Slvgx
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- May 4, 2005
- Messages
- 4
Hello all! I'm rather uninformed about the world of flashlights though I have posted on here a few years ago for a recommendation and ended up buying a Nuwai Q III, which worked out well for me but it's busted now and I'm looking for a replacement. I suppose I'm looking for something similar like last time, the "Spyderco Delica" of flashlights.
I also currently use a Black Diamond Spot LED Headlamp, which I have no idea how that is regarded by the experts on here, but I've liked it thus far and not necessarily looking to replace it. I'm mostly just looking to check out my options on the headlamp but in no hurry to get a new one. My only beef with the Black Diamond Spot is that it uses 3x AAA, and my old Nuwai Q III used CR123As so I had to double up on extra batteries in my pack. I assume most recommendations for the pocket light will be using CR123 batteries, so I'm also curious on any decent lightweight headlamps that use CR123s as it'll just be easier to have both my lights using the same batteries. I don't need anything super fancy for exploring the blackest abyss, mostly for just around camp after the sun's gone down, but I'd also like it to be able to illuminate the trail for a couple hours just in case I'm still trekking after the sun has gone down and I need to make it to the next site. I'd also like a spot and flood function like the Spot has. I'm hoping for something in the $50 range, maybe a little over if it's worth it, but under $80.
Thanks in advance for the help!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recommend a Flashlight Checklist:
(Don't worry about all the questions, just the ones you feel strongly about!)
Short Essay Question: What do you intend to use this light for?
I'm looking for one pocket flashlight that can be brought with as my backup to my headlamp for backcountry backpacking and also be used as an EDC for urban environments. Mostly something that I can keep in my bag all the time and be ready when the need arises. The main requirements I'm looking for are:
-Lightweight (every gram counts when backpacking!).
-Adjustable modes to save battery life while out on the trail.
-Water resistant (doesn't need to be waterproof or able to be fully submerged or anything)
0) What Region/Country/State will the light be purchased in?
X____I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.
X____I am in North America. More precisely I am in Chicago.
____I am in South America. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Europe. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in the Middle East. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Africa. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Asia, Japan or Micronesia. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Australia. More precisely I am in _______________.
1) Price Range: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!
Same as the headlamp looking for around $50, but can go up to $80
____I only want to pay $1-10.
____I can spend $15-30.
X____I could spend $40-60.
____I am willing to spend $80-$120.
____I have no limit!
2) Format:
X____I want a flashlight.
____I want a headlamp.
____I want a lantern.
____I want a portable spotlight.
3) Length:
____I don't care.
____1-2 inches. (Keychain sized)
X____2-4 inches. (Pocket carry)
____4-9 inches. (Holster carry)
4) Width:
X____I don't care.
____I prefer a long narrow light.
____I prefer a short wide light.
5) What batteries do you want to use? Alkaline batteries are easier to find and less expensive but don't pack as much stored energy and are don't work well in cold temperatures. Lithium batteries have long shelf life (10+ years, great for stored emergency lights) and are not as affected by cold but must be kept dry and are more expensive. Rechargeable start expensive, but if used frequently pay off quickly.
Being able to use rechargeable batteries would be nice, but not crucial.
____I want common Alkaline batteries. (AA, AAA, C, D)
X____I want lithium batteries. (coin cells, CR123, AAA, AA...)
____I want a rechargeable system. (an investment, but best for everyday use)
6) How much light do you want? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).
X____I want to read a map, or find a light switch, in a dark room. (5-10 lumens)
X____I want to walk around a generally paved area. (15-20 lumens)
X____I want to walk unpaved trails. (40 lumens)
X____I want to do Caving or Search & Rescue operations. (60+ lumens)
____I want to light an entire campground or dazzle an intruder. (100+ lumens)
7) Throw vs Flood: Which do you prefer, lights that flood an area with a wide beam, or lights that "throw" with a tightly focused beam? Place an "X" on the line below.
Throw (distance)--------------X--------|----------------------Flood/close-up
8) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims (like some LED lights). but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries.
____20 min. (I want the brightest light for brief periods)
X____60-240 min. (1-2 hours)
X____240-360 min. (4-6 hours)
____360+ min. (More than 6 hours)
9) Durability: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.
____Not Important (A "night-stand" light.)
____Slightly Important (Walks around the neighborhood.)
X____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box.)
____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Self-defense, Survival.)
8) Switch Type:
Doesn't matter too much, but I did like the clickie on my Nuwaii Q III.
X____I don't care.
____I want a sliding switch. (Stays on until slid back.)
X____I want a "clickie" switch. (Stays on until pressed again.)
____I want a momentary switch. (Only stays on while held down.)
9) Switch Location:
X____I don't care.
____I want a push or sliding switch on the body near the head.
____I want a push switch on the back end of the body.
____I want a rotating head switch.
____I want a rotating end-cap switch.
____I want a remote control.
10) Operational Modes: Check all that apply.
Strobe is not crucial, but could be helpful.
____A simple on-off is fine for me.
X____I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
X____I want multiple light levels. (some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
X____I want a strobe mode. (blinks to show location.)
____I want a tactical strobe. (Flashes rapidly to disorient an opponent.)
11) Is it important whether the body is metal or plastic/composite?
X____I don't care.
____I want a metal-bodied light.
____I want a plastic/composite light.
12) Special Needs: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Circle any below or write in your own comment(s).
As long as it can hold up to outdoors use and handle a splash of water.
