Which light for night hikes...

[jsl10]

I'm really needing a new flashlight. I need a good flashlight for general purpose use but also I night hike a lot with my dog from my home out on logging trails, etc. We have black bear, coyotes, cougar, etc. so I want something that will light up an area really well say a couple hundred feet out or more. But also have enough general spill light to light up my footing and general area around me when needed. I'd also like the light for scaring off animals if needed. A friend of mine just purchased a Fenix PD30 at a local store. I have not had the chance to see it at night but he seems to like it. I was also looking at the EagleTac T10L also on the web. It shows it being 255 lumen rather than 220 so it's a bit brighter (always a good thing!). But I also really like that it has a belt clip and is rechargeable (both features I would kinda like). For my usage, would that be a good choice? I do like the PD30's strobe that would be good for scaring off animals. So any other suggestions that would be rechargeable have a belt clip, and the strobe feature? Thanks for your input on the T10L or PD30 or ???. I never realized picking a flashlight would be so hard (and FUN!).

 

[roymail]

T10L or PD30 are both good lights but you may also want to consider a Dereelight 18650 light like this one. It uses a rechargeable 18650 lithium battery and has several levels of operation. There are really a number of lights that would suit your purpose. Perhaps a Surefire G3, a Malkoff M60L and 2x17500's. I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions here on the forum.

It all depends on what you really want. There are really lots of good flashlights available at reasonable cost. How about the Lowes TaskForce C cell light... 150 lumens & $30.00

By the way, do you carry a firearm when you go out on those lonely trails at night? Sounds like a potentialy dangerous situation to me... unless your dog will protect you against those varmits.

:welcome:

 

[Marduke]

The PD30 is also rechargable, as most lights are.

 

[carrot]

I am going to recommend you something, and you probably will ignore this advice, but if you ever decide hmm, maybe I should try it anyway you will realize how right I am. You'll also probably think I'm crazy recommending such a "weak" light but here it is.

The SureFire A2.

The low flood is great for walking around and doing a lot of general purpose, which means you won't blow through batteries like crazy. It also means you'll better be able to see the area around you, instead of having to sweep the hotspot (as any other light you might choose to press into service would have you do) allowing you to be more aware of obstacles and dangers.

When you need more light, you kick the A2 into high mode, which is instinctive and dead simple to use (twist further, or press harder on the switch) and you will get a blast of white, regulated incandescent light. It does not get any better than this. Incandescent light has long been seen as the better of the two (LED vs. incandescent) for color rendition, which translates to you being able to see and recognize things in nature (bears, etc) more quickly.

The A2 is the only sub $200 light that combines a low flood with a regulated higher output throw.

http://cpf.carrot.googlepages.com/flashlight_guide#basic_terms

 

[NeonLights]

I am going to recommend you something, and you probably will ignore this advice, but if you ever decide hmm, maybe I should try it anyway you will realize how right I am. You'll also probably think I'm crazy recommending such a "weak" light but here it is.

The SureFire A2.........

That was exactly what I was thinking as well. A good reliable dual-mode light would fit the bill perfectly, in my collection, that would mean either the Surefire A2 or the L1. Use low for regular navigation, and the high beam is a quick press of the switch away. Of course it would be a good idea to carry a backup as well, I'd never depend solely on just one light, no matter what brand it is.

 

[jsl10]

Re: "do you carry a firearm when you go out on those lonely trails at night?"

Yup, I carry a Kimber 45 auto.

Re: "PD30 is also rechargeable"

I didn't realize you can just get rechargeable CR123A's and a charger (proof how new I am to all this). I did read one place that warned that using rechargeable CR123's in a LED flashlight designed for non-rechargeable batteries can damage the LED emitter though. Any truth to that?


Re: "The SureFire A2"

That is an interesting flashlight! At a list price of $199 it's a little more than I can spend. Plus, it only lists the A2 as having 50 lumens. I know there are a lot of factors but that wouldn't nearly light up something as bright as say the T10L or PD30 would it?

 

[lightcacher]

The EagleTac T10C2 is a great light for the woods. We have a six acre wooded area on our property and I test lights there all the time. The T10C2 really shines in the woods on low with it's wide flood and great throw and on high, nothing is going to escape your view. It's now my favorite light.

 

[gilly]

Dereelight CL1H V4. Gives you total flexbility and upgradeability. Can pick different tint emitters / comes with both textured and smooth reflectors / when a new emitter comes out, just buy the new "pill" for ~$30 and screw it in. Dereelight is also working on an MC-E (4-die emitter) for the CL1H - very exciting.

