I want to have a flshlight for hiking

Hello everybody!I am new here!

I want to have a flashlight for hiking.In my previous days, I use a Maglite 2AAA to do so,but, I think it was not bright enough. Now, i am considering to buy another 2AA flashlight.

I hope I will get a light which is bright enough even when i am using in a foggy day. It should be water resistance and unbreakable.I think the beam should also be wide to provide a wider view under my feet.

I enjoy the adjustable light beam function from Maglite, but is the brightness of its 2AA model bright enough?
How about the Pelican MityLite and streamlight Pro-Polymer 2AA?
Or can you recommend any other suitable models?

Thanks for your kindess.

Welcome, the two lights you have mentioned have very very narrow beams and are not ajust.I suggest the following:
Princeton tec 40 4AA bright good runtime
Princeton tec rage 4AAA
Streamlight pro poly 4AA
All of the above are waterproof
do a search for these lights to get more information.

hehe
i have searched on the the web for two days...but, no idea at all!
From the official website of Princeton, it said tech 40 produce nerrow beam, is that true?

Thanks for your suggestion!
I may need to go around....

Since you live in Hong Kong, I highly recommand a UKE 2L. 123 battery is cheap over here. This light is much smaller and much lighter then a 4AA light. In fact it is lighter then a minimag. The output should be similar to a 4AA light.

The PT Tech 40 (and Tech 20 - same head) are supposed come with a smooth narrow beam reflector and have an optional wide beam textured reflector, BUT...

The Tech 20 that I just bought from BrightGuy had the textured reflector even though the sealed package clearly said narrow. I bought the optional textured reflector at the same time, which is now a spare. I've seen Tech 40s in ****'s Sporting Goods new with the wide reflector also.

I like the textured reflector best, but it seems a toss-up which will come with the light from PT, regardless of what is marked on the package.

Spend the extra money and get an ARC-LS. Very sturdy light that is ideal for night-hikes. You can get a "second" version of these now for $70.00 US. You can read more about them at ARC Flashlights

Enjoy

Tec 40 now comes standard with the faceted reflector......... the narrow beam is the optional reflector

First, the one place the Maglite 2AA works pretty well is as a camping light. It's reasonably rugged, it's got an extra lamp in the tail, good runtime, cheap AA batteries, and provides marginally enough light for most uses (especially when your eyes are already dark-adjusted).

That said, if you're looking for a bigger jump up in light, the UKE 2L is an awesome choice. 3-4 hour runtime, very lightweight, waterproof, and relatively inexpensive (I can find it around here at $25 at gun shows).

I have an Arc LS, and I think it's going to be a killer camp light, although it is very expensive. It has all the requirements to be a great camp light: well-built, long runtime (~5 hours), very small, takes just 1 123A battery. It is much brighter than a Maglite 2AA, but not as bright as the UKE 2L.

So, having gone through those lights, let me expand on what I think a good camp light requires. First of all, it doesn't need to be the brightest thing in the world. Even a Maglite 2AA is sufficient (although not optimal) to set up a tent in the dark. What is more important is that there is good runtime, so I don't have to lug around tons of batteries. And in an emergency situation, I want a light that can go a few nights if need be.

The Arc LS is bright enough for any conceiveable camp or emergency chore, it's small and light, has good runtime, the bulb is (we think) nearly unbreakable, and it is very water resistant and shock resistant.

The only advantage of the 4AA lights over the UKE 2L is that the 4AA lights take AA batteries, and that may be convenient for some. Beyond that, they're bigger and heavier, and carry a spare set of batteries adds more weight still. So if you're willing to run with 123A batteries, UKE 2L is the clear #2 choice behind the Arc LS, IMO.

Joe


Joe

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Joe Talmadge:
).

That said, if you're looking for a bigger jump up in light, the UKE 2L is an awesome choice....
The only advantage of the 4AA lights over the UKE 2L is that the 4AA lights take AA batteries...

Joe<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Joe,

I agree that the 2L is a remarkable little light. It is still unique even though it's been around for years.

It's been my experience that the UKE mini Q40 using superior alkalines (Ray-O-VAC Maximums and others) will give a somewhat longer and brighter run than the 2L, though the difference is not large. When I carry my Mini Q40 it is always loaded with lithium AA's which give it a remarkable run time of over 5 hours. According to my tests, about 4 hours or more of that period is relatively bright.

I have found that even reputable manufacturers exaggerate run time claims. For instance, UKE claims 4-5 hours run time for the 2L, but tests using Duracell Ultra and Surefire 123's repeatedly have shown that 3 hours is a more realistic figure.

During the Summer when I want to travel light (in general, not when doing serious hiking) I will just carry my 2L (with pre-tested and selected lamp assembly and batteries. My back up is another tested, preselected UKE lamp assembly plus 2 additional 123's, all of which Is comfortably carried in a miniature holster I modified from a Streamlight Scorpion holster.. So I really have the equivalent of two 2L's. For final backup I always carry my Arc AAALe on my key ring.

