Backpacking light?

[Stanley]

Agreed on the UKE2L for spotting... Absolutely great little light for almost any situation. Apart from being lightweight and waterproof, the runtime can't be beat for that brightness.

A Ultra (Infinity) or Arc AA on a lanyard is good for moving about the camp/tent and also as a backup. Never leave home without it!!

As for headlamp, I'd just gotten mine, and I'll have to vote for the Elektrostar! 1W Luxeon, 4AAs, approx 8-10 hrs (I think) runtime, with a beam almost comparable to my UKE2L, what more could one ask for??

Apart from those, I'd consider the X5t for really good runtime, as well as for fully depleting those used 123s. Or the Arc LS w 2AA TSP is also nice to have around...

Having put my 2 cents in above, my combo for a night hike would usually be a Pelican 3Led (3AAAs) headlamp, UKE 2L, and Ultra G on neck lanyard. If size/weight wasn't an issue, the Elektrostar would probably replace my Pelican and 2L. I'd have the X5t along then just as a backup...

 

[paulr]

I used a UKE 2L as my sole travel/backpacking light for years and it was always way more light than I needed. Lights really aren't that important unless you're a flashaholic. Practically anything is ok. The most popular backpacking/camping light for non-flashaholics is probably the 2aa Minimag. Some ultralight backpackers hike the entire Appalachian or Pacific Crest trail with just a Photon II. Unless you're doing something unusual and trying to cover distance at night, it's enough to just have some small light in case you have to look for something in your tent or go take a pee at night. Other than that, hike during the day and sleep at night.

These days, I think the UKE 2L and Arc AAA would be a great combo, or the PT Rage and Arc AAA if you wanted to standardize on one battery type. There's a new regulated Luxeon LED lamp for the UKE that's a drop-in replacement for the 2L's lamp/reflector assembly and costs just $15. I think I'll get one. It won't be as bright as the xenon lamp but will have much longer runtime and shouldn't burn out. There's also the PT Blast if you want a 2aaa light that's smaller than the Rage and still pretty bright.

Headlamps are useful too but again, most people manage without them. I'd pick the PT Aurora to stay with AAA cells.

 

[JerryM]

paulr,

I agree wholeheartedly.

I have not figured out why so many here think that one must have 3 - 5 or more lights.
I am not a backpacker as such, and my own outdoor backpacking has been a part of hunting and scouting. That has been from New Mexico to Alaska, although not everywhere in between.

I do not go into caves or mines, and do not hike at night. In fact, when nighttime comes I am tired and try to eat and get in the sleeping bag so that I can be up at daylight. In most cases I have not had a tent. Most of it has been alone, and I do not take chances.

For years had a cheap 2 AA light that I had to take a screw out of to change the batteries. If I was not careful, the parts would all fly out and I had to put it back together. I never had it to fail, however. I rarely had to change batteries, and did not on most trips.

I have never been in a situation where my life depended upon my light working. In fact, I do not remember always having a flashlight. If there is a moon then it is enough to get back to camp.

I wonder what the old-timers like Townsend Whelan did. He went on hunting and camping trips that lasted a month or more. I bet he did not always have a flashlight, and if he did it was not used much.

If a person explores deep caves or mines, then he needs a headlamp, and at least one spare. But otherwise a single light will suffice. If I had to choose today, I would take a TT1L or TT2L and a spare like a Arc AAA or Ultra and a change of batteries for each. If weight was at a premium then I would take a 1AAA.

I have no quarrel with anyone,especially those whose hobby is flashlights, to carry any number they desire. In my own case I was always limited by space and weight. One of the easiest ways to get overloaded is to think that a few ounces don't count.

Just thought I would comment based upon my own experience, which does not make me an expert, but it is what I have to go on.

Jerry

 

[NeonLights]

Different strokes for different folks. If you are stripping things down to the barest of actual needs for backpacking, I seem to remember Grandma Gatewood doing ok for herself on the Appalachian Trail with an army blanket, raincoat, a shower curtain for shelter, and sneakers, with a homemade duffel bag for the rest of her sparse gear. She through-hiked the AT at age 71 so equipped. Most backpackers don't actually need most of their equipment for survival.

When my packweight is already 35-40 lbs which it frequently is (sometimes more for longer hikes), an extra few ounces for three or four small lights means nothing to me. I typically hike until dark, then find a suitable campsite (may require additional time walking after dark), at which point I set up my tent and make supper, then may spend an hour reading depending on how exhausted I am.

Different people have different hiking/camping styles and different needs (or wants) when it comes to light requirements. I frequently set up camp after dark whether hiking or car camping, and a lightweight LED headlamp is invaluable for such tasks. If a trail isn't well marked, a more powerful light can be invaluable after dark.

-Keith

 

[paulr]

Slightly OT but one gadget I really like is my Casio Forester wristwatch that tells me the time of sunrise and sunset, so I always know how long I can keep going before it gets dark. Beware that there are several Forester models though, and only one of them has that feature.

I've had to set up my tent (a dome type 2-person model) in the dark a few times. It takes a little more fumbling around than doing it with light but it's not that bad. Maybe other kinds of tents are harder to operate.

