Help! Looking for good hiking/camping flashlight for nooby

[pattersonbrl]

Hello everyone, I just started getting into flashlights a couple weeks ago, but I still don't have a lot of knowledge. In any case, I love to go hiking. The last time I went I had used an extremely cheap $5, 9 LED light from Walmart. I believe the brand was Garrison? It wasn't very good and didn't light up much at all as far as flood or throw. I'm looking for a light that is budget priced, and that will allow me to easily walk around in pitch black darkness comfortably so I can pretty much see everything around me at ease. I just bought a Romisen RC-N3 Q5 light and haven't received it in the mail yet. However I'm not sure if that will be sufficient for my needs. Would that be a good light for what I'm looking for? I was looking at possibly buying an MTE ssc-p7 as it seems to offer more flood and throw though I'm not sure about the runtime of the light. If someone can help me out, I really don't know much about flashlight technology. It seems that the MTE ssc-p7 has been out on the market for a couple years. What are your thoughts on the ssc-p7 and what are some other options I could look into that aren't overly expensive. I don't think I can afford to buy a Surefire or high end brand names at the current time. I would be grateful if anyone could give me some advice.
Thank you,
Brian

 

[jankj]

I love to go hiking.

Well, hiking is a hugely variable description...

Out in the bush you need less light than you think, with some exceptions
- If you move at high speed you need quite a bit of light. A good mix of flood and throw.

- If you need to determine which route to take (which path is the right one?) then good throw is important.

For walking (not stumbling, not stepping in something nasty) you don't need a powerful light.

A headlamp rocks for hiking, both on the trail (good flood/throw mix) and for camping chores. The princeton tec EOS is a very good and inexpensive all round hiking headlamp. Check out the headlamp section for more recommendations. You may complement that with a powerful hand held thrower with several output levels.

Exact recommendations will depend on what battery you prefer to use. If you go with AA batteries the quarks from 4sevens.com are very, very good The quark AA^2 would be a very good choice for you, I think.

For outdoors use I personally prefer a neutral or warm tint (less "bluish", more yellow white kind of light). Unfortunately, the warm white lights from 4sevens are out of stock. And not all people are as keen on neutral/warm lights as I am, it is a personal preference thing.

 

[brianch]

The MTE P7 is not a bad choice. It is a very floody light, you wont get much on runtimes though, plus the batteries aren't readily available. My favorite budget light is the Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel Cree Q5. Run this on 14500s and it is bright enough to go hiking in pitch dark I think. You can use NIMHs as a cheaper backup battery. The MTE P7 is not regulated, so I personally wouldn't use it for hiking.

 

[gcbryan]

I think not being regulated is a positive thing for hiking. To me it's more important to make sure that the light will burn at some level for long enough for me to get out of the woods than for it to be exceptionally bright for a shorter period of time.

 

[Pete Mcrash]

i have the mte ssc p7 (from DX)...i bought some 18650's and a charger to go with it (and others) and i'd say for hiking it would be great,really lights up the area and if you get one with "modes" you can use it and save power......jmho on a cheap light

 

[rje58]

I voted for the Romisen. It may not be the ideal light for your purposes, but it is the one I would trust to be the most reliable.

Remember to take a backup!

 

[hyperloop]

i'd get the Romisen RC N3 II (Q5 or warm white) 2 mode. That way you can conserve runtime by using the lower mode and use the high mode if yoou need more light. It's a decent light but not the most durable.

The Fenix TK20 would be more durable but its more a thrower than a flood light but its got 2 modes as well and is tough as nails.

 

[photonstorm]

A headlamp definitely comes in handy when camping.

An AA powered light would be ideal in case you ever needed extra cells.

You may want to look into a diffuser to have it double as a lantern.

Whichever light you choose the saying "Two is one and one is none" may be a good reason to get a backup to the one you already have.

 

[pattersonbrl]

thanks everyone for the quick responses and great input! I appreciate it very much. I think based on what people have been saying, I'm hesitant to go with the mte ssc-p7 because as Brianch has said it isn't regulated and I do want/need something that is going to be reliable in the dark. I live in the Northeastern U.S. and frequently hike in the Green and White mountains. When hiking at night, it can be difficult to orient yourself among the trees and rocks as there are many rock obstabcles along the long trail. I like the idea of having a flood type of light, but one which can also throw out 30 or so yards.

