Help, your choice for a backpacking light?

My son-in-law lives in Utah and is taking up backpacking and needs the very best choice in a backpacking/camping flashlight. I gave him a Princeton Tech EOS headlight for his birthday but I want to give him a top notch flashlight. There is such a tremendous choice that I need help from the vast knowledge and experience of the forum members. I particularly like a good thrower with ample spill beam, however, weight could be an issue, as well as, type of batteries and carrying spares. Price is no issue for me, since I believe your flashlight in the wilderness could become a life or death piece of vital gear. I really appreciate any input I could receive from my fellow members. :candle:

Spence

I find I do not need more than 10 lumens when hiking or camping in a area with no light pollution.

Its amazing how far 10 lumens can throw in a dark area. Bright lights just kill your night vision and actually limit your field of view beyond the flashlight beam.

I also like low lumen light for the long runtime and no need to carry spare batteries. which helps in weight.

Spence said:

My son-in-law lives in Utah and is taking up backpacking and needs the very best choice in a backing/camping flashlight. I gave him a Princeton Tech EOS headlight for his birthday but I want to give him a top notch flashlight. There is such a tremendous choice that I need help from the vast knowledge and experience of the forum members. I particularly like a good thrower with ample spill beam, however, weight could be an issue, as well as, type of batteries and carrying spares. Price is no issue for me, since I believe your flashlight in the wilderness could become a life or death piece of vital gear. I really appreciate any input I could receive from my fellow members. :candle:

Spence

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The EOS will serve him very well, now he needs a backup which may be a hand-light or a pocket light. I carry a SureFire A2 Aviator, an E1e in my pocket and a Muyshondt Aeon in my other pocket.

I think the L1 is the finest non-custom backpacking light ever made, but I prefer the A2, because incans simply blow LEDs out of the water when it comes to outdoor illumination.

You say battery type might be an issue, but I still think the Surefire E1L or E2L are worth a mention. For an AA light the LD20 is worth a look. I can't help thinking if money's no object a Surefire has to be considered, and the E*L 'Outdoorsman' would fit the bill nicely. I find the spill perfectly useable, but it is more throw. However, he already has a headlamp for the flood.

Spence said:

My son-in-law lives in Utah and is taking up backpacking and needs the very best choice in a backing/camping flashlight. I gave him a Princeton Tech EOS headlight for his birthday but I want to give him a top notch flashlight. There is such a tremendous choice that I need help from the vast knowledge and experience of the forum members. I particularly like a good thrower with ample spill beam, however, weight could be an issue, as well as, type of batteries and carrying spares. Price is no issue for me, since I believe your flashlight in the wilderness could become a life or death piece of vital gear. I really appreciate any input I could receive from my fellow members. :candle:

Spence

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Well hiking/Packing in cold sub-30F it's kinda nice to use Lithium batteries so you don't have to warm up alkalines. You can get lithium AA's or 123's both operate in wider temperature ranges. LED is a nice since you need not pack spare lamps. Although I have hiked up Mt Whitney starting at 1AM in darkness Incandescents do seem to do better, but you need to pack spare lamps. Maybe the Surefire A2 IS a great compromise.

I've always been partial to Surefire since my first one purchased over fifteen years ago. The Surefire E1L two brightness level LED light is powered by a single 123 is hard to beat. Lightweight compact hi/lo settings. About $100

I'd also take a look at the Fenix L1T. This is a LED light powered from one AA cell (Alkaline or Lithium or rechargeable NiMh). It too is a two level light, Low and twist head for High. It is a very nice compact light. Batteries may be common to something else he packs. About $45

If I were going backpacking tomorow I would take either my Ra Twisty or Ra Clicky. These are just great outdoor lights engineered to be rugged and useful.

May I suggest you also get him a long running back up light such as a Fenix E01. It's runs on a single AAA battery and it is bright enough that he could get by if his primary lights were lost or inaccessible. Its almost negligible weight makes it an ideal spare and it uses the same batteries as his EOS.

I've been trying to get into backpacking as well. I'm not sure if I am more into the gear or the sport but I'll figure that out later.
Anyway for now what I'm taking:

ZebraLight H50 1xAA
Gerber Trio 2xAA or Gerber Infinity 1xAA
AkoRay 1xAA

My idea: you -need- a headlamp, one of the gerber's for backup and the AkoRay has plenty of output options. They all take AA batteries which makes them spares for my GPS or Camera ETC. If I was taking a FRS type radio most of them I am familiar with take AAAs so maybe a AAA light would be handy as well or in place of one.

Oddjob said:

If I were going backpacking tomorow I would take either my Ra Twisty or Ra Clicky. These are just great outdoor lights engineered to be rugged and useful.

May I suggest you also get him a long running back up light such as a Fenix E01. It's runs on a single AAA battery and it is bright enough that he could get by if his primary lights were lost or inaccessible. Its almost negligible weight makes it an ideal spare and it uses the same batteries as his EOS.

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You know that Fenix E01 may be all he needs. I have this weird habit of attaching single AAA cell lights to the tailcaps or clips of much brighter lights. For instance attaching a E01 attached to a Fenix LOP they fold together like nunchucks in the watchpocket of my Levis

Double_A said:

You know that Fenix E01 may be all he needs. I have this weird habit of attaching single AAA cell lights to the tailcaps or clips of much brighter lights. For instance attaching a E01 attached to a Fenix LOP they fold together like nunchucks in the watchpocket of my Levis

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I agree. If I were an ultralight weight backpacker I would only bring a couple of E01's. Last summer when car camping with my wife I had one on a neck lanyard and it ended up being my most used light.

