Are Metal Flashlights A Problem In The Cold?
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scottaw
Enlightened
If you keep it in your pocket, edc style, it's fine, straight from pocket to hand can't really get cold, otherwise, below freezing you should have a pair of gloves. I'm about to take my dogs out, and it's about 10, should be a bit chilly.
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lys_og_varme
Newly Enlightened
Was out camping last weekwnd.
-16 celsius and windy. Had my L1 and a fenix L1P.
Cold flashlightbody is no problem, as yo usually have your glowes on. And small lights warm up pretty fast in your hands. Incans even faster
Had the L1 on high, and forgot to turn it off before I want to sleep.
Woke up and found it in the snow (lanyard attached to sleepingbag),tried to turn it on. For a moment I thought the tailcap was frozen because I could not depress it. Replaced the battery, and was good to go again.
Memo for next trip: Remember to bring headlamp. Flashligt no good for making food, melting water etc.
-16 celsius and windy. Had my L1 and a fenix L1P.
Cold flashlightbody is no problem, as yo usually have your glowes on. And small lights warm up pretty fast in your hands. Incans even faster
Had the L1 on high, and forgot to turn it off before I want to sleep.
Woke up and found it in the snow (lanyard attached to sleepingbag),tried to turn it on. For a moment I thought the tailcap was frozen because I could not depress it. Replaced the battery, and was good to go again.
Memo for next trip: Remember to bring headlamp. Flashligt no good for making food, melting water etc.
I resolved that issue by putting some "Pac-Skin" (by Pachmayr) which is used for gun grips, but gives excellent textured surface and cold insulation.
KiwiMark
Flashlight Enthusiast
My Mag623 would be pretty good for melting water.
metlarules
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
- Messages
- 1,027
The Niteize grip n clip works on mags. I'm sure it can be used on other lights. http://www.niteize.com/productdetail.php?category_id=28&product_id=71
Tekno_Cowboy
Flashlight Enthusiast
If it's cold enough for the cold to cause a problem with your light, you should definitely be wearing gloves.
I was using my Wolf-Eyes, Surefire, and Nitecore lights in -20 F temperatures and I had no problems, other than the wind getting past my scarf and down my shirt.
I was using my Wolf-Eyes, Surefire, and Nitecore lights in -20 F temperatures and I had no problems, other than the wind getting past my scarf and down my shirt.
Blindasabat
Flashlight Enthusiast
Heavy gloves are not always an option - or even preferred if you need dexterity. I keep thin gloves in my coat pockets all winter with heavier gloves in the car for emergencies, but the thin gloves get put on before I even get to the car. I go whole winters without using the heavier gloves and my passengers may not have any at all. Grabbing a heavy walled AL flashlight like the 6P KL3 I keep in the console makes for cold fingers Immediately. Grabbing the G2 I keep in the door is much easier if I just need some light for less time than it would take to switch to heavier gloves, fumble around with no dexterity taking three times as long to do what I need to do, then switch back to thinner driving gloves.
If I have a passenger with no gloves hold my 6P while I do something, I can count on the light bouncing around as they constantly switch hands while politely refusing to wear my spare gloves.
A rag wrapped around the light (before you had it to your 'light holder') will help if they don't immediately unwrap it so as to not get their hands 'dirty.'
I am a huge fan of a G2L in the car with a low level drop-in (like the SF or Malkoff Low) for cold winters.
If I have a passenger with no gloves hold my 6P while I do something, I can count on the light bouncing around as they constantly switch hands while politely refusing to wear my spare gloves.
A rag wrapped around the light (before you had it to your 'light holder') will help if they don't immediately unwrap it so as to not get their hands 'dirty.'
I am a huge fan of a G2L in the car with a low level drop-in (like the SF or Malkoff Low) for cold winters.
Cosmo7809
Enlightened
I happened to leave my 6P in the garage over night one time... In the morning when I saw it sitting on the work bench I could not pick the damn thing up it was as cold as a block of ice.... I had no gloves so I had do the ol sleeves covering the hands kinda thing to pick it up. Let me tell ya... IT WAS COLD and would not want to be in a situation where I needed a light and could not pick it up due to the cold.
Marduke
Flashaholic
In cold weather, would you not also be wearing gloves of some variety?
Black Rose
Flashlight Enthusiast
I carry an EOS headlamp and a modded Propoly with me on my snowmobile adventures. Some repairs have to be done without gloves on! I jump on the well built Polymer lights! The G2, Propoly and even some of the Brinkmans are nice lights to have in the cold. I'm getting ready to purchase a cree R2 drop-in to put in a Maxfire LX.
Badger_Girl
Newly Enlightened
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Marduke
Flashaholic
JNewell
Flashlight Enthusiast
From the Dept. of It Could Actually Happen To You:
1. Leave 6P in glove compartment of vehicle.
2. Wait till next January when it is 5 degrees F outside.
3. Go out to vehicle and find it's not starting.
4. Grab 6P and open hood while doing "mouth hold" on 6P.
5. Explain to wife why the flashlight is frozen to your mouth.
1. Leave 6P in glove compartment of vehicle.
2. Wait till next January when it is 5 degrees F outside.
3. Go out to vehicle and find it's not starting.
4. Grab 6P and open hood while doing "mouth hold" on 6P.
5. Explain to wife why the flashlight is frozen to your mouth.
double post please delete.
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While I like aluminum flashlights very much, they are a big problem in the cold. And I'm not talking about wussy 20F outside cold, I'm talking about below zero temperatures. Though they can be a hinderance at any temperature below freezing. My Surefire G2 with a P90 and some AW IMR 16340 cells has gotten me through my sub-zero winter night shifts (and other assigned duties) very well...
I went backpacking this past weekend and it was pretty darn cold ... probably in the low 20s (colder factoring in wind chill). Basically, all our aluminum, steel, titanium gears were all cold (knives, saw, pots, flashlights, etc). I had a Fenix L0d on my neck for backup, a Zebralight H30-Q5 headlamp for main light, and a Milky Modded SF L1 in my pocket. All the lights were cold, but with gloves on, it didn't really bother me.
Hooked on Fenix
Flashlight Enthusiast
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In somewhat cold weather, 30s and 40s, I use my 2008 Inova T1 with a 17670 crammed inside. The light heats up enough to act as a handwarmer, and the heat keeps the battery from getting too cold. However, in colder weather, I use gloves. Some lights such as maglites, you can get an insulated sleeve to put over the light to keep your hand warmer. Mag's Grip and Clip works well. Some lights have their own rubber grip such as the Fenix TK11 and the Dorcy 3D 1 watt flashlight. Other than that, this is the time to use plastic flashlights and headlights. Headlights let you keep your hands in your warmer pockets.