Finally, speaking of headlamps, the new CMG Tracer hasn't been mentioned yet and it seems very interesting to me. It's an ultra-light headlamp with two leds that runs on one AAA cell via a boost converter. It weighs under two ounces. I haven't seen one yet though. Of course if you bring a baseball cap, you can always clip your Arc AAA or PT Blast or whatever to it.

 

[Jerimoth]

I camp out frequently or hike in the dark year-round. If I'm travelling light I take a PT Matrix 2 and a backup light or two- like the BD Ion (very light weight) and the Tikka Plus. When camping your eyes are adjusted to the darker setting so you don't need to carry a lot of candlepower. If you wanted to do so, however, you could get an ARC LS with 2AA battery pack so you could work with AAs in both lights- the Matrix and Arc. Carry lithium AAs for winter use; they also last longer in the summer.

 

[Scooterman]

RonM,
Why do guys keep making me buy these lights???? I'll check it out! Also think I "NEED" the Streamlight 2xAA Luxeon.
ARRGH!!! The sickness never ends! The more light I feed it the worse it gets...

 

[paulr]

Another light that's handy is a red LED. That's easier on the eyes if you have no lights on and then you want to briefly look for something, e.g. you wake up in the middle of the night and want to get a drink. A coin cell light is fine for that and will have plenty of runtime.

 

[4x4Dragon]

i love my Cabela's 1L twintask light.(basically the same as the SL 1L TT but mine has a hex/anti-roll bezel) the xenon beam on mine blows aways the beam of my Surefire E1e in both quality and overall usability. it was $40 shipped back when i got it from Cabela's about a year ago. im going on a short backpacking trip in a couple of weeks and am contemplating taking it???

back a couple of months ago i did a 26 miler and hiked for about 5 hrs that first night and relied solely on my Elektrolumens Anglelux. while it's not very lightweight, the runtime is unbeatable and it works very well clipped to the chest strap on an internal frame backpack.

 

[Rail]

Unfortunately I don't own a TwinTask or anything comparable, but a couple points were made during the course of this thread I thought were worth commenting on.

First, I think NeonLights is right on the money. For many situations there is a saying, "Two is one, and one is none", and I think this is relevant to most items that are survival oriented. I understand why some may balk at the idea of carrying multiple flashlights, especially when ounces count, but there is something to be said about having the right tool for the job, especially at the right time.

At least for me, that's what packing for a trip, or just being equipped for everyday, is all about. I seldom have the time I'd like to hike my favorite mountains and trails, and short day hikes just don't spark my enthusiasm. This basically forced me into what I like to do now, which is to hike the same challenging trails in as close to 24 hours as possible. In most cases this means that a substantial amount of distance is covered at night. I posted a thread a bit over a year ago based on some of these experiences, and the excellent advice of the members helped me to improve my gear. Actually, that thread can be found under this same title in the general flashlight forum.

I find that I have to have a headlamp, which is currently my PT Aurora. I like a long burn-time, low intensity task light, which has been an Opalec, or Inova X5T. Having a full moon can certainly help, but I find below the treeline most everything is still pitch black. For spotting, Paulr and a few others recommended the UK 4AA, which I find to be fantastic for this purpose. When I know I'll need more umph, my next choice is the PT Surge. Finally, I carry an Arc AAA or UK 2AAA Led as backup. There are rare occaisons when I think I'll need a strobe (harsh weather/driving snow topside), and then I pack either an EliteMax or ACR Ms-2000.

As far as other headlamps, I've been axious to try out the PT Yukon HL. I have an Inova 24/7, but have yet to buy the accessory pack to try it out as a headlamp, though I think it will work well.

I've been meaning to pick up a UK 4AA LED and a pair of 2Ls to rotate in with my task and spotting lights. If the UK Led module works well, I'll finally be able to standardize on 123A batteries for longer, cold weather trips.

Besides the Arc AAA, the CMG Infinities have an excellent reputation, especially for the 14.50 pricetag.

Also, if your light is an incandescent, be sure to pack a spare bulb or have a backup light to replace it should it fail. My minigag and 2D were notorious for this.

 

[JerryM]

Rail,

Interesting. I am curious as to what you see or do at night that causes you to want to hike in the dark.

Jerry

 

[JLJ]

Thanks to everyone!

I picked up a PT Rage today at Galyans for about $10. I think this may fill the niche of the lightweight light with throw. My Dorcy 1AAA will serve for tasks, tent, etc. I'm not hiking at night so the lights are for whatever may demand some illumination in the camp.

Does anyone know where I can a spare bulb?

JLJ

 

[paulr]

The bulb in the Rage is soldered into the reflector and would be a pain to replace and center even if you can find the bulbs somewhere. You can buy the bulb/reflector assembly from brightguy.com for about $5. You may be better off just buying a whole spare Rage. That gives you spare batteries, bulb, bezel, and body. Normally the lamps last a while, but I had one in a Blast burn out rather quickly. I emailed PT about it and they sent me a replacement for free.

