Are flashlights necessary in the woods?

S

Stainz

Joined
Jun 24, 2007
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I am serious about this. Are they really a necessity in a day hiker's kit, bug out bag, or longer term 'bushcraft' goodie bag? The admittedly now older technology River Rock (Target) 2xAAA .5W light I started carrying a few months back, sharing the KSF pocket sheath with my Bark River 'Huntsman' fb, is handy. But, it can't be used for a long night walk due to the battery life. Also, it kills your night vision. What do you guys think?

I have a fly for the ointment. A couple of weeks back found my Fenix 4in1 kit arriving here. This is a powerful and capable LED light head, with a premium Cree Q5 emitter, both a CR123 and an AA cell battery tube, a diffuser and sheath, and some spare rubber bits. Even with 'just' the AA battery tube, it can put out 120 Lumens - twice what a 6V (Two Li CR123 cells) Surefire incandescent blaster puts out - on 'turbo' mode. It can also strobe - and, at a lower power level, strobe out 'S O S'. This little jewel is no bigger than an Inova X1. Sub the CR123 tube and the output goes to 180 Lumens... need a tan at night? Seriously changing technology here - see the 'candlepowerforums.com' for more info.

I just wonder how much light we need at night - in the boonies. Ideas?

Stainz
 
It's a question of being prepared for the worst-case scenario. Imagine being tired, your eyes fatigued, your body fatigued, injury to an eye or both, and needing the supplement. If you've never practiced finding and setting up a camp in pitch dark on a cloudy night, then I'd highly suggest carrying a flashlight until you have practiced many times. even then, it can be difficult, but you learn, especially in wooded areas, that low hanging branches can hit your head and can poke your eyes if you're not careful.

So, thick forest that let's little light in, on a very cloudy night, with many roots sticking out on the ground below, and you must move fast to find shelter because you are cold and verging on hypothermia. I'm just throwing out multiple possible bad scenarios. There are a million more, both urban and wilderness and everything in between. But the worst scenario is thinking you'll function just fine in the dark without a flashlight if you've never practiced it. By "you" I mean all of us in general - not singling you out personally. Don't forget signaling and finding each other in the dark if separated. Much more.

Better off to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it in this case, IMHO.

Just food for thought.
 
I know I do, we came up with torchs hundreds of years ago to see, you think they thought about not carrying them. I love to see, and when its dark enough some nights to see see hand in front of the face, I think it is.

My next light is going to be a Fenix P3D premium, or a T1 from fenix. I have a pocket like for small things (inova X1) thats great, but the P3D premium has 33 days or suvival use, or two continuos hours a day on lowest setting, and a max output of 200 lumens for 1.8 hours, thats bright.
 
I think a small flashlight is a great nice to have but not a necessary item per say. I carry one but only use it if I have to. Means its near life or death and warrants effecting my night vision etc.
 
I don't use the short battery life, mega-blaster style tactical flashlights, much. I don't doubt that they have their use, but I've been okay when I go without. I do carry a small light. It lasts all night long, and is just bright enough, without entirely ruining night vision.

I find lights very useful. Mainly, I use my light for hiking before the sun comes up, which, unfortunately, is commonly a necessity of my job. For camping and for survival use, I see a light as simply extending the period when it is possible to be productive in ways that rely on vision... which I consider pretty valuable.
 
Well, you may not need a flashlight for moving around and stuff, especially if you have a fire going, but what happens when you walk off to collect some firewood, and you drop something essential? It would help to have a flashlight to find it, otherwise if you leave the area you may never find it, even in the middle of the day. Perhaps you find yourself doing something small and tedious, it usually makes things much easier if your project is well illuminated.
Just some thoughts. I admit though that I don't use a flashlight a lot, but it does come in handy in certain situations.
 
You know, that said, I think everyone should practice night hikes without a flashlight. Practice knowing how terrain, like slopes, inclines, etc., tend to lead to certain resources in a given area. Bring a flashlight as backup, but practice for the worst-case scenario that you get stuck without one, or that yours breaks.

I do night hikes often. Good for practicing awareness with your senses other than sight, and teaches you how to walk so you don't trip over, or bang into, things in the dark.
 
No, I consider it necessary. It's an item that's handy all the time (when dark), but also an emergency item. There's no reason to assume that someone could only be injured during the daytime, so you need to be able to get out of the woods at night if need be. Night-hiking is fun, but not without some light! A simple LED headlamp only weighs a few ounces and costs only $10-20. Run time is many hours.

You don't absolutely need some 500 lumen Surefire.
 
My family always picks on me for EDCing a flashlight all the time.

My answer: There is a 100% chance of darkness tonight, tomorrow, and next year.

We all carry knives, firesteels and do-dads for the 0.0001% SHTF scenario. It only makes sense to be prepared for a 100% daily occurring event.

My morning rambling.
 
I get around the night vision problem by carrying a night vision red LED. I use it every time I go out.

My loaner's for the guys I take out are LED converted AA mag-lights. They do just fine and the batteries last forever.

I wouldn't dream of going out here without a flashlight and a back-up LED. The ground here is littered with rocks and any fall could be serious. I also have set up in the dark and it ain't fun. The signal value alone is worth the weight.

I have a Surefire Z2 that I have taken with me but mainly to use spotting for animals. I don't trust the short burn time to use that as my only light,and its too bright for lots of applications (like looking in my son's ear). I have a red LED attached to the wrist cord for all the applications that I might need a little light to see by w/o burning out my night vision and running down the batteries.

Red lights can be a pain at times but they are better than my normal night vision. I have found them to be detrimental for sorting pills in the dark. Mac
 
I've done a lot of night hiking and backpacking, mostly cross country, without a light here in NC. You're eyes will adjust even with very little natural illum and you learn to kind of feel with your feet with every step. A walking stick can be handy to feel for drop offs and branches. Just make sure it's taller than you are. You don't NEED a light. It is nice to have though. My current favorite is the Fenix P2D. It's a great light in it's own right and with the $3 diffuser tip it's good for a tent light too.

edit. The ground in NC is mostly pine needles and hills. The main hazard is getting poked in the eyes with a branch.
 
I think a small flashlight is a nice thing to have, but not dire necessity. But hiking around at night, or just finding your way back from a day hike that went on a bit past dusk, your night vission will do, if you let it. Even at dark, most trails can be made out with no problem with a small AAA pocket lite. For years now I've carried a AAA Dorcy or AAA sonic, and they have been just fine for following a trail at night. Just enough to see by, not enough to overpower your senses. Sometimes there can be such a thing as too much of a flashlight.

And on camping trips, a small AAA is more than enough to find something in a dark tent or lean-to.
 
Well, seeing how flashlights are a very new invention, it would be rather ridiculous to say they're absolutely necessary in the woods, now wouldn't it. As for torches (meaning pieces of wood set on fire and carried in hand to provide light, not just another word for modern flashlights), these weren't easily available in many places (because in some places there isn't all that much to burn) back before the discovery of electricity, and even then moving at night was, at times, successfully done.

Like Brian Jones suggested, practice movement in the dark without any artificial light sources. I relatively often do night hikes without any portable light sources, and it does develop night vision. I can safely say my night vision is now better than it was when I was a kid, as full of youthful energy as I'll ever be. :D It's not only about vision, either, as you have other senses to aid you, too. Even just feeling where the wind is coming from can sometimes be used to navigate successfully.

With that said, by all means carry a flashlight. If you can carry one with you, it's hard to think of a scenario where having it with you could be harmful in any way, whereas it's easy to think of scenarios where having a flashlight would be very useful and convenient indeed, if not quite necessary. I EDC a flashlight - the times I don't have one with me are the exceptions (although very often I'll have it with me and not use it at all).
 
You definitely don't need an extremely powerful light in the bush for normal activities. I think you do need a reliable and long lasting light of some kind though - my preference is the Petzl tactikka headlamp which runs on 3 AAAs and lasts forever. Its invaluable when you need both hands for something, and it has a red lens cover and low power settings if you're wanting to preserve night vision.

Having said that, I also take a Fenix L2D with me in the bush. Mostly I use it for spotting nocturnal wildlife. I've also used it for self defence on one occasion - shined it straight in a guys face at about two meters and told him to back off, which he did after spewing a lot of foul language.
 
Considering the price and weight of a cheap LED flashlight, there's no reason not to have one or two in your bag. Even the little ones from County Comm for a buck or two apiece are pretty good, and weight next to nothing. I don't always need 100 lumens; just enough to avoid twisting an ankle in the dark.

As for night vision, that's going to be ruined by my campfire anyway, so I don't worry much about it.

Truth in advertising - I do own a couple of big honkin' lights; but I use the small ones more often. The 9-volt PAL is my favorite. A smaller one would be fine if weight was an issue.
 
I can never understand why anyone would want a flashlight for moving about at night, if you are going to be moving then wear a head torch so you still have both hands free !!!
There is also always a high degree of stummbling at night so it is far better to have both hands available for when you hit the deck and if a torch is in your hand when you make contact with the terra firma there is also a chance of it breaking or being lost.
 
I seriously recommend carrying a good light. It doesn't have to be a super powerful light. I prefer the new Petzel e-lite headlamp. It has several modes including two brightness levels, a strobe and a red lens, is extremely small and super light weight and the battery drain is very low. It comes with a headband and hat clip and fits into a tight plastic case that will fit on a belt.
Oldman/Marty
 
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