Need Help Designing The ULTIMATE BOV-Maglite

I've had this idea in the back of my head for a while and am looking for input from you guys on what the specs should be for my ULTIMATE BOV (Bug Out Vehicle) Maglite.

The image below may help or may confuse what I'm thinking of.

Basically I want to take a Maglite 3-D cell (seem to be most common) and cut it off just below the switch with only enough room to pack the new power supply into it.

The bottom half of the light will get a slug pressed into it that will thread the two pieces back together and allow access to change batteries in the top half.

The bottom cap will allow access to what ever survival gear the user wants to put in there.

The bottom half will be water proof.

So help me out here OK?

++++++


SPECS:

• Lamp system - Needs to be LED, long run time with a middle ground between throw and area illumination.
  
• Power source - Needs to be something I can find at a Bi-Mart. No rechargeables.
  
• Survival gear - What would you put in it? Remember we are talking somewhere in the 1-1/4"x5-1/2" size range on a three D-cell light. Will depend on the new power source, but I'm being generous and giving up a D-cell of space for it.
  
• Anything else I'm not thinking of?

A 6D would be better for storage.

From my own (incomplete) list of SHTF survival gear... ideas I've accumulated over the last few years:

Attach a good length of paracord (50 feet, nicely wrapped or braided so you can easily unbraid it) to the end. Paracord could come in very handy, from triggering traps to making

Things to put inside:
* Arc-AA / Infinity Ultra plus a few spare lithium batteries -- this is your long-running emergency light
* Photon Freedom Micro -- one white, and one of your choice between these colors: red, orange or yellow (red/orange/yellow have much longer runtime because they use a different battery -- supposedly 10x the runtime) -- for signalling
* a good length of strong fishing line and at least 3 heavy duty hooks, wrapped up carefully
* a good locking knife (Benchmade Mini-Griptilian 556 comes to mind, but maybe a knife enthusiast has a better idea) -- two is better! -- you want a very durable knife -- drop point style is good
* Doan magnesium fire starter
* emergency whistles, one for each member of your group
* small spool of thin steel wire (not sure what gauge) -- making nooses and snares to catch birds, lizards, other small animals
* a few (P-36) military can openers -- you want the genuine stuff
* Pry Baby (so you don't ruin your knife prematurely)
* lots of cash, in small denominations (tens, twenties)

In a pill container, or several, all labeled:
* potassium iodide "nuke" pills
* water purification tablets -- in handy personal size
* birth control -- morning after pills, condoms (great for bartering, if you don't need them yourself)
* headache/migrane medication
* whatever meds you really need

Things that won't fit but you'll want em anyway.
* WOOL clothing. In a survival situation, nothing but wool will suffice. (actually, someone once said large "blankets" of wool are better than wool clothing, just learn how to do wraps and such)
* lexan/polycarbonate signalling mirror (learn how to use this!)
* duct tape -- not really sure where to put that, but it's useful
* egg carton firestarters
*several Nalgene "indestructable" 1-liter water bottles with (good) carabiners for belt carry
* good mylar laminated "rip-stop" space blankets // several Land/Shark bags (one for each person)
* knife sharpening tools -- might fit in Maglite, might not.


Optional things:
* Fisher "Bullet" Space Pen and Rite in Rain notebook
* Bic lighter -- to seal paracord ends when you cut them, but not necessary since you have fire-making tools anyway
* Swedish firesteel -- redundancy
* heavy tinfoil -- you don't *need* it, but it's easier and good for cooking -- also good for signalling
* lots of GORP (good old raisins and peanuts) -- otherwise, you'll have to catch your own food. -- Datrex emergency rations look good too.

Things for inside your head:
* learn how to do knots. learn how to do them blindfolded, in the dark. learn what each knot is good for.
* learn signalling techniques
* learn how to make a "pepsi can stove"
* what's edible and what's not locally

Oh, and I figured this all out during Physics class. I got bored.

Good stuff carrot! Yeah, ya can always go bigger.

Great post carrot

There was this post on Slashdot that gave me a few ideas. Look for all the comments by the user "kfg" (just ctrl-f or cmd-f for his name) -- those are the most useful and productive ideas. He sounds like a bit of a nut, but you can't help but notice his survival information is pretty good.

Don't forget a plastic trash bag! The ultimate "engineer's raincoat!"

Funny, I posted on CPF expecting LED mod info and got Survival stuff so far. I webmaster a new survival forum for a guy at http://sosforums.com that is pretty good info without the tinfoil if anyone is interested.

If my post over their gets LED mod responses, I will have to start drinlking again.

See these links for kit contants

Altoids Tin Kit

Field & Stream

Bogie said:

See these links for kit contants

Altoids Tin Kit

Field & Stream

Click to expand...

