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Old 01-18-2018, 09:43 PM   #1
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Talking How much flashlight do you need for camping?

I was inspired by the recent thread, "How much knife to you need for camping?" to start a similar thread for portable lighting devices, commonly known as flashlights, headlamps, lanterns, and (in some countries) torches. I will start the ball... er, batteries... rolling.

Hi. My name is Mike. And I am .......... a flashaholic.

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This is a fair sized chunk of my collection. Yep, that's right... I own more lights than this! I love to collect 'em, carry 'em, caress 'em, and (you bet I do) use 'em.

I have 3 lanterns (not pictured) but I find that I don't use them much because the light just goes everywhere... including straight at my eyes... and that makes it harder to see what I want to look at. So I tend to use flashlights and headlamps instead.

Top left, you'll see a pair of 4D Maglites. The black one has been custom modified with 7 XM-L emitters and now runs on 4 26500 lithium cells, for a 4200 lumen output. This has been a mainstay camping light for me.

The little ones just to the right of that black Maglite are Maratac single-AAA 3-mode "twisty" lights (tighten or loosen to turn on/off or change modes), and these are my "EDC" (every day carry) lights. I have one in my pocket 98% of the time. They're super handy and are hardly felt in the pocket. I'll have a couple of these with me when camping.

Another must-have light is the Zebralight which you see attached to a headband. Another XM-L LED with 1,000 lumen output on an 18650 cell, but a very wide beam. It's my favorite headlamp. I'll usually have one of the other single-AA Zebralights along for the outing in case I feel the need for AA power.

The light on the far right is a Fenix TK-70, and I've affectionately dubbed it "the Plunger" for obvious reasons. A bit over 2000 lumens on 4 NiMH D cells, the Plunger has a much more focused beam ( and therefore more "throw") than the brighter Mag. I like this light for spotting distant wildlife. It also came in handy for signaling the campers in Yosemite Village while standing atop Glacier Point; several of those campers were signaling back, too (which was fun, until some idiot with a green laser got into the act, and that's when I quit).

Near bottom center I have an Eagtac 3-AA and a Nitecore 4-AA, and these are my bedside lights. They each have a low mode of less than 10 lumens and a high of about 1,000. Plenty of runtime, too. If I'm going hiking toward evening, I will carry one of these (plus a Zebra and a Maratac as backups) in case I am out after dark and have to find my way back.

Two of the pictured collection have red, green, blue, and normal LED capability: the Quark RGB and (a month-ago acquisition) the FiTorch MR35. I like having one of these along for camping just because they are so much fun. The vivid colors they put out are amazing... far better than colored filters can achieve. The FiTorch's regular output is 1,200 lumens; the color emitters are offset (not centered) in the reflector and produce an ugly dark spot in the middle of the beam, so I smoothed out the beam with some DC-Fix diffusing film.

Finally, my newest addition which is at bottom center, vertical: the BLF Q8. This light will replace the Maglite on all my trips. Running 4 XP-L emitters on 4 high-drain (30A) IMR 18650 cells, this light ramps smoothly between a low of 2 lumens (with 1500 hour runtime) and a high of 5,000 lumens. Brighter than your tow vehicle's high beams. It tail-stands easily to provide extra light in the trailer. The switch glows a soft green so it's easy to find in the dark. What fun! This will definitely be going camping with me!

Ok, so it's your turn. What lights do you like to take camping?
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Old 01-18-2018, 10:40 PM   #2
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Mike,

Yep, you can never have too many flashlights! I've got as many as in your picture just in the garage. Then factor in the house (various rooms have their own supply for every occasion), each vehicle, the trailer, the pump house, the tractor, etc etc. I think there are five (at last count) in the truck door pocket alone, not to mention the glove compartment, the tool bucket and the tool box behind the seat. My quad has several, just to be sure, in case I get stuck out at night. Then there's the Jeep.

But I still see ones I like when shopping, and can't resist.

Many of my friends and family members used to comment about this, but most have moved on now and are used to it. My wife will raise an eyebrow as another one hits the shopping cart. One Christmas I found packs of nine LED lights, with batteries, that were so cheap I couldn't buy the batteries alone for less. I still have several of those packs around and give them out to all guests that visit (guests "need" their own personal flashlight), and the kids at Christmas still get them in their stockings.