____Red (night vision preserving) filter
____Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________)
X____Waterproof – how deep: _____________
____Non-reflective/dark finish (stealthy/hard to find)
____Polished silver or brightly colored finish (for easy locating)
X____Corrosion resistant or hard-anodized finish
____"Hybrid" light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs)
____Built-in second (or spare) lamp or filament
____Belt/Jacket clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Kobuton/self defense features
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments
I also currently use a Black Diamond Spot LED Headlamp, which I have no idea how that is regarded by the experts on here, but I've liked it thus far and not necessarily looking to replace it. I'm mostly just looking to check out my options on the headlamp but in no hurry to get a new one. My only beef with the Black Diamond Spot is that it uses 3x AAA, and my old Nuwai Q III used CR123As so I had to double up on extra batteries in my pack. I assume most recommendations for the pocket light will be using CR123 batteries, so I'm also curious on any decent lightweight headlamps that use CR123s as it'll just be easier to have both my lights using the same batteries. I don't need anything super fancy for exploring the blackest abyss, mostly for just around camp after the sun's gone down, but I'd also like it to be able to illuminate the trail for a couple hours just in case I'm still trekking after the sun has gone down and I need to make it to the next site. I'd also like a spot and flood function like the Spot has. I'm hoping for something in the $50 range, maybe a little over if it's worth it, but under $80.
Thanks in advance for the help!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recommend a Flashlight Checklist:
(Don't worry about all the questions, just the ones you feel strongly about!)
Short Essay Question: What do you intend to use this light for?
I'm looking for one pocket flashlight that can be brought with as my backup to my headlamp for backcountry backpacking and also be used as an EDC for urban environments. Mostly something that I can keep in my bag all the time and be ready when the need arises. The main requirements I'm looking for are:
-Lightweight (every gram counts when backpacking!).
-Adjustable modes to save battery life while out on the trail.
-Water resistant (doesn't need to be waterproof or able to be fully submerged or anything)
0) What Region/Country/State will the light be purchased in?
X____I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.
X____I am in North America. More precisely I am in Chicago.
____I am in South America. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Europe. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in the Middle East. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Africa. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Asia, Japan or Micronesia. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Australia. More precisely I am in _______________.
1) Price Range: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!
Same as the headlamp looking for around $50, but can go up to $80
____I only want to pay $1-10.
____I can spend $15-30.
X____I could spend $40-60.
____I am willing to spend $80-$120.
____I have no limit!
2) Format:
X____I want a flashlight.
____I want a headlamp.
____I want a lantern.
____I want a portable spotlight.
3) Length:
____I don't care.
____1-2 inches. (Keychain sized)
X____2-4 inches. (Pocket carry)
____4-9 inches. (Holster carry)
4) Width:
X____I don't care.
____I prefer a long narrow light.
____I prefer a short wide light.
5) What batteries do you want to use? Alkaline batteries are easier to find and less expensive but don't pack as much stored energy and are don't work well in cold temperatures. Lithium batteries have long shelf life (10+ years, great for stored emergency lights) and are not as affected by cold but must be kept dry and are more expensive. Rechargeable start expensive, but if used frequently pay off quickly.
Being able to use rechargeable batteries would be nice, but not crucial.
____I want common Alkaline batteries. (AA, AAA, C, D)
X____I want lithium batteries. (coin cells, CR123, AAA, AA...)
____I want a rechargeable system. (an investment, but best for everyday use)
6) How much light do you want? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).
X____I want to read a map, or find a light switch, in a dark room. (5-10 lumens)
X____I want to walk around a generally paved area. (15-20 lumens)
X____I want to walk unpaved trails. (40 lumens)
X____I want to do Caving or Search & Rescue operations. (60+ lumens)
____I want to light an entire campground or dazzle an intruder. (100+ lumens)
7) Throw vs Flood: Which do you prefer, lights that flood an area with a wide beam, or lights that "throw" with a tightly focused beam? Place an "X" on the line below.
Throw (distance)--------------X--------|----------------------Flood/close-up
8) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims (like some LED lights). but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries.
____20 min. (I want the brightest light for brief periods)
X____60-240 min. (1-2 hours)
X____240-360 min. (4-6 hours)
____360+ min. (More than 6 hours)
9) Durability: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.
____Not Important (A "night-stand" light.)
____Slightly Important (Walks around the neighborhood.)
X____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box.)
____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Self-defense, Survival.)
8) Switch Type:
Doesn't matter too much, but I did like the clickie on my Nuwaii Q III.
X____I don't care.
____I want a sliding switch. (Stays on until slid back.)
X____I want a "clickie" switch. (Stays on until pressed again.)
____I want a momentary switch. (Only stays on while held down.)
9) Switch Location:
X____I don't care.
____I want a push or sliding switch on the body near the head.
____I want a push switch on the back end of the body.
____I want a rotating head switch.
____I want a rotating end-cap switch.
____I want a remote control.
10) Operational Modes: Check all that apply.
Strobe is not crucial, but could be helpful.
____A simple on-off is fine for me.
X____I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
X____I want multiple light levels. (some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
X____I want a strobe mode. (blinks to show location.)
____I want a tactical strobe. (Flashes rapidly to disorient an opponent.)
11) Is it important whether the body is metal or plastic/composite?
X____I don't care.
____I want a metal-bodied light.
____I want a plastic/composite light.
12) Special Needs: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Circle any below or write in your own comment(s).
As long as it can hold up to outdoors use and handle a splash of water.
____Red (night vision preserving) filter
____Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________)
X____Waterproof – how deep: _____________
____Non-reflective/dark finish (stealthy/hard to find)
____Polished silver or brightly colored finish (for easy locating)
X____Corrosion resistant or hard-anodized finish
____"Hybrid" light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs)
____Built-in second (or spare) lamp or filament
____Belt/Jacket clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Kobuton/self defense features
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments
