Longest lasting (backpack) low lumen light?

[LED_Thrift]

As RageCage and others have mentioned, a Peak light could fit your requirements well. DON"T TRY THE WEBSITE, you won't find the options you want there. Call Peak at 877-881-7325 (toll-free). Curt or Robyn will set you up with a very well built, made in USA, twisty [ultra reliable] light in any output/runtime combo available. You can choose body material if you wish. It's virtually a custom light at less than custom prices.

Oh yeah, Welcome to CPF Jida!

 

[Zendude]

+1 for the Zebralight even though I'm nervous about how waterproof the switch boot is(supposedly the problem was addressed). I still ordered one.

I would take an E01 too. I trust that light to work more then any other.

As far as keeping your D10 on high only; it would take more time to switch lights then to use the shortcut from low to high.:whistle:


OFF TOPIC:What solar charger are you using to charge your eneloops? That is something I would like to add to my BOB.

 

[Marduke]

While not good for everyday use, Harbor Freight has a cheap solar charger that will make due in a pinch.

 

[fareast]

+1 for the Zebralight (AA's). I don't care what other lights you would need or have besides this but I think a Zebralight is a must.

 

[ole]

The Muyshondt titanium Mako AAA is small (12.75mm X 68mm) 2 levels and a neutral white light. On the lowest level the light is regulated for 60 hours. It is great for close up work, not so much for general work with ambient light. It was designed as a light to use after all your other lights have failed.

 

[Swedpat]

According to my experience 0,2lm is more than enough brightness for reading at close distance, also for locating in a dark room, I can see several meters in a completely dark place.

Regards, Patric

 

[Jida]

PowerFilm,...

http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/

Expensive but nice and reliable, durable and they have a lot of options.

The D10 would be with me and can go into low mode. It is easy to pull off of course.

I am looking for a dedicated light to go into the BoB. There is a chance that the D10 may not be with me, may be low on charge, etc.

The light in the BoB will always be there. If I have both I would still have the D10 with a fresh battery and ready to go and then a dedicated low level light for general use.

I need that hour on high ready to go. My hope would be that I would not use the D10 much if at all but if I have to I will.

 

[berry580]

hhmmm... interesting

lights never had such survival implications to me.

In sydney, the worst natural disaster I've ever heard of is a massive hail storm for a night or 2 and maybe with a blackout. lol

I think keeping a bunch 18650s with a 18650 light (Jet-III M?) will be great for BoB.
Most good 18650 light can deliver huge amount of light and/or an E X T R E M E L Y long periods of low output. And hope that will be enough to last for the disaster period.... do i make much sense?

 

[Mikellen]

Something to consider is that some lights have a "parasitic" battery drain meaning that a very slight amount of current is always being drained from the battery while not in use. The D10, Fenix TK40 and Jetbeam III Military are a few of the lights that have a parasitic drain. Its possible that if these type of lights are designated for a BoB that the battery might be drained or mostly depleted when you really need the light. Though some of these type of lights can eliminate the parasitic battery drain by loosening the tailcap or head of the flashlight.

Just thought I'd put that out there. YMMV.

 

[Marduke]

I think keeping a bunch 18650s with a 18650 light (Jet-III M?) will be great for BoB.
Most good 18650 light can deliver huge amount of light and/or an E X T R E M E L Y long periods of low output. And hope that will be enough to last for the disaster period.... do i make much sense?

Storing fully charged 18650's for long periods of time greatly increases permanent degredation. Shelf life of Li-Ions is not that long.

An L91 stored in a cool place however is good for about 20 years...

 

[Linger]

+1 for quark
OP, 0.2 Lumens is very useful outdoors at night. Enough to walk to a latrine or get water from a lake, minor campsite tasks.
Lots of posts re: 'How useful is .2 Lumens'
Light a match in your room at night, you'll understand that low light is helpful...
lastly, you asked for a long-running aa light... what are you expecting other than ultra-low output? hrm?

