My first flashaholic camping trip

My first flashaholic camping trip - Updated one year later - see post #66, + pics

Edit: Updated for November 2009, see post # 66 (including pics) for the changes made for subsequent trip, one year later.

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OK, I just had my first flashaholic camping trip. 5 nights, no moon until AM, no ambient light, no light pollution, no campfire.

150 lumen C3/M30: Fun, but almost useless for nighttime tasks.


70 lumen G2/M60LL: Carried mostly for reassurance in case of getting lost and needing to be searched for, perhaps both high performance and good runtime might then be useful? Again, almost useless for nighttime tasks.


65/10 lumen L1: As before, even 10 lumens was too bright for most nighttime tasks. Missed my 2 lumen Luxeon L1.


Hmm, a pattern seems to be emerging …

Petzl LED AAA older-model Zipka (very small, retractable cord) headlamp: Stated runtime of 120 hours. Used nearly-continuously every evening for the entire trip. It is still on its first set of AAA batteries after receiving it as a gift ~5 years ago.

I know that this isn't news for the more-senior members here, I was expecting that the high outputs would not be very useful, but I was still surprised by just how useless – they were actually very counterproductive. I didn't have to do any hiking/orienteering in the dark, I know that would have changed things considerably.

During the trip, I told my friend that if I was ever lost, don't bother looking for me during the day.

AH!
Smacked in the head by real world use of you lights.
Hate it when that happens.


Most CPF'ers need your recent experience.

Shoulda done some night hiking IMO, it's really fun and nothing to be afraid of.

Judging by what it seems like you were doing at night (chillin out at your camp site) then it makes perfect sense that a long running headlamp would get the most use. High power is great for night time movement but is impractical for reading or milling about.

I think a balanced load would include at least 3 lights. 1 high power incandescent, 1 medium-high power LED, and a low power LED for extended runtimes. Any less than that and you risk being hurt depending on environmental conditions.

I recently realised that there was a definite need for low output so I programmed the first setting on my Jetbeam IBS to around 5% output, plenty bright enough to see with when your eyes are adjusted to the dark. I have a 14500 in the Jetbeam and another as a spare, but for camping I take a bunch of AA Eneloops as well. This means that I have a torch with a true low power light with all the runtime I need for weeks, but at a light tap of the tailcap I can bump it up to a useful medium output that is brighter than most cheap torches, another bump puts it into full output, sometimes you just want the brightest light you can get.

IBS is the best thing ever! Being able to program 3 modes to whatever you want means you can have a light that outputs EXACTLY what you want for what you are using the light for. Sometimes lower output is better and the extra runtime is just a big bonus, I do like having the extra output available though - just in case I need it.

Obviously even if 1 light does everything I need it is not enough to only have one light, so I have 2 more Jetbeams on the way to ensure my next camping trip is safe with a minimum of 2 backups (I will probably take 8 or more lights in total though).

We've found its quite dangerous to use high output lights around camp.
They ruin your night vision making every shadow totally black.
tripping hazards, kicking over someones drink, etc.

With a headlamp on there are no shadows anywhere you look.
Unless some well meaning camper has brought a high output area light, so that the low power headlamp beams and overpowered.

I used to bring lots of lights camping.

Now, on the trail I will pack a Aeon and a Tikka in case it gets dark. I usually plan the hikes so that I return in the dark. For kicking it at the camp I usually have a red A2 or L2. A mini-mag white traffic cone fits on the L2 bezel and makes a pretty nifty tent light on low. I will pack a M6 but it gets very little use. My wife uses a Ion and a Tikka+.

Another useful camp light is my KL3 (1st gen Lux III) with a beam diffuser. With the diffuser you get a really soft area light. With the filter flipped up its all throw. Glow and throw for 7 hours on a 9P tube. Perfect!

The white plastic cap from a propane cell fits perfectly on a KX1 or KX2 bezel to make a great tent light.

The lights I use most for camping are my Princeton-Tec Eos tactical with the red filter and a Magled 4d with red filter for the campsite. I find that using the red filter preseves night vision and if you need extra light you can just take it off.Best of both worlds in my book.

