Need recommendations for a good outdoor light

[Brian321]

Ok so i am wanting to buy a good light for the outdoors(hiking,camping), preferably a warm tint LED but maybe an Incan. I prefer medium size with a decent runtime and a decently bright high mode.(single mode only is ok). Lightweight is a plus. My price range is Free-$200.00.

 

[yellow]

makes 2 lights:
all purpose small --> Quark AA, Fenix E01, ...
more powerful while still "small" --> 18650 light like: Jetbeam Jet III, 6P 18650 w insert, 16650 Fenix, ...
and possibly a headlamp

 

[flasherByNight]

I think the TK20 is a favored light by many cpfrs for it's ruggedness and tint quality for outdoors

 

[wingnut86]

There is no such thing as a decent runtime incan except for C or D cell powered :sigh:

My favorite outdoor light is my incan Surefire G2. The 1 hour runtime is the only bad thing. But when I use it 5-6 times a year, that really is no problem.

There are so many good tactical lights out there, but very few Neutral White led lights for the outdoors. I'll suggest any of the Eagletac models with a Neutral white emitter.

In my opinion though, nothing beats an Incan outdoors.

 

[jankj]

I would love to recommend the quarks, but they've run out of neutrals...

Otherwise I love a true LOW mode, the "just-add-some-light" functionality and basically most things about them. Except the disco modes, they should be hidden somewhere you don't find them so easy. (Or you could get the tactical for a simpler interface). The neutrals trows well too, with very nice and useable side spill.

Same story with the neutral quark mini, they've run out of neutrals ...
The mini quark doesn't come close to the full size quarks for throw... The 3 lumens low mode is VERY bright when your eyes are night adjusted. On the plus size is much smaller size and a simpler interface.

For work around camp I'd love to recommend the neutral/warm zebralight H50b headlamp - but they'we run out of neutrals ...
The good news is that the H501 is available in neutral - higher output and a more sophisticated interface than H50/H50b. This light has a lot of followers, but I haven't tried it. I prefer the simpler H50b. But take care to note that the zebralights are not for finding your way in the bush - all flood is great for camp work, but doesn't really cut it when you're trying to decide which track is the right one.

Princeton Tec EOS II is a great throw/flood mix for general purpose outdoors use and in general a very nice headlamp, but the lack of a neutral or warm emitter is a deal killer for me.

The fenix TK20 is a sturdy beast... needlessly heavy and thick for me, just perfect beefy for a comfortable grip for others. Apart from the size my main objection on this light is the lack of a low mode: You have a super bright mode and a almost as bright mode. Why there isn't more spacing between those two modes is beyond me, it would make the light much more useable, with longer run time and all. I guess fenix looked too hard into the "tacticool" specification handbook when they designed the two output levels. That being said, the light is super for what it is and what it does - a very sturdy outdoors thrower.

 

[stallion2]

LX2...coolest light i've ever owned. the tint is outstanding. every other LED light i own makes the LX2 look like an incan. it was a little smaller and WAY lighter than i had anticipated. as a result it has become my EDC. it has the best all-around beam profile of any light i own. get the F04 diffuser if you go w/ this light...provides a 'wall' of light and protects the optic when its in your pocket. personally, i would still take a second higher output light just for the hell of it...but the LX2 is a must for me. the E2DL is also worth looking at. not all that different than the LX2, same internals but w/ a couple smaller details you may find more favorable to the LX2.

 

[bluepilgrim]

You might want some other lights, but for $20 you can get Shining Beam's rc-g2 warm white (SB always seems to take a pretty standard light and jazz it up well). Runs on aa, somewhere around 130 to 160 lumens in my guestimate, with a nice mix of throw and flood -- excellent as a general camp light. I don't know what the Runtime is (you can probably find it on CPF) but if you use rechargables that shouldn't be a problem in camp. I tried mine with a low battery -- common carbon zinc chloride, and it still lit, albeit dimly -- didn't cut out.

One thing to keep in mind in the woods -- the trees and brush limit how far you can see so brighter doesn't necessarily help you. This is the sort of light that seems like it wouldn't be that great compared with some others, but it's the one I find myself actually using more and more.

 

[skyfire]

jetbeam lll M (warm tint) or jetbeam lll pro st (warm tint) or a surefire with a malkoff m60w drop in.

my favorite light is the jet lll M warm tint. its beam is very smooth, can throw very well. the tint is not as warm as an incandesant, its much lighter, but still very yellow, and i love it. i have a quark 123-2 nuetral white as well, and its more warm. i prefer the tint on the jet lll M.