I want to know wtf the birthday candle is doing in the Altoids kit.

And a real knife is better than a SAK -- you definitely want a locking blade for the magnesium firestarter -- use the back of the blade!

I like the saw idea, but if I were making an urban SHTF altoids kit, it'd be a slightly condensed version of what I've got listed above. (Yes, I'm almost positive most of that stuff will fit.)

Someone asked me if I was serious about carrying birth control. Yes. Even in some emergency survival situation (aftermath of Katrina, for instance), people fornicate and make bad decisions. It'll be of great help if you find the need to barter for something (same with money, otherwise, money is useless to you). That, and a condom plus a sock (you want wool, remember?) will make a decent water carrier in a pinch. (Mmm, strawberry-lube flavored water!)

Saves matches. Trick candles are wind proof.

I'm thinking this is just for fun, right?

Because a 'survival' flashlight kind of strikes me like those cheesy 'survival' knives that were all the rage about 15 years ago: too small a storage space for anything really worthwhile, and an answer to a question that is rarely asked.

Better to just get a waterproof hardcase and load that sucker down with all the gear, plus the intact flashlight. Heavens, that teensy little space wouldn't be nuttin' compared to the space you'd have in a cheap .50 caliber ammo can, and those can be had cheaply. For more money you can get a nicer case from a number of sporting goods outlets. If you do this, you don't have to worry about 'this or that' storage ideology as much as you can concentrate on 'this and that' ideology.

Don't get me wrong. I'm certainly not shooting anybody down at all, just putting down my .02. While these ideas are nice, you're robbing peter to pay paul here, taking away some the flashlight's functionality for some other purpose, neither of which is fulfilled as good as it could be.

My idea of the best BO maglite would be a 6D running the 'strongest' batteries available along with a Lux 1 bulb for runtime. I want something that'll run for days in the worst scenario: no batteries available to me.

Sleestak,
You busted me. It's for fun, but for real also. It's like a mini-altoid kit in a flashlight.

You guys are suppose to be helping me with the long running LED using common batteries in a small area (what's left of the maglight tube) not so much the "survival" part. LOL

That's why I was thinking 3 D-cell, basically it will have an "urban" survival kit in it and way to make fire.

I just want to play on my lathe. OK? Is that so wrong? :mecry:

Sleestak said:

I'm thinking this is just for fun, right?

Because a 'survival' flashlight kind of strikes me like those cheesy 'survival' knives that were all the rage about 15 years ago: too small a storage space for anything really worthwhile, and an answer to a question that is rarely asked.

Better to just get a waterproof hardcase and load that sucker down with all the gear, plus the intact flashlight. Heavens, that teensy little space wouldn't be nuttin' compared to the space you'd have in a cheap .50 caliber ammo can, and those can be had cheaply. For more money you can get a nicer case from a number of sporting goods outlets. If you do this, you don't have to worry about 'this or that' storage ideology as much as you can concentrate on 'this and that' ideology.

Don't get me wrong. I'm certainly not shooting anybody down at all, just putting down my .02. While these ideas are nice, you're robbing peter to pay paul here, taking away some the flashlight's functionality for some other purpose, neither of which is fulfilled as good as it could be.

Click to expand...

I agree. You can't fit everything into a Maglite, but you can get enough stuff that you won't be completely screwed, I think. Better half prepared than not at all.

And, who's Peter and Paul?

carrot said:

And, who's Peter and Paul?

Click to expand...

That's an old saying meaning to take something from one thing to give to another thing, with no net gain.


Oregonshooter, I gotta be honest with you and tell you that the idea of a separated storage compartment actually does have me rather intrigued, but not for storage of bugout supplies. Well, actually/kinda bugout supplies. See, one of the harder things hit in the true SHTF scenarios is the supply of batteries. During the hurricanes down here there wasn't a battery to be found anywhere. Thus, your idea is actually very interesting to me in that you could do a simple Lux 1 conversion of a 4D/5D mag that would be powered by a single D-cell, while at the same time containing its very own dedicated resupply capabilities. You might be able to pull off the modification so that you don't lose battery space; i.e., you don't have to make a 3D out of a 4D to do this conversion.

Folks tend to beg batteries off of you if they know you have them, especially when they're in nice, shiny store packs. I learned this the hard way. But if they were inside the flashlight, out of sight and out of mind, and that flashlight worked just like an ordinary flashlight...

