use them for. LOL
 
mounteveriss, I see it looks like you're a cadet and in the NG...that old angle head way to large for what it does. From an "operational" perspective, which is vastly different than hiking/camping, do you need a bright "tactical" light for quick, powerful illumination or do you need a low, filtered light for night land nav and reading a map?

There's a ton of lights out there, the LEDs are really worth their weight in gold, but a good xenon bulb is great at maximizing illumination. One of the best "operational" lights I've used are the small Photons (or Microlights by Inova)...which can be attached by a zinger (small retracting device) to your uniform, LBE/LBV or rucksack. In fact, my daily carry is a green covert Photon on my ID tags. LED bulbs will not burn out...or at least have an incredible life span and are much more robust than your typical incandescent types.

Another great light in my opinion is the Petzl Tikka Plus headlight...a very small, lightweight (AAA battery) 3-LED light, that can even take a colored filter lens. For hands-free stuff, it's hard to beat.

I also highly recommend you ask for an Inova X5 for X-Mas :D This is another powerful LED light, that is very small with great performance. Since I where BDUs daily, it rides in its little pouch right behind the rigger belt buckle in front of my front pocket...very discrete, very handy. It does take Lithium 3V batteries, but I'll talk batteries later.

Another light that I thought was more hype than performance is the Phantom Warrior light. It's a 4-AA dual LED light. It's design is actually to use minimum illumination for a given "tactical" need. Plus it's pure white LED, which is adjustable, is much better at reading a colored topographical map...also, the military version has the capability to switch the batteries around and use the offset IR LED in the head assembly. Acts like a small illuminator for your NVG use, and yes, it works quite well.

Lastly a good Streamlight or Surefire 6 or 9V light is indispensable if you're needing ALOT of light. They're great (aside from the "blind the bad guys" use) when searching for lost sensitive items, conducting staff-duty inspections on buildings, even the clean up and inspection after conducting an ambush. I've got a few Surefires, the M2 is the stoutest, but a good cheap and reliable one is the Streamlight Scorpion...my latest is the Steamlight TL-3 (xenon), a powerful 9V light that seams pretty robust and much more affordable than the Surefire 9V lights.

As to batteries...go lithium as much as you can. They are less affected by temperature extremes than regular alkaline batteries. They have a great shelf life, don't "leak" and corrode your device, much lighter, last much longer, and can be stored in the device and relied on much more than alkaline batteries...Now, with that said, they have lithium AA, 3V camera batteries and now have AAA lithiums. I try to keep all my duty devices using AA and 3V (a few AAA slip in at times). AA's are pretty easy to find, as are the 3V batteries. As a commo guy, the 3V batteries are used in our COMSEC devices, and are quite available if really needed. The new Army GPS, the DAGR, now uses AA batteries...and they're common in the Army system as well. The little Photon-type lights typically use the CR 2016 or 2032 lithium coin batteries. I've only had to change batteries in a couple that are about 3-4 years old :eek: , that's why I usually have a couple on hand...they're light enough that a few won't be noticed and having a backup is handy.

A lot of choices, but my primary lights are:

- Photon/Microlight (a few, red, white and green)...awesome!
- Inova X5 (both a white and green)...long life and great short-range illum!
- Streamlight TL3...not the LED model, but great for long distance illum.
- Petzl Tikka Plus...the most used light...and the handiest!

A lot of choices, just depends on what you need based on what you plan on doing.

ROCK6
 
For a hand-held light it is hard to beat the Underwater Kinetics 4AA ELed. This has a luxeon star LED and regulation that gives a rock-steady constant output for over 10 hours. It is also Lithium-battery-friendly for cold weather trips.
Check out the review here

I am a big fan of the Opalec Newbeam LED conversion for the MiniMag - a runtime Queen!
And for a headlight my vote also goes to the Petzl Tikka Plus.
 
I second the UK 4AA eLED recommendation. From www.brightguy.com you can get it for $20 and it is puts out a good light, totally waterproof, won't blow bulbs (LED), good light output for a LONG time. You can hike with it, it has good spill so will work as a camplight, etc.