Great customer support with Flashcrazy now an authorized dealer here in the US.

Check out his very informative thread here:

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=186833

 

[carrot]

Well I knew that was the sort of response I would get. I got my first A2 from one of our CPF dealers for $150, and I've seen them sell for as little as $100 on the forums lightly used. Unfortunately as most people (and I am generalizing) who have Surefires do nor have Deree, etc. and vice versa, I am sure there are not many people who can compare them. But there are an extensive amount of threads written on the A2 and if you don't find them by the time I get back (I'm on my phone) I'll dig them up and link you. I also have a Fenix TK10 I can compare it to but I don't really have any capacity for making comparative beamshots.

 

[parnass]

Whatever flashlight you decide to get, make sure you bring a backup flashlight on your night hike. (A spare battery is not a substitute for a spare flashlight.)

 

[The Sun]

this may help you out if you haven't looked yet: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=214238

if you have any questions let me know.:thumbsup:

 

[lightcacher]

Whatever flashlight you decide to get, make sure you bring a backup flashlight on your night hike. (A spare battery is not a substitute for a spare flashlight.)

Exactly, two is one and one is none.

 

[Snow]

I am going to recommend you something, and you probably will ignore this advice, but if you ever decide hmm, maybe I should try it anyway you will realize how right I am. You'll also probably think I'm crazy recommending such a "weak" light but here it is.

The SureFire A2.

The low flood is great for walking around and doing a lot of general purpose, which means you won't blow through batteries like crazy. It also means you'll better be able to see the area around you, instead of having to sweep the hotspot (as any other light you might choose to press into service would have you do) allowing you to be more aware of obstacles and dangers.

When you need more light, you kick the A2 into high mode, which is instinctive and dead simple to use (twist further, or press harder on the switch) and you will get a blast of white, regulated incandescent light. It does not get any better than this. Incandescent light has long been seen as the better of the two (LED vs. incandescent) for color rendition, which translates to you being able to see and recognize things in nature (bears, etc) more quickly.

The A2 is the only sub $200 light that combines a low flood with a regulated higher output throw.

http://cpf.carrot.googlepages.com/flashlight_guide#basic_terms

I'd like to second this recommendation. I'll add that at 50 lumens, the light is pretty underrated, and you can get the Strion mod from Fivemega to make a huge increase in brightness. I've seen 2 A2s for sale on B/S/T for around $100 in the past week.

http://cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=186403

http://cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=187197

The floody low and smooth, white, bright high beam are excellent on this light. Give it a try and if you're disappointed, you can always sell it on B/S/T at little or no loss.

 

[gilly]

In regards to the 'warm' tint of incandescents, LEDs are making progress. The 5A Q3 bins that Dereelight sells are much warmer than your typical LED and are becoming more comparable to incans.

 

[carrot]

I would hardly call the difference between an incandescent and an LED a "tint." Tint suggests something fairly minor.


The threads, as promised:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=165646
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=107943
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=92307

 

[mpk]

Whatever flashlight you decide to get, make sure you bring a backup flashlight on your night hike. (A spare battery is not a substitute for a spare flashlight.)

Having two of the same model might be good too. On a really unlucky day, you can cobble together parts from the two to get a working light.

 

[Jarl]

Strobe doesn't do anything against animals; I've tried it enough times. They just look at you and go "what IS he doing?". And that's against your average cat.... it really won't do anything against an angry bear. I'd personally agree with the A2 recommendation; beautifully engineered light. If you don't want to go for it, consider the jetbeam pro ST, runs off one rechargeable 18650, customisable brightness levels, and a very small form factor for a 18650 light.

 

[Sgt. LED]

A yellow G2 with a Malkoff M60WLLF and primary cells. I haven't NEEDED anything brighter on a hike.

BUT I did have a backup just in case I did! The 2 level E2L is nice too.

 

[mesa232323]

I owned a Sunlite Eagle Turbo and it was stupid bright. Rechargeable, very small. Rated at 220 lumens. I could compare it to my 8 cell mag1164. They have a far projection 8 watt light which I am getting for Christmas. Here is the web site: www.powerledlighting.com I am probably one of the few people on cpf that has owned one because it was only sold through Snap-on for a while. So that should tell you about the quality.

 

[mesa232323]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/581888/10_police_flashlight_hack/ You could also try this. It costs a little more than $10 but It beats the hell out of the Surefire E2:twothumbs Plus its a sleeper