Need advice/recommendation on a backpacking light - First Post!

[Suuko]

I figured I'd come to the pro's for advice on a solid backpacking light.
This will be used for Hiking/Camping/BoB use and I'd like a light that is waterproof.

I've been looking at Fenix Lights, and I'd prefer to buy Fenix brand due to the Fenix headband, Diffuser Tip, Quality reviews and overall design of their lights.

I'm somewhat troubled by what battery type I should be using... how much does this matter? I will have CR123A batteries on hand for my weapon lights and I'd think it would make sense to have all my batteries universal. Is there any reason a AAA or AA would be more viable in a flashlight?

Is there anything else I need to answer for a good recommendation?

Thanks guys, glad to have joined the site.

 

[tylernt]

Well my preferred backpacking mode is ultralight, so I'd be more concerned about weight than anything else. However, I think we need more info -- what kind of night activities will you be doing? Just around camp, or on the trail, or bushwhacking? Some require more light than others. And are we talking about overnighters, long weekends, or week-plus expeditions? For an overnighter who cares, but for longer trips battery life becomes an important factor... and if you'll be doing really long hikes, getting AA or AAA at a resupply point might be easier than CR123A.

Myself, I'd use a 1xAAA multi-mode (so that I could preserve night vision and extend battery life with a low low, yet still be able to light up the night when I think I hear a bear) as a primary and some kind of coin cell Fauxton as a backup (stored in some kind of rigid container to prevent accidental activation and subsequent battery drain). I'd also use a lithium primary AAA due to the low weight and excellent battery life.

But that's just me.

Oh, and :welcome:!

 

[knightrider]

The Surefire E1L or L1 are great choices. Would have said the E2L, but you are doing backpacking and the longer size and weight of the E2L wouldn't be as good.

The E1L or L1 is very durable and simple. Long runtimes and 2 levels of output. Compact size, light weight. Reliable SF batteries also.

I also like the Arc AAA-P light for backpacking. Even smaller and lighter with 1 AAA and also a very simple and reliable light. I usually bring 2 lights with me when I camp or backpack, the SF L1 (very similar to the E1L, but slightly bigger) and AAA-P. A great combo for me.

Welcome to CPF, it's a great place.

 

[Suuko]

Night activities would be general hiking, bushwhacking and all around camp use. It could be a 1-2 day camp or a 7 day camp... which is why I'm looking at Fenix's low mode/long run time lights.

Well my preferred backpacking mode is ultralight, so I'd be more concerned about weight than anything else. However, I think we need more info -- what kind of night activities will you be doing? Just around camp, or on the trail, or bushwhacking? Some require more light than others. And are we talking about overnighters, long weekends, or week-plus expeditions? For an overnighter who cares, but for longer trips battery life becomes an important factor... and if you'll be doing really long hikes, getting AA or AAA at a resupply point might be easier than CR123A.

Myself, I'd use a 1xAAA multi-mode (so that I could preserve night vision and extend battery life with a low low, yet still be able to light up the night when I think I hear a bear) as a primary and some kind of coin cell Fauxton as a backup (stored in some kind of rigid container to prevent accidental activation and subsequent battery drain). I'd also use a lithium primary AAA due to the low weight and excellent battery life.

But that's just me.

Oh, and :welcome:!

 

[vb14]

I wanted to say Muyshondt Aeon, but since you preferred cr123, I'd recommend Muyshondt Nautilus...

My Aeon is what I use most of the time even when I'm outdoors... When you're backpacking, even 15 lumens is pretty bright...

 

[carrot]

CR123 offers more power, as you may be aware, but AA is available simply EVERYWHERE. If you are doing a long hike where you need to resupply, AA is a good consideration. However, if you plan to pack in and pack out everything you need then take whatever you are most comfortable with. I prefer CR123 lights myself so that is what I would take.

If you can wait, 4sevens (a dealer and more recently, manufacturer) has the "Quark Prism" coming out soon, which turns any of his Quark flashlights into a headlamp, with diffusers and filters and a headband.

Fenix makes good stuff, but they don't have the Prism upcoming, which is why I'd suggest you consider the Quarks instead.

If you plan on carrying the flashlight on your person, I strongly recommend finding a flashlight with a pocket clip. It is more comfortable to carry a pocket clipped light than one that rests in the bottom of your pocket, especially in thin hiking shorts pockets

The only thing you left out of your OP is how much money you are willing to spend. Here on CPF you will find people who spend from a couple dollars to a couple thousand dollars on a single flashlight, so giving us the budget you have in mind will strongly affect your recommendations. Sub-$100 most recommendations will be for China-made lights, some designed in the US. Sub-$200 most recommendations will be for American designed and made lights, which usually represents an increase in quality but not necessarily features. Higher than $200 and you will get some really cool, but expensive recommendations.

