Compact Flashlight for fire fighting

FireFighter · Aug 20, 2009

I work as a volunteer wildfire (wildland) fire fighter & am looking for a good LED compact flashlight to use.
I am looking @ buying the LED Lenser H7, after reading reviews on the net & seeing it work on YouTube. From what I have read on CPF another good light is the SureFire range, but they are 3 to 4 times the price of the Lenser here in South Africa. Not too sure if I want to be running around the mountain side in the dark with that amount of money in a flashlight, but also want quality.:thinking:
I'm not too concerned about battery life, as my headlight on my helmet works well for general stuff on the fire line. I'm just looking for a powerful, but small flashlight for when I need that bit of extra light!!

Any suggestion??

M@elstrom · Aug 20, 2009

The LED Lenser H7 is a headlamp... were you intending on running 2 headlamps in conjunction? :thinking:

A small yet powerful handheld flashlight could prove more flexible (considering you already have a satisfactory helmet light) :thumbsup:

CGD08 · Aug 20, 2009

:welcome:

jahxman · Aug 20, 2009

I would think that for this purpose you would want to avoid flashlights that use lithium batteries, on the off chance that if the light gets too hot (i.e. accidentally dropped on the fire) with lithiums it can get explosive, and make a bigger problem.

Some lights that I've seen designed for firefighting generally use lead-acid batteries if they are rechargeable, which also means they are not "compact", like this one:

http://www.chiefsupply.com/Flashlights/Rechargeable/Lanterns/FIREVULCAN

Also the cases tend to be made from high temp plastic instead of metal, and the switches tend to be designed to be easy to operate with heavy gloves on.

A more compact package that incorporates these features and was designed with firefighting in mind is the Streamlight Survivor LED Flashlight.

northwind · Aug 20, 2009

I'm a volunteer firefighter, too.

Pelican is the one hanging by the door for calls.
http://pelican.com/lights_detail.php?recordID=2410PL

But for the bush, I'd say get one a Fenix AA ( or 2AA) light. Very decent for the price, and not too heartbreaking to lose or destroy.

AusKipper · Aug 20, 2009

jahxman said:
I would think that for this purpose you would want to avoid flashlights that use lithium batteries, on the off chance that if the light gets too hot (i.e. accidentally dropped on the fire) with lithiums it can get explosive, and make a bigger problem.

Lol, in a wildfire situation if he is getting that hot he is already dead and the torch he is holding will be the least of his worries.

It depends how "compact" is "compact"

I would look firstly at the Fenix range, either TK20 or LD10, or if you want something really small LD01 (but of course that "only" puts out 80 lumins)

Then there are "Streamlights" but they are not typically particularly bright, i'm not sure what your helmet light is, but you would want to be sure that it would be brighter otherwise your in for a dissapointment.

If your in the market for another headlight (ie the H7 sort of area) the Fenix HP10 may be worth looking at and waiting for (when those slackers ship it!!)

If a TK40 is something you would consider "compact" then yeah, get that, that thing is awsome

jahxman · Aug 20, 2009

AusKipper said:
Lol, in a wildfire situation if he is getting that hot he is already dead and the torch he is holding will be the least of his worries.

:laughing: No, I was thinking more along the lines of accidentally dropping it NEAR the fire, and it subsequently getting hot enough to :poof:

. Those fire gloves can make you a bit clumsy, you know. :grin2:

EDIT: that Pelican looks like a good choice, northwind.

xenonk · Aug 20, 2009

jahxman said:
I would think that for this purpose you would want to avoid flashlights that use lithium batteries, on the off chance that if the light gets too hot (i.e. accidentally dropped on the fire) with lithiums it can get explosive, and make a bigger problem.

I really wouldn't worry about a couple of CR123s compared to a raging brush fire releasing thousands of times as much energy every second. Even urban firefighters use G2s and the like.

Despite the job title, they generally know to stay away from the fire while fighting it. :laughing:

PhantomPhoton · Aug 20, 2009

LED lenser lights are typically overpriced for what they offer. There are better lights to be had here on CPF. What battery type is best for you?

FireFighter · Aug 21, 2009

M@elstrom said:
The LED Lenser H7 is a headlamp... were you intending on running 2 headlamps in conjunction? :thinking:

A small yet powerful handheld flashlight could prove more flexible (considering you already have a satisfactory helmet light) :thumbsup:

Sorry to ALL

, I meant the P7

yellow · Aug 21, 2009

if You want to use "normal" sized cells --> a good 2*AA cells light, like the Fenix LD20, TK20, ...

but imho You are better off with an 1*18650 Li-Ion ligh.
- it is a bit thicker, so much better to grip.
- shorter so better to pocket,
- the cell houses 1/3 more energy, so a real 2 hours of 200+ lumen on full power is possible,
- when You dont have cells and charger for AA already, the Li-Ion ones are cheaper

there are a bunch of very good and reasonable priced makers/models available, no need to go lenser or surfire way.
f.e. new Shiningbeam L-mini II, available here on cpf. Its more a beginners stage one, but very good,
some models from Fenix and other makers, all to be discussed in here
and the best of the breed (in my opinion): Jetbeam Jet III Pro Ultra

+ get a few spare 18650 (protected!!) cells and a doublecell-multiformat charger for them.
AW in here sells good cells, another shop I order from is lighthound. Dealextreme offers makes w. prices at the budget end, ...

