Backpacker's Light - and frustrating return to the store

[Kitchen Panda]

My niece is heading to New Zealand for a year of backpacking and adventure. I asked what flashlight she was taking - "Oh, she has a phone, she'll use that." Like beans she will, if I have anything to say about it.

I headed to my local MEC store and picked up a Leatherman Micra - I really wanted to get her a Victorinox, but the Micra has the tweezers, scissors and eye glasses screwdriver that I thought a backpacker would need, all in one package.And, it was in-stock - like every other Winnipeg store, MEC only stocks a fraction of what is on their Web site. Because, you see, we're a fur-trading outpost that only gets resupplied by dog team twice a year.

On my way to the tools/knives section I passed by flashlights. What I really would have liked to have gotten for her would be a Fenix LD02, but Fenix doesn't make it any more, having replaced it with a model that, even if it's larger and uglier, at least is also dimmer and has a useless extra UV lamp.

What's this - a hang card with a Nite Ize "Radiant 3-in-1" flashlight/lantern. A familiar brand name. 80 lumens, OK. AA battery...larger than I wanted, but, that's probably even easier to get than a AAA when travelling and I didn't want to complicate things with rechargeables. Only 2 hours on high ...and only 9 hours on 15 lumen low. But it won't be a primary light source for her, just an extra light to fill in the gaps. And only $15 CDN - that's pretty cheap and won me over. Bought it, brought it home.

Then I made the mistake of reading the reviews on a popular on-line shopping behemoth. Wow - more than half less than 5 stars. It turns on in the pack. It has a flimsy end-cap made of plastic that is easily cross-threaded. If you put the battery in, it short-circuits it and gets really hot, and the battery is put in the unusual positive terminal to the end cap, not to the lighting end. I'm not impressed and wish I'd seen the reviews first - the drawback of not having a smartphone to check in the store. It's going back. ( NO reviews here at all, another warning sign!) (Any 5-star reviews on MEC's site are several years old...maybe a recent "cheapatizing" has happened.)


MEC did have the LED Solitare, which is nearly as cheap, but has a fixed, rather high 47 lumen output. Or, I could spend a few more bucks and get the Fenix E12, almost perfect for what I would imagine she will find useful, except AA instead of AAA so a little bigger...but it would be in a pack anyway, not her pocket, so not a problem.

At least I have no worries about the Micra - as long as she doesn't have it seized at the airport, and doesn't forget it in a hostel somewhere, it will last her till past her 40th birthday.

Bill

(and now I'm thinking a headlamp would be more useful, but I know little about the ones MEC carries and would be loath to get a $25 hardware store special....though I have one for the car.)

 

[xxo]

I would think a head lamp would be best, maybe something like the petzl tikkina? I don't like that it runs on 3 AAA's but it is fairly low cost (about $20 US) and comes from a reputable brand.

For hand held lights, the inova X1 is not bad, runs on a single AA and has 2 modes - mine is the older 80 lumen version with a low of something like 11 lumens if I remember right which gives lots of run time. I think the latest version has higher lumens and less run time.

The Mag solitaire is pretty good, but only one mode. Works great for having a quick look around but not so much for reading when spare batteries are at a premium. Speaking of batteries, energizer lithiums are great for back packing due to their light weight and high capacity.

Also good choice on the micra, I carried one for years and it got me out of a few jams to be sure (before I managed to break the back spring some how).

 

[daffy]

If its any consolation Im from Australia and been to New Zealand twice now, heading back next year. Its a really beautiful place and like AU some places are a long distance to travel but its a very friendly and safe place, no worse than any other developed first world nation. There may even be a kiwi on this forum.
AA battery supply in NZ wont be an issue.

Pack the multi tool in CHECKED baggage or it may get seized if put in carry on luggage.

 

[Buck91]

I have no hands-on time with the LED Solitaire but if I was in a pinch and needed a pocket light from a brick and mortar store that is one of the ones at the top of my list. If you have the time to order, my Thrunite TH20 has been a fantastic little 1AA headlamp and I'm VERY happy with the 219C in my JaxMan E3 (1AA again).

 

[Monocrom]

Yes, a headlamp really would be better. The LED Solitaire has no low-mode, but is a very good light to take back-packing/traveling. I'd pair it up with a decent coin-cell light for a low output option. Even a cheap coin-cell squeeze light would be a good companion for a decent LED headlamp, and the LED Solitaire.

