Dare i dude?

[TKC]

so i'm going to a "lantern tour" this saturday night. they implicity say "no flashlights." they give you a lantern to carry during the 2hr excursion(w/ bonfire break)

i'm all for the experience and i'm sure the lantern would set the mood right.
but what if someone gets injured and all 20+ ppl's cell phones fail simultaneously, who is gonna signal the rescue copter? :shrug:

i guess a 1aa light for backup? light and reasonable output. i dont want to carry dead weight. waaa:mecry: i wanna showoff.. lol

I do not think I am physically capable of leaving with out a flashlight in my pocket.

 

[Flashlight Aficionado]

Buy a new or used lantern. Mod it with IMR cells and multiple P7s or a large Welch Allyn bulb.

or you can just buy a bright one. See the review link below.
Lantern Shootout (Coleman Cree 4AA & 4D, Sylvania, etc)

 

[kelmo]

I do not think I am physically capable of leaving with out a flashlight in my pocket.

You got that right!

 

[Illum]

I do not think I am physically capable of leaving with out a flashlight in my pocket.

+1

It gives me this feeling I forgot to put pants on:grin2:


honestly though, as long as I have a flashlight on me pants are optional...

 

[Crenshaw]

As they say, Better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it....;)

just bring a small concealable light, and not use it unless neccesary, I highly doubt that will pat you down looking for a light.
:tinfoil:

Crenshaw

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

If I were in your position, I'd take my Fenix P3D Q5 or other similar light that can fit in the pocket, put out 200+ lumens for over an hour, and has a 5 lumen low that can make it useful for personal use without disturbing others.

 

[DimmerD]

I double dog dare you!!!

 

[NeonLights]

I went on a lantern tour at Mammoth Cave National Park and they specifically said no flashlights allowed. So I only carried 2 or 3 with me. Only every 3rd or 4th person had lanterns though, and I had broken a toe a couple of days before, and didn't want to bang it up on something in the total darkness underground. I ended up using an Infinity Ultra hanging around my neck a few times when the terrain was extra rough, and got yelled at by the guide a couple of times.

I'd say take a couple lights, but plan on not using them unless absolutely necessary.

 

[gsxrac]

And really I dont think they care if you take a polarion strapped to your back as long as you dont turn it on. I think it may be more of a setting the mood kinda thing where they only want the soft glow of a lantern :candle: So take a mag theyll never even know your using a flashlight!

 

[Illum]

I went on a lantern tour at Mammoth Cave National Park and they specifically said no flashlights allowed.

hmm, I was not told of this when I went, although I've gotten looks there was a couple elders with us and along Fatman's misery I illuminated the ceiling with an inova XO and got quite a few praises...but none from the park people.:candle:

 

[KingGlamis]

And really I dont think they care if you take a polarion strapped to your back as long as you dont turn it on. I think it may be more of a setting the mood kinda thing where they only want the soft glow of a lantern :candle: So take a mag theyll never even know your using a flashlight!

That's great, thanks for the laugh!

I agree with most everyone here, take whatever you want to, just don't use it/them unless the need arises. I EDC four lights and damn sure would have at least those four on a trip like that. I might take more. Why? If a TRUE emergency happened I would have lights to give to others. ONE LIGHT is nothing in a true emergency, especially if the emergency lasts hours (like someone fell down a mountain/cliff).

 

[jp2515]

I went on a lantern tour at Mammoth Cave National Park and they specifically said no flashlights allowed. So I only carried 2 or 3 with me. Only every 3rd or 4th person had lanterns though, and I had broken a toe a couple of days before, and didn't want to bang it up on something in the total darkness underground. I ended up using an Infinity Ultra hanging around my neck a few times when the terrain was extra rough, and got yelled at by the guide a couple of times.

I'd say take a couple lights, but plan on not using them unless absolutely necessary.

Maybe someone can explain it a little better, but is there any reason the park doesn't allow flashlights (and flash photography I hear)? Is it because the light might damage the cave?

 

[Illum]

Maybe someone can explain it a little better, but is there any reason the park doesn't allow flashlights (and flash photography I hear)? Is it because the light might damage the cave?

When its dark, people give undivided attention to the one who has the light, so...it becomes a competition of attention.
While as a matter of conservation it might scare cave whilelife...but I have not seen bats in Mammoth cave, nor is there any residue. Trust me...you can smell bats before you can see them :green:

that year I went Mammoth cave tour guides carry stock 3D mags...but we've used a combination between Dietz kerosene lanterns and Coleman 2-mantle burners...I guess they are trying to remake how early explorers first walked through the cave. If this is the case I would certainly agree that its "cave mood vandalism" to say...carry in a 1185 equipped surefire M6

 

[NeonLights]

hmm, I was not told of this when I went, although I've gotten looks there was a couple elders with us and along Fatman's misery I illuminated the ceiling with an inova XO and got quite a few praises...but none from the park people.:candle:

Maybe someone can explain it a little better, but is there any reason the park doesn't allow flashlights (and flash photography I hear)? Is it because the light might damage the cave?