You may also find that you will get better recommendations if you clearly state what the flashlight will be used for. Everyone here knows plenty about flashlights but not everyone has backpacking experience. Emphasize whether you consider brightness or runtime more important, what you expect to be able to do with the flashlight, and how often you expect to be using it.

Some flashlights in the sub-$200 range worth consideration are: Surefire LX1, E1L, E1B, Ra Twisty, Clicky and Novatac EDC

 

[pobox1475]

Is there any reason a AAA or AA would be more viable in a flashlight?

In a backpacking role I would say yes. AA's will be most likely to run across should you ever have a situation in the field where you need cells.

A combo to consider would be a Zebralight H501w for near floody light and a JetBeam I Pro v3 Q3-5A (warm) for distance illumination. you can use all kind of AA sized cells in both.

 

[strinq]

:welcome:

+1 on the zebralight as ur primary headlight.
AND i have to recommend the Fenix Anglelight (MC10) as ur general all purpose light. It just rocks. I have it and have been using it for a couple of days and it simply works fine in almost all situations (except for lighting up long distance objects). Extremely comfortable in the hand too as opposed to regular shaped flashlights.
It's an extremely versatile light.

My choices would be:
1. Zebralight (H501w)
2. Fenix MC10
3. Dedicated thrower. Eg: Fenix TK20

Since all the lights i recommended uses AA so well, get AA's.

 

[:)>]

I have done alot of b
ackpacking in the Smokies and waterproofness, efficiency and ruggedness are my priorities. For these reasons, I choose the Ra Clicky as my primary light and I always bring a backup AAA light with long runtimes since it is easier to find AAA batteries than it is to find CR123 batteries; for this, I bring along a Mako... but the Fenix E01 is also hard to beat. I am with Carrot though regarding CR123's.

Other lights that I have found to be exceptional for
backpacking are the:

Surefire E1L
Ra Twisty
Novatac 120P
Quark AA Tactical (I am really liking this light)
McGizmo PD-S
Mushondyt Aeon or Nautilus

Pick any of the lights that I mentioned except for the Mako and the E01 as your primary light and you will be just fine... pick the Ra / HDS Clicky and you will own the best available CR123 light available.

Good luck.

 

[hiuintahs]

I've done a lot of backpacking in years past and we always had headlamps. 20 Years ago I didn't make it back to my basecamp and had to spend the night in the mountains without proper equipment. ....in the Wind River mountains of Wyoming no less. That was the last time I ever went on a hike without a light.

To me having a lightweight hands free light is what is most important when backpacking. Even the slightest amount of light makes all the difference in a forest without the moon.....thus you don't need a thrower.

My favorite is the Princeton Tec EOS but with a modified LED (SSC P4) and a diffused lens so that I get more flood......important when setting up a tent at night or cooking in the dark.....you need your hands free.

I have one of those Zebralights H501 on order right now so I can't comment on it. For backpacking I tend to like more of a flood type light.

Since the AAA lights are so small and lightweight, you definitely want to take along one of those as a backup. I have the Streamlight Microstream but have an ITP A3 EOS on order. The Microstream and my headlamps all use AAA batteries. I like the AA's better for some of my other lights but to keep the weight down on backpacking, I use the AAA lights.

I ended up getting all my kids the Princeton tec Quads as their backpacking lights. They also have the Microstreams too.

I have a spare NIB Microstream on Ebay right now. I bought a bunch for Christmas gifts and this one is an extra one.

 

[travelinman]

Amen to the Zebralight 501! :twothumbs You can't imagine such a tiny, light weight light that can light up a campsite with it's floody beam on high, or a trail on medium (on your head with the headband), or lying in your sleeping bag reading on low. Perfect combination!

Then for checking out if that noise in the bush is just a grouse rooting around for food, or a cougar stalking you camp, you need an Olight M20 Warrior. Small enough to carry in your pocket, but with a beam that will let you pick out a racoon in a tree a couple of hundred yards away, no problem.:wave:

They are my pick.

 

[B0wz3r]

I'll echo the sentiment on going with an AA light. You can get all kinds of cells anywhere, and for a few bucks more you can get a couple 14500 Li-ions that will give you the same power as 2xAA and close to what you'd get with 123's. That means you'll need to make sure the light you get can use the higher voltage 14500s though.