But you will also need another light, a higher intensity light that won't last as long but will put out a good beam. If weight isn't an issue, the Gerber LX3.0 is great and takes 3 AA batteries that can be rechargable types, NiMH. The Gerber has extraordinary throw for its size.

If weight is an issue, Streamlight has a new 2L LED that runs on lithium batteries and has great throw and is quite small.

I have a Strion which is my next to last suggestion. I paid $90 for it but it is *rechargable* and fits easily in the pocket. It has a very intense beam that you can focus, is water resistant, but does not use an LED (an extra bulb is fitted into the tail.) I love my Strion and it is my EDC.

Finally, a Photon Freedom can fit on your keychain and gives you long light at low but useful levels in an emergency or when night vision is crucial and you just need a small amount of light.
 
The response have been really helpful, thanks guys. It seems like LED's are the obvious way to go :) . I am searching around the web. I most definately am going to pick up some colored (red for night and blue since I am in a medical company) microlights by Inova to wear on my dogtags and LBV. I think I am going to go with the Inova as a full size light also. The microlights will handle map reading and brief light needs. Should I opt for the X5 or the XO? This will be for maximum illumination, long duration and as a primary light. Like an all purpose kind of deal. Thanks again for all the help.

Jonathan
 
the UK 4AA eLED beats the X5 in brightness and usefulness although it is a bit bigger. The X5 is very long lasting though and fits in a pocket and you can't go wrong with one.

I would use the UK 4AA eLED as a prime long lasting light and something else for brightness.

A great small pocket light is the Nuwai 3watt which is new, available for $50, and very very bright for a light the size of an AA battery. It runs on one 123 lithium cell for 60 - 90 minutes. Available at www.advancedmart.com
 
Did you want flood or spot lighting, Jonathan?? X5T throws some great flood lighting, and I think the X0 is better for spot. .

In a situation like you describe, I'll second Myakka & Rock6 on the headlamp. It's nice to have both hands free in my experience. I use the old style Princeton Tec Matrix, 3 LED's on 2AA batteries. Not too bright, waterproof, a nice & even flood of white light to help me navigate at night. In most cases, I use it over my Inova, Surefire, Modded Maglites, etc. It's nice not to have to juggle, but when I need the other lights they're always there. .

I'm waiting on my Nuwai, though, and it'll probably become my EDC light. .
 
Does this idea sound feasible to ya'll? I plan on using a drop leg double mag pouch to hold the Inova light along with a multitool. My only problem is, I cant seem to find a drop leg double mag rig, everything is set up for flashbangs, tear gas, machine gun clips and a bunch of other crap I dont need. Is this possible and anybody know how I could work it? This is so I have the gear readily accessible and out of the clutter of my LBV. Thanks.
 
That's definately possible. If I were you, instead of trying to smack a flashlight and multitool into a mag pouch that won't hold them securely, I'd have a rig made up for that exact purpose. Maybe out of Kydex or something. I'd think it would be a lot more secure that way, as well as more comfortable. .
 
Tsme said:
I don't recommend the X1 due to its poor performance IMO.
Click to expand...

The X1 performs wonderfully.

I think it is one of the most misunderstood flashlights out there. It may look like an ordinary LED pocketlight and resembles the Inova X5-T, but it is neither. Think of it as a Photon Freedom Covert Microlight, but on steroids, and you'll get the picture.

The X1 is the perfect minispotlight. It is the kind of light one would use to troubleshoot computer network cabling underneath a desk. It's what I use to perform that very task. If I peer into nooks and crannies in my closet looking for items that have fallen, or I have to look behind a bookcase to find a book that toppled behind it, the X1 is the light I use.
 
LED flashlights are the way to go. They have replaced all my others for long-term nighttime walking in the countryside.

I save my 2-cell Surefire flashlight for the more high-intensity violent encounter stuff. Or frustrating searches under the bed for lost objects. Whichever comes first. ;)
 
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