Bright Bird
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2017
- Messages
- 64
I am currently in my mid-40s, and haven't been to a festival for quite a few years. But a friend of mine recently went to work at Boomtown, and hearing about her experience has convinced me to go myself next year.
After getting a powerful thrower for dog walking (Olight SR52UT) I was hooked, and I started to become interested in more compact lights. The next light that I bought was an Led Lenser P5.2. I am very aware of the disadvantages of LL torches, but I love the compact size and its zoom mechanism. Because of this, I didn't mind paying £30 for a light with the same output as a £10 light, but I will probably stay away from the more expensive models. After lending my friend the torch for the festival, she said that it had saved her on a number of occasions (e.g. walking through mud and getting stuck, and inside the tent). But she also pointed out that it was almost too bright inside the tent, as it has only got one brightness level.
Obviously, the zoomable head means that it is not waterproof, so I am looking for a non-zoom light that is very sturdy and that will still work if it gets dropped in a puddle or mud. It should run on Li-Ion batteries for a higher output than AA batteries can provide (14500s?), and needs several modes - including a low one that I can use for walking across the campsite without annoying people. No aggressive knurling - it is important that I can easily slip it inside a pocket without the light catching, and I don't want too many nooks and crannies where dirt can get caught. It should be easy to just wipe it clean.
Which brings me to the topic of heat fins - are there high output light in this kind of form factor that come without, or are they necessary for cooling? I'd be happy to get a light that has a heavier body for heat dissipation, if that means having a light with a smooth surface (or a matte one as with the P5.2, or only light knurling).
At the moment I am waiting for a Convoy S2+ with XPL-Hi emitter and a ThorFire VG15S that I ordered from China, as I wanted to try out some of the budget 18650 lights that have had consistently good reviews. However, that format is bigger than what I have in mind. I don't mind if a light that takes two batteries is slightly longer or thicker than the Led Lenser, but not too much - I definitely don't want the diameter of a 4xAA pocket thrower! I would love to try out some of the Olight Baton lights in the future, but for this purpose I prefer something in a slimline format.
Since it will mainly be used outside, it should have a good balance between flood and throw (although I do understand that throw will be limited with a small head). I might to decide to work there in order to earn my festival ticket instead of having to pay for it (which would leave me with more cash to spend on flashlights! ), so I might need something with slightly more throw than if I was just attending as a visitor. That probably means choosing a light with a head that is larger than the body (as opposed to the 'tube' lights), or that can get a bit of throw by pushing out enough lumens. Inside my tent, I can hang up my Fenix CL25R and leave it on moonlight mode all weekend, and just turn up the brightness whenever I need to.
Since I haven't decided yet how much I want to spend, it would be good to get suggestions in different price categories, so I can make some comparisons.
==================Flashlight Recommendation Checklist================
1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
This will be mail-order or Online (China - postage from US to UK is too expensive, and I don't mind waiting a few weeks).
2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!
I don't know yet.
3) Format:
I want a flashlight (hand held/self contained).
4) Size:
SMALL - Every day carry (4-7 inches).
5) Emitter/Light source:
LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness).
6) Manufacturer:
I want to buy a light from a large/traditional manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
7) What power source do you want to use?
I intend to use Rechargeable cells based on less common formats (18500 or 18650 Li-Ion, RCR123, et-al).
8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is not a happy experience).
I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens or more).
9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.
Narrow Flood: I want a sharply defined flood area that will project some distance for tasks like trail walking.
or
Wide Throw: I want a beam with a noticeable hot-center for distance throw and a significant amount of "side-spill". Good for rough trail hiking, search and rescue, and general distance work.
9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)
5-150 yards/meters
10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum continuous output).
90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.
Critical.
12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):
I don't know.
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
I want multiple light levels.
14)Material/Finish/Coating
Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today's higher end flashlights).
or
Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum).
or
Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminium, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).
15) Water resistance
IPX7 (Waterproof to 1 meter/30min)
or
IPX8 (Submersible to greater than 1 meter for 4 hours)
16) Storage conditions
In house (temperature/climate controlled environment).
17) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any/all below.
None other than mentioned.
Ideas? Does my perfect festival torch exist?
After getting a powerful thrower for dog walking (Olight SR52UT) I was hooked, and I started to become interested in more compact lights. The next light that I bought was an Led Lenser P5.2. I am very aware of the disadvantages of LL torches, but I love the compact size and its zoom mechanism. Because of this, I didn't mind paying £30 for a light with the same output as a £10 light, but I will probably stay away from the more expensive models. After lending my friend the torch for the festival, she said that it had saved her on a number of occasions (e.g. walking through mud and getting stuck, and inside the tent). But she also pointed out that it was almost too bright inside the tent, as it has only got one brightness level.
Obviously, the zoomable head means that it is not waterproof, so I am looking for a non-zoom light that is very sturdy and that will still work if it gets dropped in a puddle or mud. It should run on Li-Ion batteries for a higher output than AA batteries can provide (14500s?), and needs several modes - including a low one that I can use for walking across the campsite without annoying people. No aggressive knurling - it is important that I can easily slip it inside a pocket without the light catching, and I don't want too many nooks and crannies where dirt can get caught. It should be easy to just wipe it clean.
Which brings me to the topic of heat fins - are there high output light in this kind of form factor that come without, or are they necessary for cooling? I'd be happy to get a light that has a heavier body for heat dissipation, if that means having a light with a smooth surface (or a matte one as with the P5.2, or only light knurling).
At the moment I am waiting for a Convoy S2+ with XPL-Hi emitter and a ThorFire VG15S that I ordered from China, as I wanted to try out some of the budget 18650 lights that have had consistently good reviews. However, that format is bigger than what I have in mind. I don't mind if a light that takes two batteries is slightly longer or thicker than the Led Lenser, but not too much - I definitely don't want the diameter of a 4xAA pocket thrower! I would love to try out some of the Olight Baton lights in the future, but for this purpose I prefer something in a slimline format.
Since it will mainly be used outside, it should have a good balance between flood and throw (although I do understand that throw will be limited with a small head). I might to decide to work there in order to earn my festival ticket instead of having to pay for it (which would leave me with more cash to spend on flashlights! ), so I might need something with slightly more throw than if I was just attending as a visitor. That probably means choosing a light with a head that is larger than the body (as opposed to the 'tube' lights), or that can get a bit of throw by pushing out enough lumens. Inside my tent, I can hang up my Fenix CL25R and leave it on moonlight mode all weekend, and just turn up the brightness whenever I need to.
Since I haven't decided yet how much I want to spend, it would be good to get suggestions in different price categories, so I can make some comparisons.
==================Flashlight Recommendation Checklist================
1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
This will be mail-order or Online (China - postage from US to UK is too expensive, and I don't mind waiting a few weeks).
2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!
I don't know yet.
3) Format:
I want a flashlight (hand held/self contained).
4) Size:
SMALL - Every day carry (4-7 inches).
5) Emitter/Light source:
LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness).
6) Manufacturer:
I want to buy a light from a large/traditional manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
7) What power source do you want to use?
I intend to use Rechargeable cells based on less common formats (18500 or 18650 Li-Ion, RCR123, et-al).
8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is not a happy experience).
I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens or more).
9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.
Narrow Flood: I want a sharply defined flood area that will project some distance for tasks like trail walking.
or
Wide Throw: I want a beam with a noticeable hot-center for distance throw and a significant amount of "side-spill". Good for rough trail hiking, search and rescue, and general distance work.
9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)
5-150 yards/meters
10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum continuous output).
90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.
Critical.
12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):
I don't know.
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
I want multiple light levels.
14)Material/Finish/Coating
Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today's higher end flashlights).
or
Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum).
or
Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminium, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).
15) Water resistance
IPX7 (Waterproof to 1 meter/30min)
or
IPX8 (Submersible to greater than 1 meter for 4 hours)
16) Storage conditions
In house (temperature/climate controlled environment).
17) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any/all below.
None other than mentioned.
Ideas? Does my perfect festival torch exist?