I just found a nice LED pen light, still in it's package, just today. Forgot I had it. New batteries brought it to life and it landed in the living room where I can grab it easily in the dark. Of course, it landed on top of several others in the same bowl.

And the beat goes on................
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Old 01-19-2018, 05:44 AM   #3
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Very interesting, guys! I’ve known people who collect knives, beer cans, various types of cars, stamps, coins, and autographs, etc.
While I find flashlights often come in handy, it never even remotely occurred to me that anyone would consider them collectible. I’m sort of a “when it ceases working, throw it in the trash and get a new one” guy.
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Old 01-19-2018, 07:23 AM   #4
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I have a cheap headlamp I paid $5 for and 4 of those free Harbor Freight LED work lights with the hook and magnet. I use 2 of them with the trailer. When I need to back into a spot at night, I turn them on and stick them to the bumper. Voila! Backup lights for the trailer!
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Old 01-19-2018, 10:07 AM   #5
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you guys have to much time on your hands. I can not believe that I read the whole string.

But I do have my flashlights just like everyone else.
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Old 01-19-2018, 10:09 AM   #6
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I have lights stashed everywhere in the trailer and truck. So when I really really need one, all I have to do is reach out and...can't find one anywhere, or the batteries are dead, or... personally I believe Gremlins really do exist and move my lights just before my hand gets to them.

I have been using the baseball type hats with lights in the brim lately. But even so I usually take a hand held. Even some of the cheap ones can really put out a decent beam.

One issue I have is the sequence used by the flashlight to cycle through the light modes. I prefer a bright light or maybe a dim function, but not all the strobes, red light, biking distress, etc.

I take the batteries out so they won't corrode, but keep one light loaded at all times.
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Old 01-19-2018, 10:09 AM   #7
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I love my solar light and moji

I love my Luci inflatable solar light. I can keep it on without having to worry about using the batteries.
http://amzn.to/2EVQ4Ar

My other favorites are the LED Moji lights (batteries required). They come in two sizes. Light weight and versatile.
Moji - Black Diamond Gear

My collection is not nearly as extensive as some of the others, but I have a headlight museum, dating back to my boys' cub scout days. My has the technology changed!!
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Old 01-19-2018, 10:11 AM   #8
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And then there are the batteries to feed them. Rechargeable all the way!

LSD NiMH, Li-on, the proper charger for them, it never ends.

I'm sure you also spend a lot of time on candlepowerforums.com.

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Old 01-19-2018, 10:48 AM   #9
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I have 6 of these solar lights and put them on each side of the steps. Work well.
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Old 01-19-2018, 11:03 AM   #10
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Much more than I find useful. I have a dimmable LED strip under the awning for light around the trailer, three led headlamps for myself and guests, and a couple of small, bright led handlights which are seldom needed. Also a small LED lantern for use on the camp table when needed. All are set up to use rechargeables and I keep a generous set of NiMh AAs and AAAs plus a charger on hand.

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Old 01-19-2018, 11:53 AM   #11
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I too collect flashlights, LED flashlights to be exact. They just keep getting better and better technology wise. When they started out they advertised how many LED bulbs were in the flashlight which may have sounded impressive but they just didn't throw the light very far. Then they started rating them by watts so if you had a 3 watt LED flashlight it was considered pretty powerful. Now they rate them by Lumens which is which is a very common way to measure light output. Light bulbs for your house are rated in lumens a standard car headlight is about 1100 lumens which is pretty bright. A flashlight with an output like that is going to be very bright. Several years ago Home Depot had a Defiant brand LED flashlight on display that took 3 D cell batteries and had a 590 lumen output. This particular version had heavy rubber cushions on both ends of the flashlight to help protect against impact. The display invited anyone to smash the light as hard as they could on a large piece of wood. I tried it and was sold as to its ruggedness. This is the flashlight I take camping and the 590 lumen output is more than enough for anything I need to light up. I will say this about keeping a flashlight in your camper for long periods of time especially if the humidity is kind of high. Take the batteries out when storing for long periods of time. I have had several good flashlights ruined by aging batteries that stated leaking which will destroy your flashlight.
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Old 01-19-2018, 11:57 AM   #12
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Flashlights

I love flashlights...you can never have too many...Whenever I go to Walgreen or Home Depot I make sure I check out the flashlight section....love your collection...
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Old 01-19-2018, 12:34 PM   #13
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Me too!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Magee View Post
I was inspired by the recent thread, "How much knife to you need for camping?" to start a similar thread for portable lighting devices, commonly known as flashlights, headlamps, lanterns, and (in some countries) torches. I will start the ball... er, batteries... rolling.

