Hypothetical adventure scenario light?!

[Timothybil]

I always carry a 4x18650 light when I go backpacking haha. I don't mind the weight. That's my splurge item. It's awesome to completely obliterate the darkness once in a while. When I've gone in the winter and the ice cracks in a nearby river it can be pretty terrifying, so I think that having a light like that calms down my companions (and me if I'm being completely honest haha). Maybe I'm just a scaredy-cat.

Besides, with something like the TM06, you can always crank it up and use it to melt snow if needed!

 

[Amelia]

I would want something with: high output, long runtime (moonlight mode a MUST) and small size/weight/bulk. I would also want multiple spare batteries, and I'd want the batteries to be small and light. The batteries need waterproof, dirtproof carriers, and my opinion has always been that the best carrier of this type is an extra flashlight.

Given all those requirements, I would want 4x Zebralight SC52W or 4x EagleTac D25A.
I would load 2 of them up with 14500 (for brightness) and the other 2 with the latest gen. Eneloops (for runtime). I would take a small handfull of Energizer 1.7V AA lithium primaries in a double ziplock if I had any space left over, for long duration charge retention and extreme cold use.

I would want a headlamp strap to go with them - this would be essential.

 

[FlashSpyJ]

"The EB2 are also for checking for rattles in the bushes!"

Some places I have been, you really don't want to know what that sound was...

"It might sound very wacky I know..."

Wacky? - No, more like Fiction.


Are you sure you want to be doing such things?

It would be safer for you to just stick to TV and the Movies...

Thanks!
-Chuck

I don't know where you camp, but if you don't want to know whats rattles in the bushes, do you really want to spend the night there?!
I'm not easily scared, it's rare I even use a light when camping, mostly use a headlamp to navigate around camp, and when rigging the hammock etc. The SF are for better illuminating the surroundings, I haven't had it with me yet, when I think of it.

I don't want to fiddle with things, it should be easy to use all the time, do exactly what I want it to do, it should be easy to operate even when tired/cold/wet/stressed etc. I apply this to most of my gear and how i plan/do things when out and about and even in normal life. Mostly anyway.

I had a curious fox sneak up on me one time, saw two eyes glimmer a few yards away, that got my attention I admit! wouldn't have seen the eyes if I hadn't had my headlamp on...perhaps it's better not having a light at all? I didn't have another light with me that time, my friend did. Without it we had a hard time seeing what the two eyes where. Kinda eased our minds knowing it was a tiny fox running around. Easier to sleep knowing what it was...


By wacky, I meant that it might sound wacky because I wanted a light of this sort and not really planning to use it...so yes it's fiction! I imagine something, and when I do I like to know I have certain things. That is wacky in my mind anyway

I'm camping/hiking more than i watch movies, I just don't do things they do in movies. So I don't have a real use for this kind of light, I just want it...I have a hard time justifying some of the things I have bought over the years. Perhaps I should stick to my normal hiking adventures and not share my wacky thoughts with other people?

 

[chuckhov]

"Perhaps I should stick to my normal hiking adventures and not share my wacky thoughts with other people?"


Nah! - It's all good clean fun!

Take care,
-Chuck

 

[Str8stroke]

When I hike, I probably have 6 different lights on my person. 2 spots, 2 floods, 2 general purpose. Plus my dog has a back pack. She carries all kinds of goodies. She keeps a Small Sun ZY-R804 AAA clipped on her collar. Thats a bright dog! I had to mod it, with a new driver and a Nichia, she doesn't like PWM and is a TINT snob!

 

[blah9]

Besides, with something like the TM06, you can always crank it up and use it to melt snow if needed!

Haha yeah, that's true! In fact, the two lights I rotate are the TK75vnkt and the TM06vn. Lately it's been the TM06vn, but last time I kind of missed the throw of the TK75vnkt for looking across an overlook at night.

 

[D6859]

You guys obviously haven't watched The Decent. One lumen light? You're gonna be effed...

Thanks... I'm not sleeping tonight.

 

[CUL8R]

I don't know where you camp, but if you don't want to know whats rattles in the bushes, do you really want to spend the night there?!

