Camping in Yosemite, help on buying lights for 5 other persons.

Greetings CPFers,

Before we start talking about what kind of lights, let me narrow it down. I already have a good range of decent, powerful, semi-portable lights (M6+bi-pin adapter, FM85, Mag85, etc) that I will carry in case of emergency. Since we will be hiking a lot, everyone wants a light that won't weigh them down. There are five other people that still need a light. I've already ordered three and need help with the other two and possibly another one for me. =)

Each party will carry a 2nd backup light, either 1xAA or 2xAA (already taken care of), all that's left to do is look for primary lights for everyone. I've looked into the 1 or 2xCR123 and 1x18650 lights. No one wants to carry a 2x18650 or 3xCR123 light because in addition to carrying the lights, they will also have to carry several spare batteries in a carrier, not to mention hiking gear, food, water, etc.

For my little brother, I ordered him the JetBeam II Pro I.B.S.
I also order two more lights.
- JetBeam III M (Q3-5A + strike bezel)
- Romisen RC-F4 Cree Q5
Looking to order:
- Fenix TK11 + diffuser
- Fenix P3D Q5
- Another Raptor (cool tint version) for myself. =) or a DBS V3 w/ 3SM Cree MC-E-M (OP)

What do you guys think about the lights I've ordered? How about the ones I'm thinking of ordering. These lights will be used again for future camping trips.

Side note:
As for me, I'm going to be holstering my M6, and keeping several lights in my backpack (WF-500, FM85, M1X). And most likely I will be carrying at all times in my hand a JetBeam Raptor (Q3-5A pre-order).


Update: 4/3/2009
I have read everyone's post and though I cannot reply to all of them, I would like to thank you guys for all your feedback and information. This will surely make my camping trip a whole lot better.

Get them headlamps!

If I were you I would ditch the M6. Way to much to carry especially with a full SC2 or 2. For a thrower get a E2L and retrofit it with a KX2C. If you're car camping then bring the M6!

Yosemite is my favorite place on the planet.

I am envious.

Enjoy

Second the headlamps.

For hiking a headlamp is far more user friendly than a hand held light.

That sounds like a good idea. I haven't ask them if they prefer headlamps over flashlights. Maybe headlamps could be our primary use and flashlights as backup.

Any hikers out there care to give their opinion?

Thank you guys.

kelmo said:

Get them headlamps!

If I were you I would ditch the M6. Way to much to carry especially with a full SC2 or 2. For a thrower get a E2L and retrofit it with a KX2C. If you're car camping then bring the M6!

Yosemite is my favorite place on the planet.

I am envious.

Enjoy

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nzgunnie said:

Second the headlamps.

For hiking a headlamp is far more user friendly than a hand held light.

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Headlamp, Headlamp, Headlamp, Headlamp, and a Headlamp.

I recommended the latest version Princeton Tec EOS in the budget category. Some of the hikes in Yosemite require your hands are free to grab on to stuff.

Good call on bringing light though, I've known several people who had to hike back down to the valley with no lights because they misjudged their timing and or got lost.

Spare batteries are also a must. The EOS and many other lights can turn itself on in a pack. In my backup lights prone to this I put a small piece of plastic between the batteery and the contact so this will not happen.

Camping outside urban light pollution you need far less light than you think.

A small, lightweight headlamp is the most useful kind of light for this kind of trip. Of course, in true CPF spirit I would have to recommend a zebralight of your prefer battery configuration, but basically any small, cheap headlamp will do the job. (You find cheap, small headlamps with 3*AAA batteries sold virtually everywhere). Other reputable brands may be PrincetonTech, petzl, black diamond, silva, brunton and probably a bunch of others - they all have some lights that will do nicely.

You could supplement with a decent small, powerful light - anyone on your list would do. It won't be used much, but it's great to have the opportunity to look around a bit.

Backups? What about photon II? Very small, very nice, adequate for close range work. Also, you're in a group and as long as you stay together you don't really need to carry backups all of you.

You'll need the EO1 for back up.

Thank you for all your input guys. I will ask the group to see if they like headlamps. If so, I'll be sure to review the brands mention.

P.S. This might give me a reason to buy a Zebra Light. Heh.

I think you personally are packing too much, BUT if you love it that's OK, a photographer would be packing a lot more. I like your taste in lights.

