"best" survival light ?

achoo

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\"best\" survival light ?

Which is the most usable and reliable manually-rechargeable survival light? I am looking for something that you either shake or wind-up (or ______?) in order to recharge... something that will give you usable light if you have absolutely no source for batteries...

(I assume that it will use LEDs to keep energy requirements low. That is why I am posting in this particular forum. If this is the wrong place to post, please let me know.)
 

paulr

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

The Forever Flashlight is a cheesy imitation of the original Nightstar. Unfortunately the current version of the Nightstar is also a somewhat cheesy version of the original. But you can find it at www.shakelight.com .

Those lights are not very practical as survival lights. Just what kind of situation do you imagine yourself needing one in? You're better off with a battery powered light, e.g. Tektite Trek Lithium. You could also consider a Swisslight:

http://www.countycomm.com/swisslight3.htm
 

Peter Atwood

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

That Swisslight is a pretty neat idea. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Has anyone actually handled one?
 

Roy

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

Take a look at this hand-crank flashlight! It looks WAY over designed....if nothing else, your kids could use it as a StarWars Phaser!
 

LED_ASAP

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

A solar-charged light with really dim setting to last through the night would be a better choice. If you are in a situation that you can't find any battery, it may also be a situation that you can't find any food. Then preserving your body energy would come far more important than to have a little light around you---therefore, no shaking or winding!
 

gadget_lover

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

I have to agree with ASAP. I have a crank light that works just fine but....

You have to crank it every 15 minutes. It's made by Freeplay. A xenon bulb via battery and 3 white 5mm via built in generator.



I tried the shakelights at the store and could not imagine vigorously shaking my fist every few minutes in an emergency.

For short term emergencies, a light with lithiums. For longer term, a solar battery charger and 12 volt battery banks.

Whatever light you use should be waterproof and should be able to run at a fraction of a watt as well as at full power.

Daniel
 

MY

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

FYI, at Canadian Tire, there is a Foreevery flashlight that looks and works like the real thing for - - $15.00.

Regards.
 

ErickThakrar

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

Star Trek, Roy. Star Trek... Starwars had way cooler guns than that /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

FLASHLIGHTMAN

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

I HAVE ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED LIGHTS.

I AGREE THAT THE FOREVER LIGHT IS A CHEAP COPY OF THE ORIGINAL NIGHTSTAR, BUT IT HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE LIGHT OUTPUT. NEITHER ONE OF THE SHAKE LIGHTS ARE VERY BRIGHT OR LAST LONG.

MY SWISSLIGHT IS THE ORIGINAL VERSION, A COUPLE YEARS OLD NOW, AND IT STILL WORKS GREAT. IT HAS THE SAME OUTPUT AS A LOT OF POCKET LIGHTS, AND HAS A GOOD RUN TIME. IT PUTS OUT MORE LIGHT THAN THE TWO "SHAKE" LIGHTS.

THE "STARWARS PHASER" LIGHT IS ACTUALLY A DECENT LIGHT.
YOU CAN FIND THEM ON EBAY FOR 15.00 TO 20.00. LIGHT UTPUT IS GOOD AND IT RUNS FOR A WHILE ON A "CRANK".

THERE ARE TWO FREEPLAY LIGHTS:
THE ORIGINAL HAS A ZENON BULB THAT HAS 2 LEVELS OF LIGHT OUTPUT.
THE NEWER, AND SMALLER, VERSION, HAS A ZENON, AND 3 LED LIGHTS.

I THINK IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO USE IT FOR.

IF IT IS FOR HOME USE, I SUGGEST THE NEWER FREEPLAY.
GOOD RUN TIME, AND IT'S WELL MADE.

IF IT'S FOR CAMPING, ETC. THEN LOOK AT THE "STARWARS PHASER" CRANK LIGHT.

IF YOU WANT SOMETHING SMALL, THE SWISS LIGHT IS GOOD.

I ALSO HAVE A COLEMAN CRANK LIGHT. IT'S CALLED A SENTINEL.
IT USES A ZENON BULB AND HAS 2 LEVELS OF OUTPUT. IT'S A BIT LARGER THAN THE "PHASER" LIGHT BUT IT IS WELL MADE AND HAS A GOOD LIGHT OUTPUT. I DO WISH IT WAS LED THOUGH.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT ONE OF THESE.

BUY ONE OF EACH, AND YOU'LL BE REALLY "PREPARED".