I'm going to look into the princeton tec EOS as Jankj suggested. Does anyone know how the ultrafire c3 q5 would compare to the romisen rc-n3 q5?

I like PeteMcrash's take on getting the mte with modes on it to conserve some battery life and just carry some extra batteries. As long as the light doesn't fail on me, I can deal with the extra weight of a few batteries to keep the light going as long as needed.

I like the idea of AA lights as I already take them with me... when I'm going on hikes I use a Steripen which I love and that uses AA's. I have heard on many reviews of lights that the AA's don't get as much voltage to the light as some of the other battery options that are available (rcr123's or 18650's).

So I guess it comes down to finding a light either the p7 or something comparable to the flood design. I took agree with the opinion of jankj and do like a natural tint color light output. I have seen some lights that are so white or so blue that my eyes just can't get used to them.

So if anyone could give me some input on a comparison of the ultrafire c3 to the romisen rc-n3 I will consider looking into the c3 if there is a better flood to it. Also if someone could let me know how the light output on the p7 is as far as throw power, as PeteMcrash and brianch have said it floods which I like but how far will it throw out. (30-40yds) And again thank you all for your input. It's nice to have some good honest opinions and it definitely helps in making quality decisions, I think.

 

[carrot]

When I am hiking I prefer to carry a flashlight I can trust. The only budget light (sub-$20) I can recommend is a Fenix E01 or a Photon.

 

[Pete Mcrash]

if you do a search on here you'll see some beam shots of the lights that have been advised........here is just of the mte ssc p7 from DX
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=255606

 

[pattersonbrl]

thanks PeteMCrash.... I have seen that review and just looked at it again through the link you sent... it seems like it throws quite far... though the outdoor shots were taken above ground level... I do like the beam pattern with the light. What I didn't like about the report on the link you sent was the flickering problem on the light output test.... I wonder if that is a common problem with this model of light.

 

[ragweed]

Gerber Infinity Ultra or Fenix E01 both get the job done under 20 bucks each. I prefer the gerber when camping as it has a longer runtime on the AA battery. The Fenix is no slouch either at 10 hours peak brightness. Been there done that. The end.

 

[speedsix]

If you don't have a headlamp yet, then I would look into one before any handheld flashlight.

I started camping again about two years ago after a 10 year break. I used to use handheld lights like my old Mini-Mag lite and others. A couple of years ago, I borrowed my wife's 1/2 Watt $10 Streamlite Enduro headlamp I bought her. It was just something I picked up at the electrical supply store while working.
Here is a link: http://www.botachtactical.com/stenledhe.html

It was my first use of a headlamp for hiking. It really impressed me as being very handy. It was nice not to have to keep one hand free to hold a light. It was LED so it lasted the entire 3 days and night with no problems on a single set of batteries. I brought an extra set of batteries and a couple of Surefire G2s as back-ups but I never needed them. That little Enduro was all I used all weekend. I never had to use the extra batteries and I have used that same Enduro with the same batteries it originally came with on three camping trips now as well as using it around the house and working on the car. The batteries must be 4 years old now.

To make a long story short, I was so impressed with the headlamp and LED that I sold off all my incan Surefire and Maglites and bought LED flashlights and headlamps.

I bought one of the PT Eos headlamps because it was so highly recommended here. It didn't disappoint. About the only thing negative about it is, if you need a LOT of throw, look for something else. It had a good bit of throw but if you need a true spotlight to shine a beam across a valley or far down a trail, it is going to diffuse too much.

No one headlamp will be perfect for all people in all situations. That is what the EOS tries to do, it is a jack of all trades light that really does work well for 95% of the things you will use a headlamp for. It is high quality and waterproof. It has been reliable for me for over a year now. It is a good headlamp to start with as it is sort of the standard by which others are judged. You can get them cheap (~$30 shipped) so if you don't like something about it, you haven't wasted $100+ and you can just offer it up for sale here and someone will buy it as it is a usefull light to have.

Here is what I have gone to for night hiking:

Main light source, PT EOS II headlamp.