 

[Kitchen Panda]

Thanks, everyone, for the feedback and comments. Wish I'd given this more thought a few weeks ago! I like the suggestion of an extra coin-cell light, too - I have a few extra ones here and will suggest adding one to her kit. I will stress that she must check the bag with the Micra in it. Luckily this isn't her first international trip ( she's see much more of the world than I had at that age) so she knows the airport drill.

I dropped into MEC this morning and returned the Nite Ize ( telling them about the flock of poor reviews). Then I picked up the Fenix E12 which I should have done in the first place.

Kind of ironic that the reason I don't want the LED Solitare is that it is TOO bright!

I need to reward myself for being a good boy at the dentist today, so perhaps I can pick up an extra headlamp for her while shopping for an extra headlamp for me.

Bill

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

This person seems happy to use her phone as a flashlight. So, there's no way she's going to take several lights with her. Pick one light. While a headlight would be useful, it's bulkier (with the strap) and she probably wouldn't use it anyway (she's happy to use a phone, remember). A single, small 1xAA light is the best you can hope for. My vote is for the Zebralight S53. It's very small, and is very efficient. It will run all night at about 50 lumens, and you can bump it up to over 300 lumens if needed. Or drop it to a low level for weeks of run time.

And after all that, she'll probably still just use her phone. Millennials...

 

[Kitchen Panda]

If its any consolation Im from Australia and been to New Zealand twice now, heading back next year. Its a really beautiful place and like AU some places are a long distance to travel but its a very friendly and safe place, no worse than any other developed first world nation. There may even be a kiwi on this forum.
AA battery supply in NZ wont be an issue.

Pack the multi tool in CHECKED baggage or it may get seized if put in carry on luggage.

I envy her the chance to make the trip - and since she's going to be there for most of the next 12 months, maybe Auntie and Uncle will surprise her with a visit! I knew NZ was beautiful even before all the hobbit movies.

Bill

 

[Kitchen Panda]

This person seems happy to use her phone as a flashlight. So, there's no way she's going to take several lights with her. Pick one light. While a headlight would be useful, it's bulkier (with the strap) and she probably wouldn't use it anyway (she's happy to use a phone, remember). A single, small 1xAA light is the best you can hope for. My vote is for the Zebralight S53. It's very small, and is very efficient. It will run all night at about 50 lumens, and you can bump it up to over 300 lumens if needed. Or drop it to a low level for weeks of run time.

And after all that, she'll probably still just use her phone. Millennials...

Phone are for talking, not taking pictures or lighting! One light that she uses is better than a box full that she leaves at home. She's not a "gear collector" type, either, so I'm not even going to add a head strap for the AA light. (On the other hand, her younger sister loves the Leatherman Squirt we bought her last year - so there's hope, yet.)

Bill

 

[Monocrom]

Some headlamps can be bulky with the strap. But there are others that barely take up any space at all. It all depends on the model.

 

[daffy]

I envy her the chance to make the trip - and since she's going to be there for most of the next 12 months, maybe Auntie and Uncle will surprise her with a visit! I knew NZ was beautiful even before all the hobbit movies.

Bill

The Hobbit movie site is worth a visit, until i visited it i had never been interested in any of the movies. Once we got back home i watched them all and quite enjoyed them to my own surprise.

 

[tigman_tim]

Hi,
While camping/hiking/canoeing... I always have a "Photon Freedom Micro LED light" around my neck.
thanks,
Tigman

 

[heckeng]

What about a Fenix e18r? Small, lasts a long time and rechargeable and it can work with regular CR123A if you want

 

[Sos24]

The phone is my flashlight seems to be a common belief nowadays. Compared to my being raised that a Camp knife or Swiss Army knife and flashlight are things you should always have on you.

If nothing else a Victorinox Rambler or Leatherman PS Style (if knives not allowed) and a AAA flashlight on a keychain or necklace could be real handy. I'm gradually trying to convince all my young nieces and nephews of the importance.

Two good options by popular brands are the popular brands are the Fenix E05 or Olight i3 if you can find them.

 

[Monocrom]

Being really prepared used to mean having 3 things at the very least. Though nowadays, I'd say 4 is better....