Oh, and by the way, *any* excuse to play on a lathe is a good one if you ask me.:naughty:

equipped.org is a site dedicated to survival stuff. The small-survival-kit flashlight that most of them use over there is the Photon II. Next thing up would be a Gerber Ultra or (these days) Fenix L1[p], or a compact headlamp like a PT Aurora (which also has signalling capabilities). As flashaholics we're obsessed with lumens and runtime but in the real world it's just not that important. Whenever I've gone camping I've never needed a flashlight for more than a few minutes per night (find way back to tent etc). One AA cell in an Ultra-G type light will last for months at that rate. Unless you're teleported to Gilligan's Island or something, anyplace where you have a way of getting food, you'll also be able to scrounge an AA cell once in a while. They're the most common batteries in the world. Also, since you're talking about a vehicle deployment, don't forget a nimh charger that plugs into the cig lighter socket. So, I see this 3D mag idea as impractical.

I'll bite!
Take a 3D or 4D Mag apart and remove the huge switch! Make a heat sink that fits juuuuust under the Mag reflector (cut off stem on the bottom) I think Elektrolumens sells the sinks for a few bucks. Get a Fenix L1P and drill/thread a hole into the heat sink to hold the Luxeon/electrics insert of the L1P. Don't use the optics, just the "pill" inside the light. Thread the "pill" into the heat sink and adjust for correct focus. Run wires to the + and - leads of the pill and run to a small 2 amp switch. Solder a 1/4 or 1/2 watt variable resistor across the switch so you can set low for a looooong runtime.
Since there is a small 2 amp switch to adjust the light level, add another one to turn it on/off. Put a spring on the + point so the next thing will not suffer shock. Get one of Modamag's "parallel 4AA to 1D battery adapters" wired in parallel for 1.7V when loaded with 4 AA cells. This is your "whatever AA (alkaline/lithium/rechargable) batteries laying around or a single D if you have one to run. Since you are ordering from Modamag, get a bored 3D Mag from him so the 4AA to 1D battery adapter will fit any size AA batteries.
Since you have a lathe, cut out some of the excess aluminum in the head of the Mag. Store your pills behind the reflector since you have the space. Now to use your lathe to thread the body but I would do it externally. The bored Mag would need to be a bit stronger for threading so thread it externally. Use a matching internally threaded tube to be screwed on outside the body. This will allow an adjustable disc used for your negative contact. Adjust for correct contact when screwing threaded tube to the head. Then thread the bottom half of the Mag externally to screw into the tube. Now you have 2D size (or more) for all sorts of things. It will be strong enough to be used as a beating weapon if need be.
Runtime on max would be around 16 hours or days if you adjust the brightness back with the variable resistor. A D cell should give more runtime although the lithiums are great for shelf life. Wrap the entire body of the light with duct tape to store the tape as space is at a premium. It will make the barrel larger but aids in grip, stores the tape and it will look hideous enough to keep people from borrowing your ugly *** light.
Having all the basic crap in a flashlight is a good idea, little Swiss Army keychain knife would fit as a second knife with tweezers, scissors and file. Put a lanyard on the thing so you won't drop it or wear around you neck if needed. Always nice to have some spare parachute cord.
It would not be too hard to make since you have a lathe. BTW, a Fenix L2 head would probably be better since it is more efficient, gives better regulation, longer runtime and runs on one cell.
Just various ramblings...

BentHeadTX ,

Thanks.. I think? I'll have my flashlight friend translate for me. LOL

Here's a simpler way to do it.

Terralux makes a couple of drop-in LED modules for the Minimag which are regulated. The TLE-5 uses a one watt luxeon with an output of 40 lumens IIRC. They also have a TLE-10 which is 3 or 4 5mm LEDs, not as bright, and uses less current. Also, the MJLed can be used (it consumes 100 ma when used in a Minimag) (and Nit-Ize makes a 3 LED plug-in for the minimag, available at Walmart for $4.92)

Terralux also makes a bipin converter that fits in a PR socket, so any of these devices can be used in a regular Mag. They all use regulators (or in the case of the MJLED, operate natively from 2 cells), so they need two cells worth of voltage. Buy a 4AA to D battery holder from Modamag, ask him set it up for 2 parallel sets of 2 AA cells in series. Then runtime for the MJLed would be about 60 hours. For the remaining space in the 3D mag, use two dummy cells that are hollow to contain your survival gear. I saw them advertised somewhere - don't remember where.

This gives you flexibility in terms of batteries: you can use the 4 AA cells, or just 2 AA cells, or you could remove the 4AA to D converter and one of the dummies, and use 2 D cells, 2 C cells, or one D and one C.

Also, in case you manage to blow the LEDs, or more likely something goes wrong with the regulator circuit, just pull out the LED module and bipin converter, and replace with the spare 2 cell Mag bulb you stored in the base of the maglite. Better yet, since the LEDs will probably be fine, you can trade the spare bulb to someone with a "normal" flashlight, for something you need.

Sorry, no lathe required.

Lightwave

What a great thread! Funny AND useful. I like all the creative ideas to fit things in small places.