For a specific brand, I've had both Fenixes and Quarks and I prefer the Quarks so far, they give you a great bang for your buck. They're also brighter at equivalent advertised outputs because 4sevens specs out the front lumens while Fenix specs emitter lumens.

4sevens also has some very nice accessories to increase the utility and versatility of their lights. I have a Quark AA R5 as my primary EDC light, and an AA^2 R2 as my backup I keep in my cycling/messenger bag as I bike a lot. I've been very happy with the Quarks so far; they have a great line up and their customer service is top-notch. I think they're knocking off Fenix as the higher level LED value king.

 

[offroadcmpr]

I would recommend a headlamp like the PT EOS and a hand held thrower.
I have no idea how people can go backpacking and not have a headlamp. From setting up a tent, to cooking dinner in the dark, they always come handy.

Most headlamps, especially small headlamps don't throw really well. I went on a night hike a while ago and it involved going off the trail in the snow, and all I had was a small headlamp with partly dead batteries. It made route finding very difficult and was not a good experience.

 

[Kestrel]

I'll echo the sentiment on going with an AA light. You can get all kinds of cells anywhere, and for a few bucks more you can get a couple 14500 Li-ions that will give you the same power as 2xAA and close to what you'd get with 123's. That means you'll need to make sure the light you get can use the higher voltage 14500s though.

That's a pretty good idea - there are two schools of thought (with regards to this aspect, that is) for lights:

1. single-cell for small size - a single 1.2v cell (like 1x AA) can get you ~100 lumens or so
2. larger two-cell lights for higher performance - 2x 1.2v cells (like 2x AA) gets you ~200 lumens or so.

Going to a 3v Lithium (CR123) or a 3.7v LiIon rechargeable cell (like the AA-sized 14500) gets you enough voltage to get 250+ lumens while still keeping the light small.

So therefore, a 1xAA light that can handle a 3.7v 14500 cell can be both small and powerful - and when your rechargeable 14500's are depleted, you can happily run AA's until the end of time for still-decent performance.

 

[drmaxx]

I standardised on AA: GPS, Nightcore D10, Apex, ZL H501, Infinity.
For a hike I take any combination of these, depending on the perceived needs. Benefit: AA has a good performance per weight and I only need one spare set of batteries.

 

[SuperTrouper]

I don't think anyone's mentioned this but the Jetbeam RRT-0 will accept 123A and AA cells, and is a fairly compact light to keep as a backup.

It comes with a small extender tube that you can screw in on the barrel to allow it to accept longer AA batteries. That way you can go with whatever cells you have to hand!

 

[skyfire]

the zebralight seems perfect for camping/hiking. i have a h501w and it is really bright for what it is.

if you already have a setup for cr123a batteries why not go with something like a quark 123x2 or fenix pd30, compact, rugged, very bright, long run times, adjustable outputs, not pricey. how much would a few extra batteries weight anyhow.

as for AA i would recommend the fenix mainly for efficency.
the quark 2xAA is stated to run 1.3 hours at max,
while the fenix LD20 or L2d will get you at least 2 hours on max, of course the quark is brighter, but the fenix is plenty bright, and if brightness is an issue, dont go with AA lights.

 

[Brewer]

I have no idea how people can go backpacking and not have a headlamp. From setting up a tent, to cooking dinner in the dark, they always come handy.

True, but something similar can be achieved if you have a 'reversible' clip and a hat to clip it to.


Remember that backpacking has different meanings too - for some, it's hiking through wilderness, for others it's catching public transport between youth hostels.

If you have 123's already and you believe you can supply your own needs, I'd say go with them - there's no doubt they give better power/runtime/size/weight performance than AAA or AA.

For me AA's are better as I don't already have 123's, and I like to keep the odd (cheap) packet of spares laying around in the camping gear as well as picking up a few extras at outback service stations if required.

 

[pobox1475]

the Jetbeam RRT-0 will accept 123A and AA cells, and is a fairly compact light to keep as a backup.

Clip leaves a lot to be desired. If going with AA's for versatility the add benefit of 123's in the brush is minimal. The extender when not in use is a loose item that can be a hassle and possibly lost. Lastly RRT-0 just too portly compared to I Pro v3.0 for backpacking where grams and ounces count IMHO.

 

[njet212]

Night activities would be general hiking, bushwhacking and all around camp use. It could be a 1-2 day camp or a 7 day camp... which is why I'm looking at Fenix's low mode/long run time lights.

Hey Suuko before giving you a recommendation, i would like to ask some questions which also help to determine what kind flash light light will suit ya.

Do you have preferences on a flashlight light size ( size matter if so what is your maximum size for your flashlight or size doesn't matter ) ?