CPF Hikers/Backpackers: What lights your way?

[hopkins]

Ra / HDS Twisty advert says it retails for $165! omg!
but does not come with a headband conversion....ummhmmm!
Just wondering how
many Walmart 'backpacking' flashlights and batteries I could buy for $165

 

[nitesky]

Mostly I deal with the long day hikes that might end up as an overnight stay if things go awry. So a headlamp goes in the pack as well as a minimag with led conversion, or if I feel like taking the extra weight, an old Tektite 7 led light.

 

[Blue72]

any ultralighters with packs under 20 pounds

 

[mossyoak]

my winter 3-day pack is 20lbs even, and my summer 3-day is 16lbs.
its amazing how much farther you can go when you dont feel your pack on your shoulders.

 

[hopkins]

Hi mossyoak - I've scared myself in the Sierra's with just a poncho
for shelter on ultralite wintertime east to west crossings on ski's.
Completely psyco but , oh the weight savings!
This is the time to do it. Jump on a plane with your headlamps and gear going to Mammoth CA and x-ski into the backcountry. The 2008 snow pack rules!
-hopkins
---20lb pack on return to the car is a must!

 

[schiesz]

any ultralighters with packs under 20 pounds

Base or total? I'm trying to get my base that low, but no way could I get my total close.

schiesz

 

[:)>]

That is what I was thinking... I am guessing that there isn't a lot of food or water at that weight. If there is, then:bow:

 

[mossyoak]

all my food is in that weight, but i just take a 32oz nalgene and a steripen.

 

[shakeylegs]

For super ultralight travel through familiar terrain I go Photon only.
When I want to cover all bases I add the Zebra or my old Aurora headlamp (runs forever and a day) for camp chores, and a small fenix (L1, P2D, P1D) for hiking and route finding. For difficult cross country at night I've found a small thrower to be useful - Ultrafire C2 HAIII, D mini, and VB 16.

Simplest "all around setup" is a small fenix/niteize headband/"push-pop cap diffuser" combo that will cover almost any lighting need.

 

[hopkins]

Is headlamp weight counted as with or without spare batteries?
Total gear weight need not be a tricky number. At the trailhead when ready to begin hiking you pull the bathroom scale out of your car and have the GF
step on it. Then get her to strip and weigh again. Subtract for gear weight.
Say its for science..

 

[mossyoak]

hopkins is on to something, and if your girl is like mine, they get all hot a bothered by the great outdoors.

 

[hopkins]

Good headlamps, great heads...various brands

 

[Chronos]

hopkins is on to something, and if your girl is like mine, they get all hot a bothered by the great outdoors.

Yep, sounds like my wife. Definitely bothered by the outdoors, hence that's why she's in the hotel sipping a martini with friends, or getting a massage, or enjoying a fabulous meal while I'm out hiking and camping.

 

[ScubaSnyder]

cool, i was thinking about bringing a new e1l with me if i was to hike the AT in late march as well, im not sure if i want to yet tho, 100 days/nights outside doesnt seem that appealing to me. i mean i love the outdoors. jsut not that much.

Ill be going from Maryland to Pennsylvania the 15-19th! I am not sure what lights I will be carrying though. I know I will bring the zebra light H50 just to test it out a bit more.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Good headlamps, great heads...various brands

HELLO, FOXES!!!

 

[Tachylyte]

I'm increasingly trying to hike ultralight. I tend to hike in for a wildcamp on a Friday night, so only need a few hours runtime although I usually carry a spare battery. The last weekend trip I went on a few weeks ago I used my L0D RB80 running on a 1AAA lithium primary (+spare) and a photon-clone as a backup. The 'medium' setting on the L0D was perfect for walking along trails with the high setting ideal for finding a good campsite off-trail and for route-finding. I decided to give the L0D a go after reading some thoughtful and stimulating forum posts over at Backpackinglight.com that compared small flashlights and headlamps. I really like small form-factor falshlights for hiking but sometimes a headtorch makes more sense. If I was doing more extended night-time walking or there was snow on the ground or if the walking was more technical necessitating having hands free I'd take my Tikka XP instead with a backup such as a photon.

I've just acquired a Lummi Wee Ti 25 lumen so I think this will be my backup light in future (only 12g), with my L0D ordinarily being my primary hiking light. My bro tried hiking with a Petzl e-lite headtorch on our last trip – this initially seemed like a great idea but output drops massively after a while so we ended up both relying on my single L0D on some pretty technical terrain.

Putting up a tent in a freezing gale when mouth-carrying a flashlight is not particularly convenient. I might consider one of those Nite-Ize headbands in future.

 

[mjb375]

I just received a Tomahawk LE from First-Light USA. I think the small right angle design will be ideal for backpacking and camping. It can clip onto my shoulder straps either vertically or horizontally and can thus be adjusted either up/down or left/right. For those not familiar with the LE model, its like the MC (there are some reviews here on CPF) except that it has 2 additional strobing functions, a tactical strobe and what I consider a survival strobe...it flashes red, then white, then blue. I'll have to wait for the weather here in IL to warm up a bit, but I'm excited about trying it out. It should go nicely with my standard E1L and Energizer head lamp from wal-mart.

 

[DavidR]

I carry a couple lights when I go hiking. Two that always find there way into my bag is a Tikka Plus and a Photon. Both of these lights provide plenty of brightness to see in the darkness of the woods without sacrificing your night vision.

 

[hopkins]

Too many lumens can be very annoying and a safety issue
Remember the Coleman white gas lantern hissing on the picnic table
throwing 360 light everywhere but where you needed it and you trip on
stuff in the harsh shadows.
I still marvel that headlamps are not
yet universal for camping.

 

[:)>]

hopkins is on to something, and if your girl is like mine, they get all hot a bothered by the great outdoors.

mossy,

That's unnatural:naughty: