Which lights to bring on night hike ?

This Saturday I will be going for a 4 hour night hiking trip with a group of nature lovers.

I am considering to bring along the following lights:
a) Surefire E2D
b) Surefire L4
c) Surefire E1E
d) Surefire M2 / P61
e) Surefire A2
f) Surefire 9P / P91
g) Surefire 6P / KT1
h) Inova 24/7
i) Glo-toob red
j) Glo-toob blue

Please help me to decide which lights I should bring along. Thanks

get a good headlamp!

best bang for $$ is Argo HP. insert 17670 for killer results. then upgrade to P4. modding instructions in link in sig...

A headlamp is good for hiking.

I only have the A2 from SF lights. You are going on a 4 hour trip - the A2 LED's have a runtime of over 20 hours and are sufficiently bright for walking, and you always have the beautiful incan beam (1 hour runtime) for lighting up things in a further distance.
And maybe the Inova as backup. No need to carry more flashlights for a 4 hour only trip.

A good headlamp would be the best, especially one with a low level. I've found that many dedicated nature lovers don't like bright lights.

+1 on the headlamp. I like the Tikka+.

The Glotoobs are useful if you have someone following.

Get a MN15 LA for your turbohead and put it on your 9P and take that.

The A2 is always a good thing to have.

kelmo

$15 Costco Ray-O-Vac headlamp on low, with scotch-tape over the lens for diffuser. I think it runs for something around 80 hours with 3xAA. Has a low-power red LED on the back too, so people don't walk into you. :devil: A little heavy though... (multiple cell headlamp)

If you have a baseball cap to wear, a long runtime light like a Gerber/CMG Infinity with it's clip might work great as a lightweight headlamp. Will not affect nightvision too much either.

Headlamps and the ability to be hands free is absolutely a life saver sometimes. Got flipped in a boat in DARK night and had my headlamp on, was able to see and swim my way back to some land marks.

I know your on land, but its still VERY useful. I'd say a headlamp and 1-2 lights, A2 and a thrower like the KT1 with your 6P unless you can do the 9P with KT2, for those times you need to see what's bumping out in the distance. Possibily Glo-toob red or Inova 24/7 for a marker or preserving NV type light.

I LOVE using the L4 in a trail or navigation with its generous amount of flood, but runtime is lacking and it can get hot in summer times.

I don't own any of the lights you have listed, but if i remember correctly the 24/7 has a red mode...use that, or use the dimmest light you have. Night hikes with no light are the best, but take along a bright just in case light.

I like to use my inova X5 red, my PT apex on low (still a bit bright) or my cmg ultra, very nice dim light.

As long as your lights aren't too bright, in about 20 minutes your eyes will adjust and it's unbelievable how well you can see.

+1 on the Headlamp. AND a good thrower, like the Tiablo A8-Q5.

firefly99 said:

This Saturday I will be going for a 4 hour night hiking trip with a group of nature lovers.

I am considering to bring along the following lights:
a) Surefire E2D
b) Surefire L4
c) Surefire E1E
d) Surefire M2 / P61
e) Surefire A2
f) Surefire 9P / P91
g) Surefire 6P / KT1
h) Inova 24/7
i) Glo-toob red
j) Glo-toob blue

Please help me to decide which lights I should bring along. Thanks

Click to expand...

Definitely not a,b,c,d,e(unless using LED only),f,or g. All the nature lovers I know (including my wife and myself) detest any bright flashlights on night hikes, as well as the people who think they are cool by showing off said lights and ruining everyones night vision.

If the hike is done by a full or nearly full moon in anything but dense forest, you probably won't need to use any lights at all, but it would be good to have one or two very dim lights, preferably with red leds, and maybe one brighter one, but for emergency use only. If in dense forest and/or no moonlight, then a headlamp with red leds would be good, but only if pointed down at your feet, so as not to blind others or ruin their night adapted vision. The point of every night hike I've been on has been to enjoy nature, not to show off flashlights. Remember, the dimmer the better, and better red than white, except for emergency use, you likely won't need anything at all, once your eyes adapt to the darkness.