My First Light Tomahawk is a constant companion on my backpack. For those who don't know, the Tomahawk is a heavy duty angle head flashlight with three levels of brightness. Mine rides on my backpack strap facing forward. I can easily turn on my light and illuminate the direction I'm heading without having to hold the light in my hand. It has a good combination of throw and flood, and is extremely durable. I accidently left mine in a paddock with some 1100 pound thoroughbreds. It was obviously stepped on, which made it more difficult to find as it was pushed into the ground, but it looks and functions as good as the day I bought it.

A medium powered floody incan with long battery life as you main light source and a LED multi-level headlamp would be my other light.

That's all you need.

Definitely two more lights: a primary with some power and a backup to hang around the neck...

Primary: Surefire E2D LED (runtime 76/2 hours on low/high) carry with one set of CR123 spares - negligible weight.

Obtain F04 diffuser to pop on bezel = great flood. (fits very snugly - won't fall off) http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/471358-REG/Surefire_F04_F04_Diffusion_Filter.html

Most of the time he'll use it on low with the diffuser (5 lumens). Pop diffuser off and go to high for impressive throw.



Backup: has to be a Fenix E01 on a lanyard - using same AAA batts as his EOS headlamp. Use Energizer E2 lithium cells and carry ~6-8 spares.

I'm no weight weenie yet I would never backpack a Ra or SF because of the weight. People have done the entire AT with a couple photons, so its not like major lumens are super critical. For the most part backpackers don't travel at night and are very weight conscious. If he is not a flashaholic, weight will be the primary concern and anything heavy will be left at home. Backpacking is an exercise in minimalism, something CPF's don't seem to know anything about. For really long trips like the pacific crest or AT, being able to buy spare batteries is a must. So CR123s are also out.

The newest 50lm EOS is a good choice. I also really like the look of the just released zebralight H501. I have the Zebraligt H50 and I would have no reservations bringing it backpacking, with a AA handheld like a fenix or NC D10 as a backup thrower.

Both the LD10 (1AA) and the LD20 (2AA) light are quality lights that are very light and come with thier own sheaths. You can strap them to a pack, or belt.

If it were me back packing I would take my LD10 (1AA) strap to belt or pack and my LD01 (1AAA) on my neck. Very good quality lights, long runtimes and light.

For casual backpacking, yellow G2 with an M60LL in it. Lightweight, tough, long runtimes, easy to spot in a pack, reliable, doesn't break the bank.

For uber lightweight trecks E01 on a neck lanyard.



Now that I think about it more the newer E2L would be good too.

I think the combination of Surefire L1 and Zebralight H30. The pair work nicely together since one is a wide angle headlamp and the other has pretty decent throw. The one-two combination provides a back-up light while they both use the same battery. Weight is minimal for a two light package.

Is this a light for a multi-day hike, or just for when a day hike runs a little past sundown ? Is he a cold weather hiker ? Is he using something now that is acceptable ? That might be the biggest clue. If he likes his current light, buy a nicer light that has similar attributes. If he doesn't like his current light, find out why and buy a light that addresses what he doesn't like. If he doesn't currently have a light other than his headlamp, I would buy a $20 light and ask him what he likes and dislikes about it a few weeks later. It might seem wasteful to have to buy him 2 or 3 lights before you find out what fits his needs, but you don't want to end up buying him an expensive light that isn't what he wants either.

I would be very reluctant to buy him an expensive light without knowing EXACTLY what he needs and wants.

I have 3 lights I use for backpacking. 1 is the 50 lumen 4 mode EOS, which is very nice even on low. Since it is floody, I just leave it on all the time on low, and can see most anything close to me.

In my pocket I carry a Surefire E1B, which is probably one of the best throwers for it's size. It lets you see deep into the trees, or farther out into a field without adjusting your headlamp. It also provides a backup light source.

If I am going to a cabin or with a group, I throw in a Fenix P3D. I don't need spares due to the long battery life on low, and it can be left on for 8hrs at a stretch without draining the batts noticeably. I use it with the diffuser and it works like a lantern or a candle.

I say surefire 6P with a Malkoff M60WL drop in.

After getting some warm Malkoff's I hate to use any of my other LED's.

The L (low version) has a good mix of output and run time (4.5 hours on 2 x cr123)

For only 120 lumen (or whatever Gene claims) the 8 degree optic helps it throw quite well.

Simply put when I was traveling for work a lot recently, and often found myself work outside well past dark, this light beat out everything else including my M30W (a super bright light with a 1.5 hour run time is no good when you're working 2 hours past dark). On said trip I always had something bigger and brighter in my bad (DBS with either the R2 or MCE pill) but they almost never got used, the M60WL is that good.

When I go backpacking, I want to bring something that's not only light in weight, but easy to carry as well. Personally, I would stick with a flashlight that uses single cell and has multi-mode. I took a Nitecore Defender Infinity with me on my last few trips and the size is perfect. It has a high high and programmable low. The only thing that I don't like about it is that it doesn't have pocket clip and the crenalated bezel is a tad sharp for my liking.