So I recently purchased a Surefire G2 and a Saint Minimus. Before this, my nicest flashlights have been a mini maglite and a small gerber infinity ultra for backup purposes.
Last night I had the opportunity to test them both on a very dark and wet hiking trail near Point Reyes in California. Here's my impressions:
Although the stars were out in full effect and the sky was mostly clear, underneath the tree canopy it tends to get very very dark quickly. We decided to head back a bit early, and so I found myself a little bummed that I wouldn't be able to try the lights since daylight was plentiful. These lights however are only supposed to be used for emergencies, so I told myself that not having to use them was indeed a good thing. As we pressed on however, twilight came upon us quickly.
We continued on, winding back and forth on the trail. At some point we must have started descending because we quickly found ourselves under a very thick tree canopy. After my companion stumbled, I realized I had been following the trail by listening to the stream running along side of the trail more than by using my eyes. I requested that we stop and grab the lights.
The temperature was dropping rapidly, and what was a sunny and fairly warm day 40 minutes before had turned into a very damp, dark and cold night. By the time I wrestled the Minimus, G2L and petzl tikka 2 plus out of my pack, It was pitch black; no stars were visible from under the tree canopy.
I should say while I'm not afraid of the dark or the woods, I was once chased for a short distance by a mountain lion not far from where we were hiking about 10 years ago, so having the lights was nice. With the minimus secured on my head, I switched it on. Let there be light...
At the lowest setting the pitch suddenly turned into a puddle, which I could now avoid stepping in. I had plenty of light to see my footing. As I turned the dial up, the blackness became illuminted farther and farther out. I could see everything perfectly on the trail, the gentle flood spilling to the sides and also illuminating the trees above. It was cold enough and damp enough, the only thing effecting my vision was my breath shining in the bright flood of the minimus.
In short the minimus was amazing. Even at the lowest setting, I had plenty of light to manouver. With the light at the halfway detent, I could see clearly down the trail. At full blast, the minius really reaches far for a flood. It never really becomes a WOW bright level, but is about as bright as you would need without being blinding.
The quality of the Minimus becomes even more aparent when you switch on the Petzl. Sure the Petzl is bright enough, and comfortable enough. While it has a bit more throw than the minimus, the focused beam just kills your night vision. And while the petzl is a pain to turn on and off, the smooth controls of the minimus are just instinctive.
The G2 I don't have much to say about. It's small, it's light, and it shines very brightly. It has plenty of throw, and makes the perfect addition to the minimus's flood.
Basically the lights worked fantastic. We even ran into a few hikers that were without lights and we helped them find their way.
I couldn't be happier with my lights, I'm returning the Petzl. I think these Surefire's will last me a long time.
-Freq
Last night I had the opportunity to test them both on a very dark and wet hiking trail near Point Reyes in California. Here's my impressions:
Although the stars were out in full effect and the sky was mostly clear, underneath the tree canopy it tends to get very very dark quickly. We decided to head back a bit early, and so I found myself a little bummed that I wouldn't be able to try the lights since daylight was plentiful. These lights however are only supposed to be used for emergencies, so I told myself that not having to use them was indeed a good thing. As we pressed on however, twilight came upon us quickly.
We continued on, winding back and forth on the trail. At some point we must have started descending because we quickly found ourselves under a very thick tree canopy. After my companion stumbled, I realized I had been following the trail by listening to the stream running along side of the trail more than by using my eyes. I requested that we stop and grab the lights.
The temperature was dropping rapidly, and what was a sunny and fairly warm day 40 minutes before had turned into a very damp, dark and cold night. By the time I wrestled the Minimus, G2L and petzl tikka 2 plus out of my pack, It was pitch black; no stars were visible from under the tree canopy.
I should say while I'm not afraid of the dark or the woods, I was once chased for a short distance by a mountain lion not far from where we were hiking about 10 years ago, so having the lights was nice. With the minimus secured on my head, I switched it on. Let there be light...
At the lowest setting the pitch suddenly turned into a puddle, which I could now avoid stepping in. I had plenty of light to see my footing. As I turned the dial up, the blackness became illuminted farther and farther out. I could see everything perfectly on the trail, the gentle flood spilling to the sides and also illuminating the trees above. It was cold enough and damp enough, the only thing effecting my vision was my breath shining in the bright flood of the minimus.
In short the minimus was amazing. Even at the lowest setting, I had plenty of light to manouver. With the light at the halfway detent, I could see clearly down the trail. At full blast, the minius really reaches far for a flood. It never really becomes a WOW bright level, but is about as bright as you would need without being blinding.
The quality of the Minimus becomes even more aparent when you switch on the Petzl. Sure the Petzl is bright enough, and comfortable enough. While it has a bit more throw than the minimus, the focused beam just kills your night vision. And while the petzl is a pain to turn on and off, the smooth controls of the minimus are just instinctive.
The G2 I don't have much to say about. It's small, it's light, and it shines very brightly. It has plenty of throw, and makes the perfect addition to the minimus's flood.
Basically the lights worked fantastic. We even ran into a few hikers that were without lights and we helped them find their way.
I couldn't be happier with my lights, I'm returning the Petzl. I think these Surefire's will last me a long time.
-Freq
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