What kind of light source would you pack with you?

Rumble

Rumble

Joined
May 10, 2001
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I haven't seen this asked before (without searching in the archives).

What light source would you pack with you? How many?
LED? Incandescent? Glow-type sources? Power source?

What would be a good value?

And why?

Burton
 
I have a Lightwave 4000 that I really like. It was cheap, it's very bright, it's about the size of a 3-D Maglite, and it is insanely tough and waterproof.
 
My answer to that is as many as I can carry conveniently. Redundancy is a major issue in my survival plans, both for versitility, and CYA.
There is no do it all tool. Depending on the situation, you may want directed, or ambient, powerfull, or low profile, white, or red light. Any of the others will work in a pinch, so even if one fails, you have backups.
My personal brace of light sources include: TWO mini maglites, one converted to red LED, a Zippo with spare fluid/flints, at least one backup mini bic, and at least one glo stick. The last two varry in number because I end up "Loaning out" some of them on occasion, but never the last one.
 
I have to hump a lot of crap out in the woods when I'm on a trail, but I like having my stuff with me. I just got back in the last week from a two night outing, and here's what I took with me...

Standard Mini-Mag Lite (AA model) with red filter.

Princeton Tec (I think) Matrix---LED light that's waterproff, takes two AA (I use lithium), and has three turquoise LED bulbs. After reading quite a bit, I found that the turquoise bulbs tend to generate more light.

I have a Photon keyring light that I keep as a little back up.

I carry at least three Cyalume sticks of several colors including green, blue, red, orange, and high intensity orange (5 minute burn time). I have the different colors for different situations with the groups that I go with.

A great light that I use quite a bit is the PAL survival light. It works off of 9 volt battery. It has a constant on mode which makes it easy to find in the dark (think about inside the tent when you've got to make a run for the woods), and it also has a low mode, high mode, and a signal mode. It's a winner in my eyes. It's compact and just slightly thicker in dimensions than maybe a standard Bic lighter.

I have an LED flashlight that is my absolute favorite. It's a Tektite Expedition 1900. It is about the same size as a standard 2 C cell flashlight, but it has 19 LED's built in and it puts out a great light while still getting significantly longer burn time than with standard bulbs. My understanding is that it is waterproof to 2000 feet (what am I going to do with that?). It was a little pricey, and it doesn't feel like there's much to it when you pick it up, but I love it.

That's what I had with me last time, and that's what I usually carry give or take one.

Just my thoughts on what I think works. Of course, around the house or town, I usually carry my Sure-Fire light, with one of the above as a back up, but I have access to batteries around here. When I'm on the trail, I'm looking for adequate light with extensive burn time. LEDs are the way to go!!
 
I agree that it is important to have a level of redundancy in something as important as light. However, I think that one primary flashlight is plenty, as long as it is supplemented with maybe two or three LED backups. Photons and the like are so small that they can be attached to almost anything. I am going to buy some more for mini-kits as well as zipper-pulls. I also think that I am eventually going to get either a Petzl tika or zipka headlamp. The more I think about it the more headlamps make sense for camping and hiking. I carry a Surefire E2 in my pocket everyday, but I don't think I would take it with me hiking. Even though it is really bright and powerful, I don't think the weight and short battery life make it a good camping type light. I have yet to find the perfect mini-mag or smaller size LED light with the right combination of battery life, light output, and weight. I am starting to think that just a decent 3AAA headlamp like the zipka and several Photons is all that is really necessary for 99% of outdoor stuff, unless you are doing search and rescue type things.
One type of light I would love to have is the large size traser light, like a mega version of the glo-rings they market. However the pr guy at the company said they are really strict about who gets them since they have a larger amount of radioactive material in them.
 
You're right about the head lamps making sense while camping. A couple of people in our backpacking party got seperated from the group last winter at about o'dark thirty. It was winter time, so they needed to be found. Another guy and I took off after them and left the group to put up camp. When we found the lost ones and got back to camp, it was nice to see that no one bothered to put up our tent. The LED headlamp (Matrix) helped immensely by allowing me to have both hands free while setting up the tent in the dark. For three little LED's, I was really surprised at how much light I had to work by.

I use that light on every backpacking event I go on. It's been over a year now, and though I carry spares, I am still using that same set of lithium AA batteries. What more can I say?
 
I don't recall what model it is but I carry a Pelican flashlighte. It uses 4 AA bateries and has a special bulb that really lights up the place. It is hunter orange and I get great battery life from it. Another plus is it is submersable so no worries about it getting wet. It serves me well so I'd recomend it.
 
I carry a Tikka LED headlamp (3AAA--2.5 oz w/batteries), a PT Rage (4AAA 2.5 oz w/batteries) and PT Blast (2AAA--1.5 oz w/batteries) and PT LED Pulsar. 6.5 oz and 9 batteries to 'cannibalize' if I need to. If I'd chosen an AA headlamp, I'd carry AA flashlights, but this AAA combo has worked out well.

Note-the PT Blast is a great little light for camping if you don't have a dedicated headlamp, 1.5 oz and it has a clip that allows you to attach it to the brim of your cap, frees your hands. For $8, give one a try.
 
Whenever I need a headlamp, I usually stick my maglite in my hat, behind the ear. I had the power go out in a resuraunt while I was working there, and I kept on like that for over an hour. (I was doing prep work that didn't require refrigeration, or power, cutting vegitabes, and such.)
 
Originally posted by Social cameleon
Whenever I need a headlamp, I usually stick my maglite in my hat, behind the ear.
Click to expand...

I just tried that with a headband. It needs a little playing with but works great! Thanks for the advice.

