What did you do for runtime before LEDs?

[Bazar]

I used 4 D lantern-style spotlight type lights. and 6 volt lights. that was also before my interest in lights though. and like gun enthusiasts, it is the spark of technology in flashlights itself that makes them interesting at all and not just typical limited tools.

plenty of runtime with those, around 30-70 lumens, 4 to 8 hours and an extra 6 volt to keep going.

this was from 1999 to a continued lack of awareness and interest about 2009.

 

[Grijon]

Thank you all for sharing, is truly enriches the hobby today to hear about the way things were, I really appreciate it and am sure that I'm not the only one.

 

[id30209]

Well it looks like i'm going back to my roots. For last few months i carry FM1794 as EDC and for work M3 with FM D36 reflector and G4 bulb. Of course with dozens of batteries.
Where all of my colleagues are using 20-50$ "hi tech" LED's i'm like a muscle car among Honda Civics. And the best part is they like incan glow better[emoji23][emoji23]
I'll never quit using them, modifiying them maybe.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I also vaguely remember the old top post 6 and 12v lanterns that attached to long rectangular batteries with screw on posts usually having a spot light on one end and a red light on the back. Some of these lights even had sealed beams and put out some rather good light for the day with very good runtime but as with any primary battery sooner or later they get weak in output and you have to buy a new battery.

I also remember working on my car using a corded light and I had a 6D fluorescent light that had a 12v input I ran off the car cigarette lighter working on my car for hours at a time. You almost had to use corded lights working on vehicles due to the need for brighter light than most flashlights could deliver for very long amounts of time. I remember getting burned by the old drop lights with 75 watt bulbs in them and was glad when I got a fluorescent 120v work light no more fried flesh for me.

These days I rarely grab the corded light unless I know I'm going to be working all night and I still have a headlamp available for tight spaces. There was limited runtime with headlamps unless you had one with an external pack using D cells which were rather expensive in the day one cheap throwaway 3AAA headlamp with 5mm LEDs would work well compared to the incans costing a lot more and a AA or better headlamp with LED would blow away the old corded incan car lights in runtime and output.

 

[koziy]

Extra batteries were always in my pack, no matter the flashlight, and they would get used. I think a lot of people today who still prefer flashlights that use a standard cell like AA can still remember being on the road to the trailhead and suddenly realizing that we'd forgot to pack extra batteries. Fortunately, AA's are widely available at gas stations and convenience stores and they probably will be for decades to come. Also, a backup flashlight was very handy just in case.

If car camping, then we used a gas lantern, but that feels like a long time ago. Using a headlamp around camp has become such second nature I can't even imagine setting up a noisy light like that which attracts a lot of insects in my campsite again.