For the others though, Headlamp is very good idea, great for walking (better balance and no chance of dropping light). The LD01 with a Lithium AA for small tasks. Light weight rules, and 1 back up battery needed at most. A light weight G2 with decent dropins might be nice. The SF E1B and E2DL would be very nice lights with little bulk.

Put a colorful lanyard on all the lights.

If it was me personally. I'd probably take an 18650 light with no spare battery. A head-lamp, spare batteries. An L0D or LD01 no spare battery. My NovaTac, spare battery and the E1B or E2Dl.

If I had to travel light, Zebra HeadLamp, E2DL, and batteries. I'd miss the Warm emitter. Might have to swap the Jet-IIIw for the ED2L. I'd cheat and have an LD01 hidden somewhere.

Just open your eyes, spot the angels, and smell the roses. Beautiful place!

+1 on the headlamps with low output option. PT EOS or Zebralight are excellent choices. Petzl Tikka is good too. And as others have said, Yosemite backcountry has very little ambient light. Last time I was there I used an old style ArcAAA (@ 3 lumens) most of the time. PT EOS stayed on Low. Have a great trip.

my vote, headlamp!

also i like the military style. everyone having same equipment.
-know how to use one, know them all-

and i think 1 is none, two is one.
if you have jet M already, get atleast one more for someone else.
if you break both of them you might still be able to make one that works.

2 battery types maximum.

cr123s (or 18650 lights that can use cr123s)
AA: every shop has them.

Everyone has spare batteries that fit other people´s light too.

single cell lights as main use lights.
no one can mix new and used cells by mistake on them.

my advice:
weight is important. keep it down.

1 BIG one (mag85 or something if you really think u need one)

2-3: thrower/bigger ones,your case Jet M as you have it already.
-atleast 3 sets of spare batteries in backpack.
-i would take 2*18650s and 2-6 cr123s

5: 1 cell cr123 lights (all 5 the same or 2 and 3 of each)
-4 spares.

5: headlamps (zebralight h50 or 501 to use AAs from backups
or h30 to use cr123s like everything else.)
-2 spare batteries

5: back up AAlights -these back ups are also spare battery carrier for h501s as "backups" are last option.

while walking out there:
everyone should carry atleast 2 lights on their pockets always.
and a spare battery.

The OP never mentions backpacking. I read this as car camping. Statistically 99% of Yosemite campers never leave the valley or anything paved.

What are we actually talking about? Car camping with a wife and four kids? Backpacking with a scout group? 5 experienced outdoorsman for days in the back country?

Totally different requirements in my opinion. I have one co-worker who like to tell me about his self proclaimed "camping" trips which involve a 40ft RV with flatscreen TV and a satellite dish. No flashlights required.
:shakehead

It will be family and friends. We will be on hiking trails most of the time. Besides that, we're planning to climb the half dome and fishing.

cave dave said:

The OP never mentions backpacking. I read this as car camping. Statistically 99% of Yosemite campers never leave the valley or anything paved.

What are we actually talking about? Car camping with a wife and four kids? Backpacking with a scout group? 5 experienced outdoorsman for days in the back country?

Totally different requirements in my opinion. I have one co-worker who like to tell me about his self proclaimed "camping" trips which involve a 40ft RV with flatscreen TV and a satellite dish. No flashlights required.
:shakehead

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Thank you. We're hoping for fair weather.

tygger said:

+1 on the headlamps with low output option. PT EOS or Zebralight are excellent choices. Petzl Tikka is good too. And as others have said, Yosemite backcountry has very little ambient light. Last time I was there I used an old style ArcAAA (@ 3 lumens) most of the time. PT EOS stayed on Low. Have a great trip.

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That's a good idea with batteries and not mixing them up. I'll probably buy some color strips and brand the batteries so there would be no mix-ups.

NonSenCe said:

my vote, headlamp!

also i like the military style. everyone having same equipment.
-know how to use one, know them all-

and i think 1 is none, two is one.
if you have jet M already, get atleast one more for someone else.
if you break both of them you might still be able to make one that works.

2 battery types maximum.

cr123s (or 18650 lights that can use cr123s)
AA: every shop has them.

Everyone has spare batteries that fit other people´s light too.

single cell lights as main use lights.
no one can mix new and used cells by mistake on them.

my advice:
weight is important. keep it down.