NeonLights said:

Definitely not a,b,c,d,e(unless using LED only),f,or g. All the nature lovers I know (including my wife and myself) detest any bright flashlights on night hikes, as well as the people who think they are cool by showing off said lights and ruining everyones night vision.

If the hike is done by a full or nearly full moon in anything but dense forest, you probably won't need to use any lights at all, but it would be good to have one or two very dim lights, preferably with red leds, and maybe one brighter one, but for emergency use only. If in dense forest and/or no moonlight, then a headlamp with red leds would be good, but only if pointed down at your feet, so as not to blind others or ruin their night adapted vision. The point of every night hike I've been on has been to enjoy nature, not to show off flashlights. Remember, the dimmer the better, and better red than white, except for emergency use, you likely won't need anything at all, once your eyes adapt to the darkness.

Click to expand...

You must have been the guy screaming when I pulled out my CC on my last nature walk.

Of your choices listed, I'd say the M2 with HOLA, L4, and 24/7. That should cover everything from close up to having something with good throw.

If it's the kind of hike where lights aren't used then the thread question is kind of funny. In that case the red leds on your 24/7 should be ok when and if they're not going to tick somebody off.

Bring all of them. You know that you would want to.

ganled said:

Bring all of them. You know that you would want to.

Click to expand...

I'd suggest an MN02 in your E2D - 30 lumens for 2.5 hours - not too bright to offend anyone, but great for looking around. Bring the MN03 and a few spare batteries. And maybe a headlamp and the A2 as a backup.

Or just bring 'em all.

The A2 and a headlamp should suffice. The P91 might be fun to light up the night for short bursts.

Along with plenty o' Skeeter Spray !


Recent rains have produced a bumper crop.


And they sure seem to like bright lights. :sigh:


_

Thank you everybody for your suggestions.

ganled said:

Bring all of them. You know that you would want to.

Click to expand...

Yes, that what in my mind and for sure would love to bring all.

KeyGrip said:

I've found that many dedicated nature lovers don't like bright lights.

Click to expand...

NeonLights said:

All the nature lovers I know (including my wife and myself) detest any bright flashlights on night hikes

Click to expand...

I had just join this nature group and this is my first night hike with them. Their trip preparation list mentioned bringing a flashlight along. I am not very sure about their flashlight usage.

I guess I would use Inova 24/7 with headstrap and wear it around my neck. Glo-Toob Red attached to my MSR 2L dromedary bag which I carried like a backpack. The following items will be in my Sealline baja bag.

a) Surefire 9P with P91 or MN15 / Turbohead
b) Surefire L4
c) Photon Freedom attached to my keychain
d) spare carrier
e) snack
f) poncho
g) spare clothes

I go for a lot of night hikes. I have been bringing my LOP-CE (cliped to a baseball cap). That is my main light. My REX 2.0 as a back up. Xtra batteries. For a 4 hour hike - something with throw, ROP

I'd bring the A2: long runtime, bright enough, and usable outdoors and indoors as well (which is not less important).

firefly99 said:

I had just join this nature group and this is my first night hike with them. Their trip preparation list mentioned bringing a flashlight along. I am not very sure about their flashlight usage.

Click to expand...

When I read the title of this thread, I was interested, and then when I read your original post, I was appalled. Thank goodness so many headlamp-users have replied and set you straight.

I'm going to keep saying this until I get banned from CPF, but for any occasion where you know in advance that you will be DOING something, a headlamp is the way to go. There are exceptions but few of them (fighting, playing night-soccer...). It bugs me how so many of us CPF'ers are oblivious to the huge advantages of headlamps (or head-mounted handheld flashlights). Come on over to the headlamp section of CPF and be enlightened!

Comment about the quoted passage above: You MUST bring a flashlight in case of emergency, not necessarily for the hike itself. And like others have said, it's true that most hiking groups won't like someone with a super-bright light blinding them. When I've night-hiked, everybody uses small, dim headlamps. Probably some of them can be cranked up but they don't crank them up on the hike unless necessary.

Oh, and one of my buddies used to bring along spare lights in case any pretty girls showed up unprepared.