Hi. My name is Mike. And I am .......... a flashaholic.

Attachment 115162

This is a fair sized chunk of my collection. Yep, that's right... I own more lights than this! I love to collect 'em, carry 'em, caress 'em, and (you bet I do) use 'em.

I have 3 lanterns (not pictured) but I find that I don't use them much because the light just goes everywhere... including straight at my eyes... and that makes it harder to see what I want to look at. So I tend to use flashlights and headlamps instead.

Top left, you'll see a pair of 4D Maglites. The black one has been custom modified with 7 XM-L emitters and now runs on 4 26500 lithium cells, for a 4200 lumen output. This has been a mainstay camping light for me.

The little ones just to the right of that black Maglite are Maratac single-AAA 3-mode "twisty" lights (tighten or loosen to turn on/off or change modes), and these are my "EDC" (every day carry) lights. I have one in my pocket 98% of the time. They're super handy and are hardly felt in the pocket. I'll have a couple of these with me when camping.

Another must-have light is the Zebralight which you see attached to a headband. Another XM-L LED with 1,000 lumen output on an 18650 cell, but a very wide beam. It's my favorite headlamp. I'll usually have one of the other single-AA Zebralights along for the outing in case I feel the need for AA power.

The light on the far right is a Fenix TK-70, and I've affectionately dubbed it "the Plunger" for obvious reasons. A bit over 2000 lumens on 4 NiMH D cells, the Plunger has a much more focused beam ( and therefore more "throw") than the brighter Mag. I like this light for spotting distant wildlife. It also came in handy for signaling the campers in Yosemite Village while standing atop Glacier Point; several of those campers were signaling back, too (which was fun, until some idiot with a green laser got into the act, and that's when I quit).

Near bottom center I have an Eagtac 3-AA and a Nitecore 4-AA, and these are my bedside lights. They each have a low mode of less than 10 lumens and a high of about 1,000. Plenty of runtime, too. If I'm going hiking toward evening, I will carry one of these (plus a Zebra and a Maratac as backups) in case I am out after dark and have to find my way back.

Two of the pictured collection have red, green, blue, and normal LED capability: the Quark RGB and (a month-ago acquisition) the FiTorch MR35. I like having one of these along for camping just because they are so much fun. The vivid colors they put out are amazing... far better than colored filters can achieve. The FiTorch's regular output is 1,200 lumens; the color emitters are offset (not centered) in the reflector and produce an ugly dark spot in the middle of the beam, so I smoothed out the beam with some DC-Fix diffusing film.

Finally, my newest addition which is at bottom center, vertical: the BLF Q8. This light will replace the Maglite on all my trips. Running 4 XP-L emitters on 4 high-drain (30A) IMR 18650 cells, this light ramps smoothly between a low of 2 lumens (with 1500 hour runtime) and a high of 5,000 lumens. Brighter than your tow vehicle's high beams. It tail-stands easily to provide extra light in the trailer. The switch glows a soft green so it's easy to find in the dark. What fun! This will definitely be going camping with me!

Ok, so it's your turn. What lights do you like to take camping?
I feel so relieved - I thought I was the only person in the universe with a flashlight fixation. I'll see you at the meeting.
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Old 01-19-2018, 12:49 PM   #14
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If you're related to an OWL leave the torches at home!
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Old 01-19-2018, 03:16 PM   #15
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Lots of utility there. Headlamps were mentioned, and as one with a lot of exposed skin up there, I wear a ball cap around camp a lot. A light flashlight with a clip that slides onto a cap bill - facing the right direction - can be very useful.
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Old 01-19-2018, 04:06 PM   #16
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Flashaholics!

I joined the above group many years ago as I seem to have spent at least half my life in the dark somewhere. Canoe camping, hiking, and now an off-grid cabin and my Trillium. I've been using mostly headlamps for years as I need the hands-off feature most often. When I built my cabin I started out with things that needed batteries. That soon paled so I was on the hunt for solar-powered lights. The first ones I found were from Ikea, table lamps with a goose-neck and a removable solar panel. 10 years later I'm still using them without even replacing the rechargeable batteries. Unfortunately Ikea no longer carries these but I see some similar models on Amazon now.