FireFighter · Aug 21, 2009

lovecpf
Thanks to everyone for the replies.
My idea of compact/small is about the size of the LED Lenser P7. Because of the nature

)) of our work, we have a lot of gear to carry (on the fireline for a min of 6 hours), so I'm looking for something small to into my pack. My pack has pockets down the front.
To 'PhantomPhoton', not to sure on batteries yet, recharge would prob be best, save on money in long run!! on the recharge side, prob NiMH so i can carry spare off the shelf replacements.
Great web site guys, looking forward to chatting more

M@elstrom · Aug 21, 2009

yellow said:
imho You are better off with an 1*18650 Li-Ion ligh.
- it is a bit thicker, so much better to grip.

That grip will be a non issue when the darn Lithium cell explodes due to excessive heat... keep in mind the OP's a firefighter & radiant heat will be an operational reality

FireFighter said:
Sorry to ALL , I meant the P7

Coast/LED Lenser products have a decent following but the AAA cells capacity will be this flashlight's/torches shortfall IMHO, the specifications found HERE are quoting between 78~130 hours off just one set of AAA cells so I'm unsure how long 100% output can be (realistically) supported, I found a review HERE of this light by a fellow CPF member which you might find helpful, his suggestion of approximately 1 hour @ 100% sounds more feasible

BTW that flood/focus ability looks awesome too! :thumbsup:

yellow · Aug 21, 2009

That grip will be a non issue when the darn Lithium cell explodes due to excessive heat... keep in mind the OP's a firefighter & radiant heat will be an operational reality

as has also been typed already:
when the light gets that hot, that the cells might just get damaged - not even near to :poof:

- the guy toting the light will be dead already

The fun part in all those "firefighter asks for light"-threads is, that some ppl care for rubber switch covers, plastic parts, cells, even alum housing, to fail, while all the gear of firefighters is made from the same materials ...
... and survives - because the firefighter can no longer care for those parts, when they start to melt/burn

(btw: most helmet mounted firefighter lights I know of, feature plastic bodies)

there is not much difference in a small powerful handheld firefighter light to the one for a hiker, caver, biker, armchair hero:
rugged, protected against the elements, bright, long runtime, UI prefered by user, price/valure ratio, ...
(in fact there is NO difference at all)

(btw: does that exploding issue not only adress to lithium primaries?
A temp to get Li-Ion rechargeables dangerous will make normal Ni-Mhs the same danger, thats what I thought)

R@ndom · Aug 21, 2009

yellow said:
as has also been typed already:
when the light gets that hot, that the cells might just get damaged - not even near to - the guy toting the light will be dead already

The fun part in all those "firefighter asks for light"-threads is, that some ppl care for rubber switch covers, plastic parts, cells, even alum housing, to fail, while all the gear of firefighters is made from the same materials ...
... and survives - because the firefighter can no longer care for those parts, when they start to melt/burn

(btw: most helmet mounted firefighter lights I know of, feature plastic bodies)

there is not much difference in a small powerful handheld firefighter light to the one for a hiker, caver, biker, armchair hero:
rugged, protected against the elements, bright, long runtime, UI prefered by user, price/valure ratio, ...
(in fact there is NO difference at all)

(btw: does that exploding issue not only adress to lithium primaries?
A temp to get Li-Ion rechargeables dangerous will make normal Ni-Mhs the same danger, thats what I thought)

Normal NI-MH won't explode as the chemistry is inherently safe. A 18650 light might be a good idea if you get some IMR cells.

Dances with Flashlight · Aug 21, 2009

PEAK LED SOLUTIONS offers their law enforcement series of lights in various configurations - some of which may be ideal for your firefighting use. They're available in many different battery configurations; and for better visibility in smoke you could consider a yellow or amber emitter.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/230283

AA battery tubes are also available if LiIons are an issue.

FireFighter · Aug 31, 2009

Again, Thanks for all the replies.:twothumbs
With what i have read & what i can get here in South Africa, i am going with the LED Lenser P7.

Compact Flashlight for fire fighting

FireFighter

Newly Enlightened

M@elstrom

Flashlight Enthusiast

CGD08

Newly Enlightened

jahxman

Enlightened

northwind

Newly Enlightened

AusKipper

Enlightened

jahxman

Enlightened

xenonk

Enlightened

PhantomPhoton

Flashlight Enthusiast

FireFighter

Newly Enlightened

yellow

Flashlight Enthusiast

FireFighter

Newly Enlightened

M@elstrom

Flashlight Enthusiast

yellow

Flashlight Enthusiast

R@ndom

Enlightened

Dances with Flashlight

Flashlight Enthusiast

FireFighter

Newly Enlightened

Similar threads

Latest posts