what light for a forest ranger in Maine?

[harebawl]

I live in Maine and run hounds 3-4 nights a week. I do not think you can beat a DD 3C mag w/ 3watt lux. I have had to build 5-6 of these things for exeryone that has seen it! It is unbelievably bright, good run time, and the dimminishing output never leaves you stranded in the dark!

I used to replace my stock mag batteries every 2-3 weeks, and that was suffering with a dingy brown/amber colored light for a week and a half..... This thing has ubelievable throw and the white light is awesome...everyone seems to prefer the TWAK/TWOK binned emitters for color.

The 3C won't run as long as the 3D, but it's a nice size you can fit in your back/front pocket if need be. Battery life with occasional usage will be in the months, not days!

I believe 3rd_shift is making these now at a good price. He won't be disappointed, I promise.

 

[bjn70]

Hans- there are some alternatives from Streamlight- the TwinTasks and the 2L Tasklight both offer multiple levels of light. I plan to buy a 2L Tasklight for camping mainly because it does offer 2 levels of brightness.

 

[Roy]

The Nuwai ALX-352L Lux V and ALX-032L Lux III have three level switches, but use two 123 Li batteries. Unless he has easy access to the internet and is willing to buy 20 x 123's at a time, the 123 batteries can be expesive to use.

 

[jayflash]

I, too, will throw (or spill) in my $.02 for two types of light. Having spent lots of time in the woods at night, I'll vouch for a dimmer light for close up that doesn't dazzle your night vision. The UKE eLED sounds like a winner in that regard, especially if the light gets used a lot. An ultra G or similar can also be adequate for dark adapted hiking. A headlight with flood/spot capabilities is another winner, in my book.

And then you need throw, too. Normally throw isn't needed as much as flood, so a smaller 2 X 123 incan would make a nice companion to the other light.

Since you don't want to go broke, get one light with the combined features. Lots of good ideas here, but I wanted to emphasize the need for both flood & throw being necessary in the woods, mountains, etc.

 

[Phaserburn]

Normally, I wouldn't suggest the Everled/Mag combo considering other options out there. But, in this case, it might be good. A 3C/D will have tons of runtime, be brighter and regulated. It will also be affordably replaced in case the host Mag bites the dust in the line of duty. Depending on his flashaholic attitude, he might appreciate the "stealth" of this light.

 

[scudinc]

3D Mag with a regulated Diamond drop-in and a UK 4AA. Maybe a PT Surge on top of those two for when absurd amounts of throw are needed, and possibly even a SL Jr. Luxeon to go in between the UK and the Mag. You could get all of that for ~$120

 

[BlindedByTheLite]

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