LED solar-powered motion lights that I use outside for traipsing to the outhouse I find useful but not really waterproof.. I also use a couple in my on-grid house for wandering around in the dark too. Night lights aren't much use around here when the grid goes down in a storm. I have a single powerful LED hanging lamp with a 10 ft. cord that attaches to a separate solar panel. That works well in both my trailer and cabin.

The only place I need batteries now are in my headlamp, and a set of LED puck lights with a remote switch for my kitchen in the cabin. It's amazing how many different headlamps I've owned over the years, from incandescent to the now powerful LED's. One of the first I owned had a separate battery pack that you attached to you belt. I had used the one with a couple of batteries behind the actual light, but because they were incandescent I didn't get much mileage out of them. The only problem I've had with any of them is that they're not waterproof and I spend a lot of time on salt water. And the prices and features of the latest models are ridiculous. I only need 3 settings for brightness and a red filter so I don't blind everyone else.

The headlamps are the most useful piece of equipment I own next to my Brunton weather station that gives me an 18 hr. bar graph barometer, windspeed, altitude, temperature, wind chill, etc. The headlamp that quit due to water incursion was replaced at no charge by the manufacturer - Petzel.

My favourite handheld flashlight is a single LED one from Snap On Tools. Don't know the lumens, etc. as it was a gift. Someone knows I'm a gearhead. I do have an LED trouble light that I keep plugged into the lighter in my truck for emergencies. And spare handhelds and headlamps are in there too. I've also picked up a few portable, folding, battery-powered table lamps that I use for sewing. I have a fancy floor model Ott light but these desk-top ones I can position close to the work in progress.

No "D" battery lanterns for me, just an old Coleman white gas lantern with a single sock. Not fond of anything that needs 3AAA batteries either. The collapsible, solar-powered LED Luci Lights give off a nice diffused light and you can hang it or sit it for use. Until my other solar lights quit I won't be purchasing anymore of those. My request to the Gods of light, would be to make more solar-powered, waterproof, outdoor motion lights in a variety of configurations.

So, do I qualify to join the Flashaholics? I had to laugh when I saw Mike's collection. I thought I was the only one too!
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Old 01-19-2018, 07:09 PM   #17
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I think it all started for me when I was handed a 6V 'lantern battery' light to carry on the way out to the barn one night when I was about 5 years old. Mom could tell how much I liked using a flashlight, so for my next birthday I received one of those silver Eveready lights that ran on C cells (they are classics now). I've been hooked ever since.

LED Lenser makes (or made) a decent headlamp with a focusing lens, so the user can choose how wide or narrow a beam to have. Alas, they are 3-AAA. I haven't used mine since discovering the Zebras; a single cell is so much more convenient to deal with in headlamps.
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Old 01-19-2018, 07:55 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CPW View Post
Very interesting, guys! I’ve known people who collect knives, beer cans, various types of cars, stamps, coins, and autographs, etc.
While I find flashlights often come in handy, it never even remotely occurred to me that anyone would consider them collectible. I’m sort of a “when it ceases working, throw it in the trash and get a new one” guy.
I have a Little Captain and an early 60's military flashlight. They were about as good as you could get back then, but a couple of lightning bugs in a jar would work a LOT better!

These new LED flashlights are AMAZING! and that's just the cheap ones...
TomK has one which will burn the limbs off of trees a half mile away and make a bright spot on the sun at noon! I heard he once turned that thing on in his basement in the daytime and the neighbors called the fire dept. (You think I'm Kidding?)
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Old 01-19-2018, 09:01 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by floyd View Post
I have a Little Captain and an early 60's military flashlight. They were about as good as you could get back then, but a couple of lightning bugs in a jar would work a LOT better!

These new LED flashlights are AMAZING! and that's just the cheap ones...
TomK has one which will burn the limbs off of trees a half mile away and make a bright spot on the sun at noon! I heard he once turned that thing on in his basement in the daytime and the neighbors called the fire dept. (You think I'm Kidding?)
Price? Where do I buy?
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Old 01-20-2018, 07:10 AM   #20
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i used to have quite a few when i was tent camping and backpacking some... as you use different sizes for a drive up campsite than you do if you are to carry it some distance. now I have a lantern type for my canopied area as well as strings of lights to edge the canopy and along the ceiling inside... for when im not on electricity. and of course a good flashlight for the walks with my dog and to the bathhouse.
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