GOOD LUCK,

FLASHLIGHTMAN
 

Lumen

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

I would choose an Arc-AA for my survival light because it puts out just enough light to use and runtime would be a more important factor to me than brightness or throw. Once again, you're in a "survival" situation, and 9 times out of 10, when you're in a "survival" situation, you wanna stay as "un-noticed" as much as possible. hooah!
 

acoldspoon

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

Speaking from experience, I'd stay away from a rechargeable for a "survival" light. In a disaster or, lost in the woods, situation, good luck finding a place to plug in. Just ask the folks down in Florida. And the hand rechargeable lights don't work long enough on a charge. I wouldn't want to have to signal for a search party, while remembering to pump away at my light every ten minutes. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif
You are much better off with a reliable, robust, waterproof, and long lasting light. Look for decent output, you don't need to set the world ablaze. It does you no good to completely blow your night vision, and blind those around you. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
Currently, I have a UK eLED 1 watt mounted in my Search And Rescue helmet. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
It takes 4 AA batteries and lasts a bunch of hours at the same light level. It is a bit yellow for my taste, but a perfectly white light is way down at the bottom of my list of priorities for this job. Remember to carry spare batteries AND spare flashlights. My new Nuwai 3 watt Luxeon is sexy, and my ARC AAA is small, but neither is what I'd grab in an emergency. My PT Impact also served my well during the blackout this year. In fact, I helped deliver a baby while using this as a primary light source. But I've replaced it with the UK, as the UK gives me a wider field of vision. An emergency light shouldn't have a tight beam only. You need a wide field of vision in an emergency. And remember to get something that works on easily available batteries. In an emergency, you might not be able to find AAA batteries, let alone CR123s. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif
Be safe out there.
 

juancho

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

The question of a light for "survival" out of a small bush plane in Alaska, was put to me by the owner. He wanted something for his bail-out bag in which he carry also the proper firearm.
We ended agreeing in three; A Princeton Tec Aurora headlamp, an ARC AAA and a Surefire E2e with a new high dome KL-1 head.
And of course some extra batteries and some duct tape just in case was needed to tape the Surefire to the firearm.

Juan C.
 

RonM

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

Once again, I have to recommend and eternaLight with lithium batts. Will last forever on low power settings. Decent output at high power. Flasher, dazzle, SOS and pulse modes are great for signalling.
 

Flying Turtle

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

If I could have only one light and had to consider maximizing run time I suppose my choice would be my old standard Infinity. Another possibility which would provide very long run time on one battery is the Shorelite Vx1 on its lowest power setting.
 

Stanley

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

Another vote for the Eternalight. Dim setting is supposed to run it for over 100 hours. You might also want to take a look at the Splashlite Led with a 3.6 volt lithium thionyl chloride cell (thanks Paulr!), that would run the light for 100+ hours. Take a look at this thread for more info from Paulr.
 

kevindick

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

I vote for Eternalight as well. I use mine as a reading light every night and I get several hundred hours at about three clicks from the lowest on Lithium AAs. It's also just about unbreakable--as my kids who've thrown it against the wall and dropped it on the tile floor can attest. The top end version has a really bright overdrive mode that makes a Luxeon a luxury rather than a necessity. The waterproofness and buyancy are also pluses. Of course, I'd also have an ArcAA and a couple of coin cell lights for backup.
 

achoo

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

The illuminator crank light's battery will survive at least 500 charges... but at some point it will fail.

I don't suppose there is a crank-capacitor-LED combination out there...?

I am looking for a light that is as close to worry-free as possible... the shakelight seems to have the most bullet-proof design... but usability remains a question
 

paulr

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

Just how do you imagine using this light? Really, if civilization collapses, flashlights will be among the least of your concerns. If civilization doesn't collapse, you must have some other idea of what you want the light for, and those ideas can narrow down the requirements a bit.

If you go over to www.equipped.org (a site about survival stuff), the favorite light over there seems to be the Photon II. They have a lot less emphasis on flashlights than we do here on CPF, since we're by definition interested in flashlights for their own sake. But if you have to ditch a plane somewhere, using that last few cubic inches in your survival kit for a radio locator beacon will help you a heck of a lot more than using it on flashlights.

If you're looking at this purely as a theoretical problem, a light I've wanted for a long time is finally being made by Peak LED Solutions: a CR123-powered LED light with a spare cell compartment. So you can use it without worrying about being caught out by the unknown battery state and without being left in the dark if you leave it on all night (once) by accident.

As for rechargeables, I really wouldn't believe that 500 cycle claim. I've used cell phones for many years and have never had a battery last longer than 100-200 cycles. Rechargeable batteries crap out unpredictably. They're still the battery of choice for heavy usage, but for tucking away in a kit somewhere, lithium nonrechargeable seems to be the best. (I don't know about the lithium vanadium cell used in the Swisslight--that may be different).
 

achoo

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Re: \"best\" survival light ?

I want to buy something for an emergency kit that qualifies in the following three categories:

(1) you don't have to worry about maintaining it... keeping it charged... buying batteries for it... etc.

(2) its design precludes as many "oh no" situations as possible: oh no, the batteries ran out or the batteries started leaking or the batteries have reached the end of their useful life or the _spare_ battery died as well or there isn't any place to buy batteries (or maybe you don't want to spend the time to go and get batteries because you have better things to do)

(3) it's designed well enough to be usable in as many situations as possible

(if your cellphone lasts two years and you charge it every night...)
 
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