 

[hotlight]

Ok so i am wanting to buy a good light for the outdoors(hiking,camping), preferably a warm tint LED but maybe an Incan. I prefer medium size with a decent runtime and a decently bright high mode.(single mode only is ok). Lightweight is a plus. My price range is Free-$200.00.

if you don't have a headlamp, I'd get a Zebralight(neutral tint of course). Great for setting up camp and up close hands free tasks.... that'll be $60, with the rest of $ get a light that runs off the same type of battery.(yes, 2 lights AT LEAST, ALWAYS)
You'll want another light for at least some "throw".. the ZL headlamp is all flood.
those new SideClick ZLs look interesting. AA version is coming soon?


I'd skip incan if you are hiking/backpacking.... car camping is a different story

 

[Brian321]

if you don't have a headlamp, I'd get a Zebralight(neutral tint of course). Great for setting up camp and up close hands free tasks.... that'll be $60, with the rest of $ get a light that runs off the same type of battery.(yes, 2 lights AT LEAST, ALWAYS)
You'll want another light for at least some "throw".. the ZL headlamp is all flood.
those new SideClick ZLs look interesting. AA version is coming soon?


I'd skip incan if you are hiking/backpacking.... car camping is a different story

I already have a ZL H501, I accidently ordered the cool tint when i bought it, so it will have to do. I was thinking about buying another one for the warm tint but i cant see the point.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

There is no such thing as a decent runtime incan except for C or D cell powered :sigh:

My favorite outdoor light is my incan Surefire G2. The 1 hour runtime is the only bad thing. But when I use it 5-6 times a year, that really is no problem.

There are so many good tactical lights out there, but very few Neutral White led lights for the outdoors. I'll suggest any of the Eagletac models with a Neutral white emitter.

In my opinion though, nothing beats an Incan outdoors.

Need more runtime?

A P90 runs for more than 100 minutes with no noticeable dimming on 2x18650 cells and for over 2 hours with the newer AW 18650 2600mAh cells. You can get even more runtime if you use the SR-9 or ES-9 from Lumens Factory. The MN15 gets two hours and a half in a stock M6 loaded with primaries and almost two hours on any common pair of 18650 Li-Ion cells. These are pretty darn decent runtimes if you ask me.

 

[wingnut86]

Need more runtime?

A P90 runs for more than 100 minutes with no noticeable dimming on 2x18650 cells and for over 2 hours with the newer AW 18650 2600mAh cells. You can get even more runtime if you use the SR-9 or ES-9 from Lumens Factory. The MN15 gets two hours and a half in a stock M6 loaded with primaries and almost two hours on any common pair of 18650 Li-Ion cells. These are pretty darn decent runtimes if you ask me.

When I think of decent runtime I think 3-5 hours or so. I get nearly two hours with my 2D mag running a 5Cell bulb and 6xnimh.

 

[vali]

When I think of decent runtime I think 3-5 hours or so. I get nearly two hours with my 2D mag running a 5Cell bulb and 6xnimh.

For me its a full night.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

When I think of decent runtime I think 3-5 hours or so. I get nearly two hours with my 2D mag running a 5Cell bulb and 6xnimh.

Yeah, I know that. But you can get those runtimes if you use C or D li-ion cells... But I was trying to keep the size under traditional Mags. D cells to me are not practical for hiking.

 

[bluepilgrim]

The thing is, it's a balance between brightness, run time, and power source, where any light is limited to about 150 lumens/watt. I'd think, for me, the best compromise is rechargable AA cells and swapping new ones in during the night, with the question being if I want to go with nimh, nickel zinc, or lithium (and I'm not too fond of lithium because of the hazards and expense they pose).

So figure the lumens you need for normal light, and what you need for throw or bright work light, and what you need for low level like if you don't want to sleep in complete darkness, and then then different lights good for each (which gives you backup and also some light for when you swap fresh batteries in). If you try to use one light for multiple levels then when you want a bright light the batteries might already be drained from running them at low levels for a few hours.

 

[325addict]

recommendation one: forget about LEDs. ALL of them. No matter if neutral or warm white, an incan just rules in the bush-bush

recommendation two: I would buy TWO, or even THREE:

1. a Wolf Eyes M90 Rattlesnake, with the standard Wolf Eyes 9V dropin, this one draws 1.4A and will run for more than 1.5 hours with two excellent AW 18650-2600s. Buy a few extra, and you'll have hours and hours of light. Make sure you have the version with the LED-tailcap, this really adds versatility to the light.

2. for use in your tent: nothing beats an ordinary Mag AA incan! Really! This one exactly has the right brightness. AND it runs for hours on two AAs. Doubles as a back-up for the M90 when in the woods.

3. You still have budget for a headlamp! I would buy a Petzl Duo. Excellent for pitching up your tent: you'll have two hands to work with

I think you'll have these three lights for under $200,- and you won't regret the buying of one of these, I'm sure!