1- Some sort of cutting tool
2- A lighter
3- A spoon (and not a plastic one).
4- A reliable light

 

[Kitchen Panda]

Being really prepared used to mean having 3 things at the very least. Though nowadays, I'd say 4 is better....

1- Some sort of cutting tool
2- A lighter
3- A spoon (and not a plastic one).
4- A reliable light

Sound advice. I pointed her aunt at a great deal I found on a titanium spork - it looks to be even better than the "Snopeak" I bought years ago and which has stood up well to daily use. Luckily she'll be able to pic up Bic lighters wherever she goes, so I'm not too worried about supplying her with fire making gear.

Bill

 

[Narcosynthesis]

For most people nowadays, the light on a smartphone is pretty much everything they actually need on a day to day basis - sure it isn't really going to be suitable for lighting up a wilderness camp, but around civilisation it is great for a bit of additional light trying to spot your seat in the cinema or whatever. Most importantly for many, they are an item you have on you and are keeping charged anyway, not an additional item that you will need to carry a spare battery for...

The option I would definitely recommend would be a compact head torch of some form - some of the basic Petzl options are good value and reasonably solid, and the fact they can be worn makes them invaluable when you want two hands free. I would definitely say the extra bulk of a head band is worth the utility and makes it a useful item over a 'i might as well just use my phone'.

 

[lightfooted]

Don't forget a towel. Every properly prepared traveler needs a towel.

 

[creative_bureau]

My niece is heading to New Zealand for a year of backpacking and adventure. I asked what flashlight she was taking - "Oh, she has a phone, she'll use that." Like beans she will, if I have anything to say about it.

I headed to my local MEC store and picked up a Leatherman Micra - I really wanted to get her a Victorinox, but the Micra has the tweezers, scissors and eye glasses screwdriver that I thought a backpacker would need, all in one package.And, it was in-stock - like every other Winnipeg store, MEC only stocks a fraction of what is on their Web site. Because, you see, we're a fur-trading outpost that only gets resupplied by dog team twice a year.

On my way to the tools/knives section I passed by flashlights. What I really would have liked to have gotten for her would be a Fenix LD02, but Fenix doesn't make it any more, having replaced it with a model that, even if it's larger and uglier, at least is also dimmer and has a useless extra UV lamp.

What's this - a hang card with a Nite Ize "Radiant 3-in-1" flashlight/lantern. A familiar brand name. 80 lumens, OK. AA battery...larger than I wanted, but, that's probably even easier to get than a AAA when travelling and I didn't want to complicate things with rechargeables. Only 2 hours on high ...and only 9 hours on 15 lumen low. But it won't be a primary light source for her, just an extra light to fill in the gaps. And only $15 CDN - that's pretty cheap and won me over. Bought it, brought it home.

Then I made the mistake of reading the reviews on a popular on-line shopping behemoth. Wow - more than half less than 5 stars. It turns on in the pack. It has a flimsy end-cap made of plastic that is easily cross-threaded. If you put the battery in, it short-circuits it and gets really hot, and the battery is put in the unusual positive terminal to the end cap, not to the lighting end. I'm not impressed and wish I'd seen the reviews first - the drawback of not having a smartphone to check in the store. It's going back. ( NO reviews here at all, another warning sign!) (Any 5-star reviews on MEC's site are several years old...maybe a recent "cheapatizing" has happened.)


MEC did have the LED Solitare, which is nearly as cheap, but has a fixed, rather high 47 lumen output. Or, I could spend a few more bucks and get the Fenix E12, almost perfect for what I would imagine she will find useful, except AA instead of AAA so a little bigger...but it would be in a pack anyway, not her pocket, so not a problem.

At least I have no worries about the Micra - as long as she doesn't have it seized at the airport, and doesn't forget it in a hostel somewhere, it will last her till past her 40th birthday.

Bill

(and now I'm thinking a headlamp would be more useful, but I know little about the ones MEC carries and would be loath to get a $25 hardware store special....though I have one for the car.)

Try black dimond or petzl. They have some cheap and descent models

 

[PartyPete]

If size and weight is a concern, I usually bring a Fenix HL10 headlamp. 1x AAA powered and about 2 oz total with battery.

Not super bright by any means but reasonable runtimes on lower modes and not a bad choice if need a small back up light.