1 BIG one (mag85 or something if you really think u need one)

2-3: thrower/bigger ones,your case Jet M as you have it already.
-atleast 3 sets of spare batteries in backpack.
-i would take 2*18650s and 2-6 cr123s

5: 1 cell cr123 lights (all 5 the same or 2 and 3 of each)
-4 spares.

5: headlamps (zebralight h50 or 501 to use AAs from backups
or h30 to use cr123s like everything else.)
-2 spare batteries

5: back up AAlights -these back ups are also spare battery carrier for h501s as "backups" are last option.

while walking out there:
everyone should carry atleast 2 lights on their pockets always.
and a spare battery.

Click to expand...

Also, bear in mind that M6 or MAG85 isn't really that useful in an emergency, unless you have lots of spare batteries. Emergency situations tend to last some considerable length of time, and those lights wont have the run time.

If you are thinking of using it for signalling, these days rescue helicopters operate on goggles, and even the light from your cell phone is visible at two miles on goggles.

If you are wanting it to search for someone, or illuminate an accident site, again - the run time may not be long enough to be useful.

A small lightweight LED of almost any persuasion from a L4, E2L, all the way down to a cree light from DX will likely be far more useful in an emergency, and a lot lighter for hiking.

Glo-Toob!
http://www.glo-toob.com/

The M6 is not a very practical camp light. You whip it out your 1st night, everybody oohs and ahhhs, then you realize the glare is just as blinding as darkness. In fact the glare is worse than darkness because it makes the dark darker due to loss of night adapted vision. But on the other hand the geek factor is great.

As for the Half Dome hike, I've done it about a dozen times in my life. 18 miles round trip and you can expect about a 11 hour journey. Remember, you will only be as fast as your slowest hiker. Bring a filter. At the top of the valley you can tank up on water in the Merced River and there is at least 2 artesian springs just before the Dome. That way you can minimize your water load. 3 liters should do for most people to get to the refill point. Water weighs approximately 8 pounds per gallon! If you don't start early, say by 7am chances are you will be finishing in the dark. Way cool. This is where you will need a headlamp. The lower trail is in the shadow of the Valley. If you take the Mist Trail it will be wet and steep and you will be dead dog tired. I like a floody headlamp (Tikkas) and use a lanyard equiped handheld to minimize shadows from terrain features. Something with a little throw, say the latest SF L1 on low would be perfect. The last time I did the Dome I used a Tikka headlamp and a HDS B42 XRGT set at 10 lumens. The 42 lumen settings was enough to light up the surrounding area. You don't need alot of lumens when it is truely dark.

Expect to be in the dark the last 2 hours of your hike at this time of year. There is a big sign at the Curry Village store on hiking advise. The last line says bring a flashlight!

Have everybody pack a headlamp and a small decent handheld (and diffusers if you got one) with a spare set of batteries!

The top of Half Dome is at 8800', pack some sunscreen and mosquito repellant!

Sorry for the rambling...

Oh yeah, if I were doing the Dome tomorrow I would pack a Tikka headlamp and my L1...

Headlamps should be the primary, and every single source of light on the trip should *ideally* use the same battery type.

If it were me, it would be a headlamp, handheld, spare cell, and small solar panel/charger configuration on each pack, but that's just me

Ditto, ditto, ditto on headlamps! I've been to Yosemite a couple dozen times. 10-20 lumens should be plenty in the Valley, where you really need to see only a couple dozen yards (deer and bear eyes light up nicely), and to avoid being hit by cars.

Less light needed usually if you're on the trails.

I'd leave the "back up" light to a thrower, ideally with a low-low. Something that'll hit out to, say, 30-40 yards, but still allow it to be used on low for night-adapted eyes. It sounds like you already have the backup covered though.

Totally second using all the same battery configuration - good luck finding 123's in the valley (and if they finally have them available, good luck with good prices).

Don't forget, if you've never been, that the granite rock REALLY reflects moonlight well. You may not even need lights if you've got over half-moon.

Plus one for the headlights. I like the newer Princeton Tec EOS and Quad headlights. The most common set of lights I bring hiking and backpacking includes a Princeton Tec EOS headlight, a Fenix P3D Q5 (multilevel thrower/backup for headlight), and a Fenix EO1 (emergency long runtime backup).