Yeah, brings back a memory of one of my early backpacking trips here in Colorado - back in the day. And by that I mean way pre-LED. I was camped out at just below timberline (maybe12,000') and was asleep in a tiny one person tent when I heard something getting at my pack, which was leaning against a tree with a black trash bag over it for rain protection. I unzipped the flap and shined my 2xAA mini-mag at my pack. It was maybe 30 -35 feet away and all I could see was a pair of eyes looking back at me about 2+ feet off the ground! I came out of the tent with my light and .357 revolver and still couldn't see what it was, but it wasn't leaving and didn't seem to be afraid. I kept my eyes on it and picked up a fist sized rock and tossed it at the eyes. Must have missed as no reaction. Tried again and this time whatever it was turned and left almost silently. Took me sometime to be ready to climb back in the old mummy. Still not certain if it was a really large raccoon (which I've never seen at that elevation) or a black bear (lots of those around there). But no matter what it was, really glad it left instead of advancing, so I didn't need to defend myself! Small lights (even bigger maglights, etc) weren't much in those days. Still packing today, but boy are the light choices spectacular! By the way, we run into lots of bears hiking and camping and almost all of them immediately turn tail and haul a*s away. I love looking at/watching all the wildlife when in the woods and truly hope I never have to shoot one of them. But on the other hand I'm always going to be prepared to defend my family and self.

 

[CUL8R]

This was the only other time I ran into a bear that didn't run from me. We were camped at a NFS campgrond near Crested Butte. We were at our campsite and my wife was slicing and dicing on some trout she'd just caught; preparing them for cooking. Suddenly someone started slamming the lid of a dumpster up and down that was near our site. I went over to see what was going on and found.....

So I grabbed my camera out of my pocket and took these shots. Then realized my wife was just a little way off with fish guts and blood and stuff and it might be a good idea to send this guy away. So once again picked up a rock and missed on the first try. Tried again with a big one and hit the bin beside where he was starting to open the bag. This was loud enough and unexpected enough that it caused him/her to drop his loot and head up the hill. I threw another rock nearby and he took off into the woods.

 

[Str8stroke]

You guys have nice stories. I think anyone who tent camps can have some funny stories about how things sound strange at night!



Once deep in the woods tent camping, back in BL (Before LED) times, for 2 nights in a row I was harassed by a large family of Armadillos! These things were dumb. They were digging between my tent and the ground. Nothing scared them off! Imagine these nasty things scratching your tent right at your head! My 3 C Maglight didn't faze them! I ended up throw sticks at them. They didn't leave until I actually hit them. I have never seen some not run off. Unless my tent was tempting?

Now, I have enough light power to light up the whole camping area. I also try to pile up the logs on the fire. Now my tent has micro holes in it from flying embers. Probably not that safe. lol

 

[BeastFlashlight]

I think your premise is wrong. Don't take a big honking light with 3 or 4 batteries just to get long battery life. Take a single 18650 battery light and have several backup batteries if needed.

I was thinking the same exact thing

 

[GeoBruin]

I was thinking the same exact thing

+1

 

[FlashSpyJ]

Each to their own...

 

[CarpentryHero]

Having lots of lumens is important when first going from the bright of day instantly into the dark, but once your in a cave for a minute or two you can navigate the dark with a low mode.

The exception to that rule is if the walls are fire damaged and covered in ash. That soaks up a boat load of light

 

[reppans]

Mine's a sub-0.9x4.5" (about as large as I care to pocket EDC) 16650 that will runs great on any battery that fits in the tube. ~0.3/3/30 lms is what I use 98% of the time, with a momentary max from ON feature for the last 2% (~450 SB lms). Night vision/runtime junkie here.

 

[BeastFlashlight]

The exception to that rule is if the walls are fire damaged and covered in ash. That soaks up a boat load of light

Lol how about that, that's an interesting piece of info I never knew that

 

[CUL8R]

FlashSpyJ, If you do decide to try a cave, just don't go alone. 3 people should be the minimum. If someone gets hurt, one person can render first aid, and the last person can go for help. This in addition to the safety stuff I mentioned earlier. Here are 3 pictures where I broke those rules, and my "partner" shown in the pictures didn't even have a light! This was near timberline, at approx. 12,000' here in Colorado.
Entrance

Emerging from the entrance crawl about 50' inside

Waking passage, no more crawling for awhile

 

[cland72]

I think I'd take the following from my toolbox:
1. Surefire C2 with lanyard ring and lanyard, Malkoff M61L 219A inside
2. Armytek Barracuda in my pack if I needed throw
3. Surefire L1 (Gen 6) as a backup light
4. Surefire Minimus Vision

The ability to use a lanyard would be key, in my opinion. You wouldn't want to drop your light and lose it forever in a bottomless pit.

edited to add: after reading CUL8R's post below, I added #4 to my list.

 

[CUL8R]

In all non-commercial caves I've been in you're going to have to scramble up and down and over and under things. You may have to fight your way thru incredibly tight crawls and also may have to free climb up and down crevasses or vertical walls/falls. All these will require the use of both hands. So you are always going to need a headlamp as your primary light. If you have any really serious elevation changes that require technical climbing with ropes, harnesses, ascenders and rappelling, maybe two immediately accessible headlamps (some cavers I know would say that's over cautious).