 

[PCC]

.
9-Volt Pal-Lite ........ Constantly glows on low for 10 months.

Also has higher levels.

Easy to find in backpack cause its glows at about 0.o1 lumen.

Great camping/caving light . A must have !

.

I have a cheap copy that I had made myself using the connector card from a dismantled 9V battery, some 5mm LEDs and a resistor. There's a thread about this in the Home Made Lights section. I made a bunch of them for the next power outage and they're cheap, cheap, cheap. They don't put out all that much light (2 lumens???) but they do so for a very long time. I once left one on purposely to try to drain it. After 12 hours I gave up and the voltage on that battery before I started was around 7.5V. I put one in a water bottle as a beacon of light when riding my bike at night and it is the only light I have that I don't carry a spare for. It's a "see me" light when riding and is bright enough to light me up so that you can actually see me as I ride by instead of just seeing my bike lights.

 

[sparkysko]

PowerFilm,...

http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/

Expensive but nice and reliable, durable and they have a lot of options.

I had no idea they had chargers until you mentioned this. Apparently it has a charge controller instead of just a dumb 'trickle charge'.

http://www.boaterbarn.com/powerfilm_aa_charger_2_4_30349_prd1.htm
http://www.boaterbarn.com/powerfilm_usb_aa_2_aa_30350_prd1.htm

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

Muyshondt Aeon.

 

[Jida]

.2 could be useful, I have been around that level of light and it could be used. I am expecting to get closer to 10 lumens since I find that to be the more acceptable level.

As stated ealier, a 505 could be useful for 21 days of use on one battery. The light would most likely not be on continuously 24/7.

For the batteries, I am storing them in a container outside of the lights. The hope is that I would not have to get into this long term light in an emergency. When I go for the bag I get the light out and put a battery in.

 

[Zendude]

Why do you need so much hours from a light?

You know, I ask myself that all the time. I just can't help it!:shakehead

I am 99.9% sure that I will never be in the situation of being cut off from civilization for days at a time but that .1% of doubt will eat at my brain worse than any zombie could. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst, right?

 

[mbw_151]

Most humans are optimistic and forgetful. We are constantly reminded by events like Katrina that the veneer of civilization is very thin and easily stripped away. The bag under the desk at work contains all the stuff I might need to walk the 20 miles to my home in all kinds of conditions. I sure that part of the time it will be dark. There's a Zebra H50, a Fenix L1D and a couple of L91s in the bag.

 

[mbw_151]

Most humans are optimistic and forgetful. We are constantly reminded by events like Katrina that the veneer of civilization is very thin and easily stripped away. The bag under the desk at work contains all the stuff I might need to walk the 20 miles to my home in all kinds of conditions. I sure that part of the time it will be dark. There's a Zebra H50, a Fenix L1D and a couple of L91s in the bag.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

Most humans are optimistic and forgetful. We are constantly reminded by events like Katrina that the veneer of civilization is very thin and easily stripped away. The bag under the desk at work contains all the stuff I might need to walk the 20 miles to my home in all kinds of conditions. I sure that part of the time it will be dark. There's a Zebra H50, a Fenix L1D and a couple of L91s in the bag.

I know, that's why men invented the .45...

 

[Jida]

Doing an experiment right now.

My original Dorcy Solid State,...

is still kicking with the original bulb.

Just put in (4) fresh Eneloops and turned it on at 10:15 a.m. on 9/25/2009.

The original stats with alkalines was 200 hours of run time. My assumption is that this will be higher with the Eneloops.

Looks to be throwing out about 7-10 lumens and ironically it has a decent throw. Durable and waterproof.

Although it is using (4) cells I could get 8 hours a night for at least 25 days. I am assuming that I am going to get closer to 30 nights of runtime with the eneloops.

Still going to get a Zebralight H50 but this will be fun at least :)