When I was there a few years back, there were a variety of tours available, but my group took the "lantern" tour, which as I recall was the only one you couldn't use flashlights on. The other normal tours did allow the participants to use flashlights, at least in some circumstances (as long as you didn't make a nuisance of yourself).

 

[jankj]

Maybe someone can explain it a little better, but is there any reason the park doesn't allow flashlights (and flash photography I hear)? Is it because the light might damage the cave?

I haven't explored the depth of park management wisdom, so I can only take lucky guesses of what those reasons may be.... :thinking: Sometimes the logic is simply "we want it THIS way". :duh2:


One very good reason for this rule is that flashes and bright flashlights are very annoying to other people with dark adapted eyes. If you light up a flashlight on a lantern trip you will certainly destroy the setting and mood of the trip.


Wildlife management concerns or other environmental issues? Nope, or at least I fail to see any real world logic or concerns behind those. :thinking: If someone knows of an animal, bird, bat, plant or cave that is disturbed by bright lights in the middle of the night, please enlighten me.....
Unless, of course, the real problem is the presence is the people (presence may disturb wildlife?) or what flashlight people are doing with their lights (chasing around in the bush trying to spot something?), not specific the lights themselves. Many weird rules are invented to indirectly affect some undesired actions....


Thinking about it, my guess is that annoying other people is the ONLY logical reason for banning flashlights and camera flashes.

 

[mdocod]

On one particular guided tour in mammoth cave I brought several, including a few in the ~1000 bulb lumen category. I assisted the tour guide in illuminating points of interest and put forth effort not to produce any distractions from her tour and instruction. After the tour she actually thanked me as it made some of those points of interest more interesting than she had seen them before, especially the monstrous bugs on the ceiling!

In any situation where such a tour or similar such situation is trying to produce a particular effect by forcing the use of no lighting, or minimal lighting as provided, it is our responsibility as CPFers to respect that and make a best effort to enjoy it for what it is, but at the same time, it is our responsibility to be one of the few who smuggles in a few good lights but exercises restraint in using them.

Here's a suggestion:
When we know they are going to provide something with minimal illumination like a candle burning or something, try to pack something that has a low mode that is a single lumen or less that, if the light they provide us fails, could be used without spoiling the trip for those around you.. politely inform the guide that you brought an equivalently low output tool to use as a replacement and fire it up.

 

[f22shift]

so update:
the tour guide was mentioning at the beginning no flashlights and that here's your chance to return it to the car so you dont have to carry. i carried anyway of course :naughty:

they gave out those propane lantern which were pretty bright. i had mixed feelings with them. they lit up your feet well but i feel like you cant see much else and causes too much glare and ruins any night vision. plus i was plenty warm and didnt need the added heat byproduct.

my particular lantern was malfunctioning. it basically looked kinda orange and had the light output of a tealite.
i decided to carry a coincell light, h501w, mag asph. luckily i had my lights because the output on my lamp was dismal. initially i was using the coincell(low output with a 2032) but i got sick of holding the lamp and the light and wanted at least 1 free hand so basically had the h501 around my neck on low.

i really didnt care because i rather get yelled at then trip and break my neck on the uneven surfaces and stairs ;). i never got yelled at and none of the guests pulled out a light.

i'm really glad i brought a light and should've just left the lantern at the beginning because it got heavy after awhile. i didn't even need to lug water as there was plenty at the midway. so it ironic that he said to get your water and leave your flashlight at the beginning when in fact the opposite is needed.

really the lantern didn't add to much to the mood. and when the guide was explaining and pointing to this and that i had no idea what i was looking at. i thought at least he should have a small thrower himself(i shoudlve offered:sigh:). the lanterns are sort of dangerous actually. it burned my friends shorts and i kept bumping the propane tank into the rock wall etc.:o

it was still really fun and some other couple decided to have their own fun and disappear from the group. i wish they did a search party because i wouldve volunteered but they just locked them there. they were booted from the campsite the next morning.

 

[matrixshaman]

Propane lanterns!! :shakehead They must be living in the dark ages. :whistle: I think this is an opportunity for you to contact the person in charge and enlighten him on some much safer and cheaper alternatives. The propane lanterns as you said are not only heavy but not real safe and they must be spending a mint on buying propane. I'll bet they don't have a clue about how long a low level LED light would run on rechargeables and how much safer, cheaper and easier it would be for everyone. You just need to show him a rechargeable based LED light that tailstands, has a low mode and maybe one that has a diffuser available. Or some of the new LED lanterns. If there's any concern with them about it not being as romantic tell him to buy a bag of 100 tea candles and hand one to everyone so upon arrival everyone can light one up. Of course there are LED versions now of candles too - cheap ones can be found at the discount China sites.

 

[Illum]

Propane lanterns!! :shakehead

hey! propane lanterns are surprisingly bright for the amount of propane they consume:nana:

there's a commercial coupler you can buy nowadays to refill those "single use" propane cylinders using your 5/25/50 lb cylinder for some serious guilt-free lumens. Mantle replacement might be an issue on the long run though:(

 

[Sgt. LED]

I saw a double mantle and globe set-up attatched to the top of a 20lb tank once. I wonder how long the runtime is on that?
:D Not wanting to carry it while lit though.