Brightnoem

you could get the nexstar lamp to brighten up your mini mags.

Chan; I think you have several good recommendations presented. We do quite a bit of hiking with the Scouts here in Hawaii. My observations and recommendations are as follows:

* Should try to consider 6 volt lights (ie. 4xAA, 4xAAA, 2x123). They provide much more usable light as compared to 3 volt styles. The 3 volt versions are OK for campside use. I use a PT Surge which give me a good beam for about 100 yards with about 3 hours on NiMHs.

* Do not use LED or LS varieties as your primary hike lights. Don't take me wrong, I love these varieties and I have many of them, but they are not the most usable in a wide open dark area. They have excellent beam spread at 15 feet, but fall off quite fast past this point. They are OK if you are pretty familar with the hike area, need long run times without battery changing, and do not have to spot potential problems (bears, or the sort) in the distance.

* Always carry a good backup light. This is where a LED or LS would fit in due to their long run times. This would fit the bill for emergency signaling.

* Consider how wide a beam you need, how far you need it to shine, what battery source you desire, how long of a bright run time you need, and what size you are confortable with. Remember that you need it to be waterproof and tough. If you let us know, the members of the forum may be better able to narrow down your search.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by WarrenI:


* Do not use LED or LS varieties as your primary hike lights. Don't take me wrong, I love these varieties and I have many of them, but they are not the most usable in a wide open dark area. They have excellent beam spread at 15 feet, but fall off quite fast past this point. They are OK if you are pretty familar with the hike area, need long run times without battery changing, and do not have to spot potential problems (bears, or the sort) in the distance.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You know, that's a good point, and I hadn't really thought of it. Usually, if I'm moving at night, I'm content seeing just in front of me, and something like an LS works fine for that. If for any reason you do need to see much further ahead, I'm back to recommending the UKE 2L. Frankly, I always carry a "regular" light (formerly a Maglite 2AA) and a high power light (formerly either a UKE 2L or a Surefire), but I've never really needed the higher power light. Still, I can think of many instances where I would.


Joe

Joe

Chan,

Another combination that I've found useful in rural Canada is a very bright long burn LED light combined with a bright, long burn incandescent. For rural night hiking my preferred LED is the Trek 1400. It is a 3xC battery 14 LED light, and is exceptionally bright, clearly illuminates a large area while maintaining excellent brightness for 5-7 hours steady on. The longest burning and brightest 4AA companion to this light is the aforementioned UKE Mini Q40 with lithiums.

The Surge is an excellent but heavy alternative to the UKE. My main concern with the Surge aside from its size and weight is the great difficulty of field-changeg the eight batteries, not to mention the weight of 8 additional (backup) AA's.
You can use either light as your primary, according to your needs and taste.

If you want a truly bright "spotting" light,
the smallest and longest throw 2x123 lights are the ASP Triad #1(internal focus model with Triad "teardrop"-shaped bulb)) and the TACM III. In terms of reach and brightness these lights have no peer in their class, and will actually out-throw most 3X123 lights.

Brightnorm

I hear you brighnorm and yes, the Surge is slightly big, but very bright as a primary hike light. Due to it's limitations (packing 8 spare AAs, trying to field load it in the dark, and does not pack a spare bulb), it really requires a backup light (though I have not needed to use the backup yet). I usually carry my Inova X-5 or Lightwave 4000 as a backup. The funny thing is if I carry my LW4000 as a backup light, it is larger and heavier than my primary light.

Great!Many suggestion comes up!
now.....I should consider a 4AA flashlight, since AA batteries is more popular among ourself.UKE 4AA seem great, but, am i need to buy another wide reflector?

PS:there won't be too many choice in Hong Kong.....only some popular brand's can be found here!

I would like to take a LED also,if i have money left....
You know, there are some imitation photons sell at around USD$2 here.....I may post some picture later!

Chan,

dont take the UKE 4AA.
take the UKE MINI Q40.
UKE 4AA and MINI Q40 are the same except the Q40 is a dive light and the 4AA is a Fire/Rescue light. The Q40 is 1 cm shorter because it has not this valve on the end of the body.
the UKE 4AA is not really waterproof( only the a few meters) the Q40 is waterproof to 60 meters (i have in mind).

as a backup light a would recommend the UKE 2L. it uses the same lamp assembly as the Q40/4AA.

Q40


UKE 4AA



UKE 2L

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
PS:there won't be too many choice in Hong Kong.....only some popular brand's can be found here!
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not true. You can get all flashlights mentioned in this thread except the ARC-LS in HK. UKE 4AA is a good light but a bit on the heavy side compares to UKE 2L, which use the same lamp module . I see no reason to avoid flashlight using 123A cell given that 123A are so cheap here. As for the reflector, I don't think UKE make a wide reflector. Get a LED headlamp for area light. If you want to go cheap, those Tikka clone is a good choice. I just got a 5 LED version for only HK$55 (the 3-LED version sells for $38). It's reasonably bright and very light. The quality is not as good as a PT or Blackdiamond headlamp, but at this price I won't complaint.