Back-up to headlamp, PT Pilot. It is a small LED light that straps to the band of your headlamp and works great as a reading light or emergency light if your main headlamp fails unexpectedly.

Light for inside the sleeping bag: Photon Freedom Micro light. It came with a necklace attachment so you can wear it around your neck and have it always at hand in the dark. I have used this a few times when woken up in the middle of the night and couldn't find the other lights. It is plenty of light to find your other lights and items in the tent.

Spot light: Used to carry a Surefire G-2 incan but now carry a Romisen RG-G2. I would prefer something even more powerful and spotty for long distance. Still looking for the perfect compact spot light.

I feel like I have my light sources well covered for hiking with the exception of still needing a better spot light. The other lights work well for me and I don't feel any need to upgrade. I got them all on sale and have spent less than $70 for all the lights mentioned.

 

[rje58]

I own several Romisens, two or three of which I use regularly. I've never had any problems with them yet, and I've also given several away as gifts. I have an Ultrafire C3 that is waiting for me to repair the failed soldering on the pill.

Does anyone know how the ultrafire c3 q5 would compare to the romisen rc-n3 q5?

 

[pattersonbrl]

thanks for the information Speedsix... I am definitely going to buy an led headlamp. I too bought one this past summer for 4 or 5 dollars at an ocean state job lot and it lit up okay. I think it had 5 led lights on it, but no beam pattern at all so the light wasn't focused at all and although bright, it was almost un-usable because it was extremely unreliable and would shut off unexpectedly/dim out. But I am definitely going to look into purchasing a headlamp most likely as a primary light. I know every hiker has there preference in things. I don't mind having things in my hand while hiking, but I do know it can be a pain to hold a flashlight and climb up a steep incline. which is where having my hands free would be important.

I'm going to look into the PT EoS light that you use as soon as I get back from running some errands. I might take a drive to EMS and REI which are both nearby just to see what kind of lights they have to offer. I love both EMS and REI. They both have incredible customer service. I will let you know what I find and maybe you could give me some more input with my findings if you have any familiarity with it. I appreciate your info to me, and it sounds like you have a very nice and efficient setup which is what I'm looking for. I imagine everything you carry weighs less than a lb which is excellent.

 

[Ian2381]

I'm also into camping and hiking and what I suggest is get a Waterproof flashlight and a headlamp/headband for flashlight.
If your planning of getting a DX light then get a small reliable light than Runs on AA or AAA for backup: ITP A3 (AAA) - Fenix E01 (AAA) - ITP A2 (AA) - Quark MiNi AA (AA). This lights can actually be attached to you Headband (nightcore Headband or improvise one) that can serve as your headlamp.:wave:

 

[pattersonbrl]

thanks Ian2381.... I purchased a Romisen RC-N3 Q5 a few days ago and it just showed up in the mail a few minutes ago... I wasn't sure if the light was going to have a large enough flood and be bright enough for my needs, but it is very bright like many other people have been saying. I haven't had a chance to use it outside because it's not dark here yet... but I'm anxious to get out and test it in the woods to see how it is. I think it will be plenty bright and it was very small in size... I had seen video reviews of the light but it didn't seem that small on video. I think I'm going to focus my energy on a headlamp.... one person recommended I look into a princeton tec. So I will look into the lights you have mentioned and also look into the princeton.

 

[speedsix]

I hear they are upgrading the already great Princeton Tec EOS with a better LED in a few weeks. If you can wait, that might be the light to get.

I won't be rushing out to buy one because I am actually happy with mine. Mine was the newer Rebel version but the updated one should be better still. Mine has plenty of light for hiking and runtime is good. It is waterproof to 1m and compact and light. It uses easy to find batteries so even if I am in the middle of nowhere, I can stop at a hillbilly gas station and be sure they will have the batteries it uses. Can't say the same for CR-123s or other oddball batteries. Sure they might be brighter but I almost never use the brightest setting on my headlamp when hiking anyway so who cares? They also cost more and just add one more thing to keep track of.

I am simplifying my life and anything that does not run on AAA or AA is getting sold or trash canned. One exception is my weapon light, it is a Surefire X200 and uses CR123s. I have it mounted on my Glock and it is all business. I will spend the money and deal with the minor hassle of keeping it fed for the advantage it gives me.