 

[cy]

I've backpacked for years with Arc AAA as my main light. I'm an untralight weight freak, when it comes to what I have to carry.

No price is not the most important factor, but it sure is nice to achive good price and function.

the main criteria I use is:

1. bullet proof, it must not fail
2. runtime, must have long runtime and/or carry extra batt.
3. Weight, must be among lightest in class

My choice is Arc AAA ($25)and/or one of the others below for a backup. (carry one type spare batt, use 2 Arc AAA's)

1. firefly W/lite sammie 3hr+ runtime $120+
2. Infinity Ultra Gov $15 10+ hrs RT
3. Arc AA $35 10+ hrs RT
4. Arc LSHP W/123 twisty $150 or LSL on sale for $60 2hrs + RT
5. ARc4+ $180 or 4+ second for $99 1-30 hrs depending upon setting

If budget was a top priority, I would go with Arc AAA and Infinity Ultr Gov HA. The Arc4+ is too new to be the primary light. Always carry a backup w/spare batt. Take along a headband strap to turn any of the above into a headlamp.

 

[paulr]

I think my secondary light with an Arc AAA would be a PT Blast. It's cheap, completely waterproof, has a built in clip to double as a hat light, is way brighter than any of the 5mm led lights (comparable maybe to an LSL standard), and uses the same batteries as the Arc AAA. In fact, spent cells from it can run the Arc AAA for quite a long time. An oh yes, it's lighter than any of the lights you mention except the Arc AAA itself.

 

[cy]

I just looked up PT blast. Looks very functional and bright, how often does the light bulb burnout? Being able to rob the batteries out of it for the Arc AAA would a bonus.

But I don't think this would pass the bullet proof test

 

[paulr]

Blast bulb life is supposed to be in the 20 hour range, though as mentioned, I had one burn out early, like maybe 4 hours. If it's a secondary light, by definition, you're not too worried about it burning out. If it's primary, carry two of them, they're small and don't weigh much. It's not a super-bright light, but it's somewhat brighter than a stock Minimag.

Another such light is the UKE 2aaa mini-light, which is the xenon version of the 2aaa eLED. I like the Blast a bit better, but the UKE is a bit smaller, and the xenon and LED bezels are interchangeable. The plastic bezels are about the size of a thimble and really weigh close to nothing. The LED bezel runs for around 20 hours on two AAA's. If you have an Arc AAA primary, a UKE xenon backup (for when you want something brighter), then if you're really paranoid about the bulb burning out, you can stash the LED bezel somewhere as a backup for the backup. Note there's a somewhat fragile contact spring that can fall off or possibly break when you remove the bezel. It's protected when you turn the light on and off, but swapping a lot between the bezels may not be a great idea.

 

[Rail]

I'm curious, are the Surge bulbs soldiered as well? I've been carrying a spare bulb for mine, but if it needs to be soldiered rather than pressed in, I'd rather find out now than when I need it. I was under the impression it was pressed into a recepticle, which was soldiered to the board. If anyone has experience with this, I'd appreciate any info. Meanwhile I'll have to do a search on the Surge and see what I can come up with.

OT, hiking at night is not a personal preference. However, if a mountain takes 9 hours to summit, that means you have another 9 hours to hike back. That's not including time to eat, breaks, for photos, or even travel time before you can climb. Since I don't have a schedule where I can spread my trips out over several days or a weekend, I have to do it all at once. That means ascent in daylight, and part of the decent in twilight. I thought that might have been self explanatory in my previous post, and I apologize if it seemed confusing.

There are certain things to admire when hiking at night though, the stars, the solitude, the animals. Part of the reason I hike is the challenge, and a long climb through the mountains is exciting. Getting caught in a snow squall above treeline, with a fine layer of frost covering every inch of you and your gear... and then being able to look out over the rocky snowfield over the entire valley by the light of the moon. When I think about why I go, I remember the accomplishment, the awe, and the majesty... not the pain or hardship before it. If part of the challenge forces me to hike at speed and length by night, so be it. I like to push myself to my limits.

I hope that was helpful in some way, and answered your question.

 

[kitelights]

The Surge bulb is not soldered in.

I can't see the Surge as a backpacking light. It is probably the best value on the market as far as the most output/throw for the money, but it's not small and it's certainly not lightweight - I consider it heavy (8 AA cells).

When adjusting mine, I've had the reflector hole catch the bulb and pull it out of its socket. I would imagine that a decent drop could dislodge it also. It's a great light, but not one that I'd want to use for backpacking.

 

[Stanley]

Nicely put, Rail. I do short, night hikes sometimes too, for the same reasons you do. The tranquility and the stillness of a jungle is just different from hiking in the day. Then when you summit, the view makes you feel that it was worth all that trouble stumbling thru the dark for. Nocturnal animals and insects are pretty interesting as well, and it never fails to amaze me what I find sometimes.

Back on 'track' (pun) again, I have to admit that slightly tight spot on my UKE 2L makes it a little difficult sometimes to spot an animal or something up ahead, a slightly larger hotspot would be nice, but it'll definitely do for now. For its functionality and weight, it gets the job done well enough.