I took way many lights on vacation!

[kelmo]

I took a 3 week vacation with my wife and wandered around Turkey. Naturally being a flashaholic I overpacked lights. We both had Arc AAA-Ps, plus I took a E2e, a Peak Kino Bay (thanks Quickbeam!), a Tikka+, and one of those Lighthound fauxtons. I packed a Pelican M1 in my wifes luggage. As it turns out we only used the Arcs and the E2e. Part of the trip was spent on sailboats cruising the Southern Turkish coast. It was really dark and the E2e was very impressive lighting up the shoreline. It also came in handy for touring the Basilica Cistern in Instanbul and the underground city outside of Goreme. I used both the MN02 and MN03 lamps. The Kino Bay will live in my 1st aid kit with a spare lithium cell, so no problems there. The Pelican was given to fellow travelers from Australia who did not have a torch for the underground city. Hey, I'm building bridges one torch at a time. We travelled with that couple for about a week. The fauxton was given to the owner of a hotel we stayed at when we lost power for the night. The Tikka+ and spare cells while in theory was good to have was dead weight. So in the future I shall just travel with a Arc AAA-P (one each for my wife and I) and my trusty E2e. That was plenty of light.

The E2e was a big hit everywhere we went. The Arc AAA-P got us special treatment when we loaned it to the flight crew on the flight to Istanbul. It was breaktime for the crew and the passenger cabin was dark and they only had one of those clunky emergancy lights.

I know alot of you would have taken say a HDS with them (I have one of those too) instead of the E2e for a long trip but it is so reliable and one of my favorites.

Anyway I alway tell myself not to overpack but I never listen to myself. Maybe next time...

Thanks for sharing

 

[22hornet]

Hello,
Better to bring too many than too few!
I'm going to Spain tomorrow, for 5 nights. I will be packing 8 of them:
- Surefire L2
- Surefire E1L
- Peak Mc Kinley HP
- ARC AAA turquoise led
- Fenix P1
- Fenix L0D ce
- Fenix E1
- Fenix E0

+ a charger for RCR123 3.0volt cells, + a charger for RCR123 3.7volt cells and a charger for AAA cells.

I suppose a holiday is for relaxation and fun, so my hobby needs to be represented

Kind regards,
Joris

PS: Can one use RCR123 3.0v cells in a G2 ?

 

[greenlight]

I always bring a lot of lights I don't worry about losing so I can give them away to my friends if they like them.

 

[mdocod]

I always have a "flashlight bag" that comes along, lol. good stuff!

 

[lightemup]

When I go on holiday my other half has an outfit for every occasion, I have a light for every occasion I always get in trouble for only bringing afew changes of clothes . A man's got to have priorities!

 

[Oddjob]

Well, you can never have too many lights. :twothumbs
I just came back from a week at Disneyworld. I did not bring any of my more valuable lights for fear of losing them in transit.
All I brought were my Jetbeam MKIIX for EDC with Fenix EO for back up and my Gerber Infinity Ultra for around the hotel room at night. Along the way I stopped into a Target and picked up a River Rock 2 AAA just because they don't have them in Canada. I also used it for night time bathroom trips.
By the way there were many opportunities to use my EDC ay Disney. Dark theatres and attractions where kids drop things. During fireworks and night time parades where all surrounding lights get dimmed. During the late hours I even used the stobe setting so my wife could see where I was waiting for her after she was done on rides. I didn't feel silly sitting there with the strobe on because all the kids had necklaces and Mickey Ears with flashing LED's. She just knew that my light was so much brighter.

 

[TORCH_BOY]

I always take at least 6 Lights with me on Vacation

 

[GregWormald]

Geeze, you guys are making me feel 'under-lighted' as I was only planning on taking 3 to Thailand! Arc AAA with 2 stage luxeon, HDS (Seoul-mated), and a mini-mag with led. Maybe I should put in the Inova and the CMG as well?
Greg

 

[barkingmad]

Just got back from the Maldives - goes dark just after 6pm and then the island was dark (not enough artificial lighting or much moonlight on the paths as there are so many palm trees etc.).

Took a Fenix L1D-CE and a Petzl e+Lite - both very useful for getting around and being seen by people on bikes etc. My girlfriend also appreciated it so not to squash too many bugs / animals and scare off the lizards - so bonus points scored all around.

Moral of the story - take good lights and don't forget the batteries!

 

[kelmo]

I agree, bring the good stuff and extra cells. I find a neck lanyard for an Arc AAA (or whatever floats your boat) is a passable substitute for a headlamp for casual purposes like going to the bathroom at night when the hotel your staying at has no power. Multitasking is the key!

Or just pack alot of lights...

 

[Quickbeam]

Kelmo - I received your postcard. Thanks! I also pack too many lights on vacations... big surprise, huh?

 

[powernoodle]

Real world stories like these are some of the best threads on CPF, IMO.

cheers

 

[tman11]

After reading this, I too feel extremely "underlighted" on vacation. Just got back from honeymoon earlier this year from New Zealand/Australia and only brought my SF C2 & L4. They were wonderful in the Waitomo Caves in the unlit areas.

 

[270winchester]

I remember another CPFer said a while back that countries like Turkey didn't allow lithium primaries to be taken into the country, sounds like you got your E2e through with no problems.

 

[scott.cr]

TURKEY?!?!

That sounds like an awesome trip!! You go alone or on a tour with a group?

I signed up to CPF about a month before going on my last vacation (to Vietnam, just over a year ago), and caught the "fever" just in the nick of time, lol. Until then, my sole "good" light was a Surefire E2E. By the time I was on the plane to Vietnam I added a Surefire M4, an M6 w/ the 500-lumen lamp and a U2.

The last time I went out of town was to Hawaii for a wedding, and I just received my Microfire 24W HID from the CPF group buy. (The "only" other lights I brought were a Surefire L5 w/ Turbohead+MN16 lamp and the U2.)

I don't know when my next trip will be... vacation or otherwise... but I'm pretty sure I'll pack more weight in flashlights than I will in clothing.

 

[276]

i never get to go on vacation, are ur lights checked when going on a flight or brought with u in the cabin ??

 

[Quickbeam]

I rarely travel by air and if I do I take only one or two lights that are very easily replaceable. No sense in giving an uppity security guard an expensive toy... No custom jobs at all and nothing goes in my carry-on if it takes more than 2 cells or doesn't have a LOTC.

Checked lights always fly with cells removed and cells either individually wrapped or placed in carriers to prevent any chance of accidental short circuit.

 

[kelmo]

Quickbeam - the Pelican M1 in my box-o-lights now lives in Australia. Writing postcards is one of my joys when traveling. I just find a very idealic place and a local libation to write. I hear ya on taking replacable lights. I have a few E2e's so thats another reason it is my travel light of choice.

scott.cr - the trip was spectacular. We, wife and I, flew into Istanbul 5/4 and left 5/26. We didn't have any plans. We just made it up as we went along. Istanbul-Kusadasi-Fethyhe-Olympos-Goreme-Amasra-Istanbul! A big loop.

270Winchester - no problems with the lithium cells. AA Duracells were 2 for $10!

276 - I take my Arc-AAA, E2e, and SC3 carry-on. My other lights + spares carriers are typically in my checked bags.

tman11 - the only thing your missing is a good pocket light. My Arc AAA was just so useful!

powernoodle - thanks! I actually lost weight (about 8lbs) on the trip. The Turks eat a very healthy diet. Lots of vegatables and very little meat. Plus we did a lot of walking and swimming.

Thanks everyone

 

[DM51]

Er, excuse me, some of you, but... Kindly repeat after me: It is not possible to have too many lights.