These three lights are tried, tested and approved by me
I took no less than EIGHT flashlights into the woods as a test, the clear winner was the WE M90 Rattlesnake.

ALL LEDs proved utterly worthless in this test. Spooky black & white world :shakehead
All colors like dark green and dark brown seem BLACK. And I can tell you: the majority of things in the woods have these colors
Really, you'll have more use for a 100 Lumen incan than for a 200 Lumen LED-light....

Just my two cents... you won't regret the purchase of these lights!


Timmo.

 

[yellow]

wonder why there are so much threads in led and so few in incan sub-forum, when incans are this much better

... in smaller and up to "almost EDC"-size (thats up to 1*18650 / 2*CR123) nothing beats a led light.
And this can also be multilevel, a must in EDC, undoable with incan.

then: 2*18650 @ 1.4 A, thats about the power of a 9N.
Sience modding my 6P to led - more than 2 years ago - my 8X and 9N rest in peace, they simply are not in that output class, much bigger than the 1*18650 light and run for half the time
(PS: 8X and 9N use 3600 mA Sub C sticks, runtime of 9N is 1 hour 15-20 mins with such)
it is still my main MTB light (and I just come back from a full trail snowride at 1 deg. F)

... when one likes the output of a led, feel lucky
and in backpacking there no discussion: small size, long runtime (as in less spare batts) --> main points

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

recommendation one: forget about LEDs. ALL of them. No matter if neutral or warm white, an incan just rules in the bush-bush

recommendation two: I would buy TWO, or even THREE:

1. a Wolf Eyes M90 Rattlesnake, with the standard Wolf Eyes 9V dropin, this one draws 1.4A and will run for more than 1.5 hours with two excellent AW 18650-2600s. Buy a few extra, and you'll have hours and hours of light. Make sure you have the version with the LED-tailcap, this really adds versatility to the light.

2. for use in your tent: nothing beats an ordinary Mag AA incan! Really! This one exactly has the right brightness. AND it runs for hours on two AAs. Doubles as a back-up for the M90 when in the woods.

3. You still have budget for a headlamp! I would buy a Petzl Duo. Excellent for pitching up your tent: you'll have two hands to work with

I think you'll have these three lights for under $200,- and you won't regret the buying of one of these, I'm sure!

These three lights are tried, tested and approved by me
I took no less than EIGHT flashlights into the woods as a test, the clear winner was the WE M90 Rattlesnake.

ALL LEDs proved utterly worthless in this test. Spooky black & white world :shakehead
All colors like dark green and dark brown seem BLACK. And I can tell you: the majority of things in the woods have these colors
Really, you'll have more use for a 100 Lumen incan than for a 200 Lumen LED-light....

Just my two cents... you won't regret the purchase of these lights!


Timmo.

+1!

Great post!

Don't forget about the Black Diamond SUPERNOVA, the only regulated incandescent headlight. It's a hybrid-light just the SureFire A2 Aviator.

Cheers.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

wonder why there are so much threads in led and so few in incan sub-forum, when incans are this much better

... in smaller and up to "almost EDC"-size (thats up to 1*18650 / 2*CR123) nothing beats a led light.
And this can also be multilevel, a must in EDC, undoable with incan.

then: 2*18650 @ 1.4 A, thats about the power of a 9N.
Sience modding my 6P to led - more than 2 years ago - my 8X and 9N rest in peace, they simply are not in that output class, much bigger than the 1*18650 light and run for half the time
(PS: 8X and 9N use 3600 mA Sub C sticks, runtime of 9N is 1 hour 15-20 mins with such)
it is still my main MTB light (and I just come back from a full trail snowride at 1 deg. F)

... when one likes the output of a led, feel lucky
and in backpacking there no discussion: small size, long runtime (as in less spare batts) --> main points

That's simple. The LED forum is full of easily-impressed noobs (at least 80% of the traffic in there) who just got into this hobby (they are like: " cot dayum, this new bluish-light sure looks futuristic, so it must be better). And the rest are geeks and nerds obsessing over new "hot" toys of the week. Every time I read the LED section, Star Trek Fans and the "40-Year Old Virgin" film comes to mind. The Incandescent Section is where the CPF's brightest minds and hardcore veterans are, check it out. Elites are always a minority, hence the lower traffic...

 

[vali]

recommendation one: forget about LEDs. ALL of them. No matter if neutral or warm white, an incan just rules in the bush-bush

Unless you want to be out more than a couple of hours or by "outdoors" you mean "Backpacking".

Yes, incans have great colour rendering, but thats all. If you want runtime, lightweight and forget about broken bulbs, then get a LED.

You know the pros and cons of each type, now you can decide yourself.