Next Question: With these small Photon-like LED lights, how waterproof are they?

Also, has anyone heard anything about Nova (or iNova) lights? I ask because they are the chaepest around and might be good back up lights unless they suck. Hey, one good and two decent back-ups beats one good and one good back-up.
 
I carry a UK mini Q40, mini Maglite, solataire spare batteries and sometimes a Northern Lights candlelantern
 
I use my Mini-Mag as a head-lamp this is what I use,
just like everything they make it works great.
http://niteize.com/head.html

Carry:
Photon 2 (White)
Mini-Mag (2AA) and a Red filter )
Mag-3D (if I have room)
StreamLight Scorpion (Extra Batterys :rolleyes: )
and another LED. (Arc AAA, CMG Infinity, Etc...)

and like most have said "the more the better" :) :D :cool:

P.S. There have been some good reviews of the Inova X5 lately,
but it uses 123 batterys (Just something to think about),
for info on Photons: http://www.equipped.org/led_lights3b.htm

Knifecenter has the X5, and Photons listed as being the
same company, anyone know if that is true?
 
Originally posted by Clint Simpson
With these small Photon-like LED lights, how waterproof are they? Also, has anyone heard anything about Nova (or iNova) lights? I ask because they are the chaepest around and might be good back up lights unless they suck.
Click to expand...
Inova mini-lights are my new "all the time, everywhere" favorite LED carries. They are compact, water resistant (waterproof IMHO, see below), and have a Constant-On switch instead of a momentary switch.

Got mine for $10 each at a Washington Arms Collectors gun show from a guy that had a few of them glowing away in a jar full of water. I hadn't bumped into Inovas before, so got a couple to try them out. He said the the ones glowing underwater in the jar had been steady-on for a couple days of the show already and the light didn't look any dimmer to me than the new ones I got. So the runtime looks to be plenty long. The guy said they'll take either two skinny batteries or one thicker one. I haven't had to change them yet so don't know which model batteries they take. I keep the white one on my neck cord (along with a white ASP LED light, whistle, & EZ-Lap tapered rod diamond sharpener) and the red one on my keyring. Like you guys said, Redundancy!!

They are about the size of a Photon II, being the same width & thickness as the Photon but 1/4" longer. Inova shields the LED in the case whereas the Photon LED is totally exposed on all sides. IIRC Photons are not waterproof. Inova lights are available in a translucent case that allows gentle ambient lighting (like inside a tent or for hanging on a branch as a signal) or in a solid color case. FWIW the light output from the white and red Inovas looks as bright as their ASP Saphire counterparts.

1SKS has the Inova solid color case lights for $9.50 and the translucent ones for $12.50, which seem to be pretty decent prices.
http://www.onestopknifeshop.com/store/inova.html

For durable waterproof light I carry the CMG Infinity with its aluminum body and bezel, which protects the LED well. IMHO it's a great bombproof light with a rated 40+ hours of runtime with one AA alkaline battery. I trust a lithium battery will kick that up to over 125 hours of runtime. The Infinity's light output is noticibly dimmer than the Inova/ASP lights. I believe this is because to get extended runtime they are duty-cycling the LED on/off at less than 100% on-time. The tradeoff is more runtime and not so much output while it's on. The only downside I've noticed, beside the weight & dimmer light, is that the "on" position is screwing the bezel into the body (which is backwards from the Mini-Maglite) so it took some getting used to doing it that way. No big deal really, but us curmudgeons have to find "something" to complain about, right? ;)
http://www.onestopknifeshop.com/store/cmg-flashlights.html
 
I use my Surefire 8n for emergency , as in a grizzly trying to get in the tent. For everything else i'm going to give the Attitude by Princeton Tec a try..I like the idea of 150 hours of run time..I like to read before I turn in..it takes the thought of a bear encounter off my mind. I like to read the stories about BEAR ATTACKS..
 
Around town I have a SF E1 in my pack and either an Arc AAA or a Photon II with my keys. When I travel I replace the E1 with a regular mini Maglite. The Mini Maglite has the extra lamp and longer run time.
 
Since this topic is posted under Wilderness & Survival Skills, here is my ‘spin.’ I’ll be going on vacation sometime this year in the Northwest. Here is a list of what I will be taking as light sources or tools to facilitate such.

·Inova X5 (with CR123 lithium cells) and ARC LS (with AA lithium cells)
·ARC AAA HA LE LED light
·Surefire M2 (with CR123 lithium cells)
·ASP Triad (with CR123 lithium cells)
·Magnesium fire starter (inside a Chris Reeve Project II)
·Waterproof matches (also inside the Chris Reeve Project II)
·Butane lighter (with additional fuel)
·Small mirror
·Smith & Wesson Stainless Model 629 .44 Magnum handgun (yes, this is also a source of, ahem, light)
·Plenty of lithium batteries
 
I'm glad you guys can afford all these Inovas, Photons, and Surefires. Two Mini Maglites nearly broke me, and my keychain light came from a convenience store. I had to make my own LED light for christ's sake.
Sorry, just kvetching, bygones.
 
LOL, the low tech version is called a mirror. Yeah, I've played with a solar recharge flashlight, and I wasn't too impressed. Granted, this was several years ago, and technology may have improved, but the one I tried didn't have much endurance,and took longer to recharge then discharge.
It was also a bulky inconvenient package compared to maglites, inovas, photons, and surefires. I figure part of these brand's popularity is their convenience, and durability.
 
I always carry a Mini-Mag, backed up by a few 3" cylume light sticks that I get every year just after halloween, they are sold for kids to use trick or treating, but just after h'ween my local stores clearance the leftovers for .50 cents a piece.
 
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