Sgt. LED said:

AH!
Smacked in the head by real world use of your lights.
Hate it when that happens.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I saw the humor in that situation quite easily.

Agent_Jaws said:

Shoulda done some night hiking IMO, it's really fun and nothing to be afraid of.

Click to expand...

After hiking up and down hillsides & drainages while carrying a scoped rifle for ~11 hours a day, I wasn't really thinking about night hiking all that much.:sick2:

metlarules said:

The lights I use most for camping are my Princeton-Tec Eos tactical with the red filter and a Magled 4d with red filter for the campsite. I find that using the red filter preserves night vision and if you need extra light you can just take it off.Best of both worlds in my book.

Click to expand...

I was kicking myself for forgetting my red flip-up filter for my C3...:mecry:

hopkins said:

We've found its quite dangerous to use high output lights around camp.
They ruin your night vision making every shadow totally black.
tripping hazards, kicking over someones drink, etc.

Click to expand...

A trick that some pilots use while taxi-ing at night is to close or cover one eye when you need to look outside the cockpit at another aircraft's lights on the ground so your night vision doesn't get messed up.

This is supposedly the same reason that pirates wore eye patches. So that when they went from the deck of their boats to the dark interior they just flipped the eye patch up and could see easily. (I watch Mythbusters)

The comic image of a group of campers all wearing eye patches to preserve
night vision while being questioned by a suspicious LEO.
comes to mind.

hopkins said:

The comic image of a group of campers all wearing eye patches to preserve
night vision while being questioned by a suspicious LEO.
comes to mind.

Click to expand...

But Officer...we were just having our "Pirates of the Caribbean" fan club meeting :touche::nana::huh: :hahaha::whoopin:

hopkins said:

The comic image of a group of campers all wearing eye patches to preserve
night vision while being questioned by a suspicious LEO.
comes to mind.

Click to expand...

Officer: Sir, I need you to follow the tip of my pen with your eyes...

Can I keep the patch on?

:nana:

qwopzxnm said:

A trick that some pilots use while taxi-ing at night is to close or cover one eye when you need to look outside the cockpit at another aircraft's lights on the ground so your night vision doesn't get messed up.

This is supposedly the same reason that pirates wore eye patches. So that when they went from the deck of their boats to the dark interior they just flipped the eye patch up and could see easily. (I watch Mythbusters)

Click to expand...

I do that if I go to loo at night and need to put normal light on.

And I keep both eyes closed until light is on, helps to acclimatise eye to brightness

LumenMan said:

But Officer...we were just having our "Pirates of the Caribbean" fan club meeting :touche::nana::huh: :hahaha::whoopin:

Click to expand...

A friend told me an interesting point . . . pirates, in fact, used eye patches for the same reason. There was generally no light below decks so the patch was used to preserve dark adapted vision

Francis

abvidledUK said:

I do that if I go to loo...I keep both eyes closed...

Click to expand...

How do you hit the loo?!

A gerber infinity is enough light for camping. I only use it for reading or for going out for relief.

abvidledUK said:

I do that if I go to loo at night and need to put normal light on.

And I keep both eyes closed until light is on, helps to acclimatise eye to brightness

Click to expand...

It's for sit downs only, for wipies after.

I'm sorry I misrepresented your post for a childish laugh! But you see there is a big election coming up on this side of the pond. All the political adds are warping my better judgement and subliminally telling me its OK to twist the facts!

Your a good sport abvidLED!

Cheers!

hopkins said:

We've found its quite dangerous to use high output lights around camp.
They ruin your night vision making every shadow totally black.
tripping hazards, kicking over someones drink, etc.

Click to expand...

I have been very vocal about this... Nice to see I am not alone. IMHO bright lights used incorrectly can hinder and impair vision more than improve it.

I wear a Gerber Tempo on a Surfire neck lanyard and its perfect for night hikes and is relatively hands-free ~7 Lumens. I sometimes dim & diffuse it further with a piece of scotch tape.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LcjLlnd1-c

I think a Fenix E01 with shirt clip or low lumen headlamp would be more ideal however.