cold weather effecting torches

great site btw,

I am thinking of purchasing my first LED light probably the m20, the construction seems GREAT considing I have only owned plastic walmart lights. I am buying it for camping in cold weather, and the water proofing (snow ect.) Will temps of -20 f effect the operation of well constructed lights like the m20?

thanks

bobjenkins said:

great site btw,

I am thinking of purchasing my first LED light probably the m20, the construction seems GREAT considing I have only owned plastic walmart lights. I am buying it for camping in cold weather, and the water proofing (snow ect.) Will temps of -20 f effect the operation of well constructed lights like the m20?

thanks

Click to expand...

:welcome:

I do not own a M20, but I think with all quality lights, it is more important what type of batteries you use than the light itself.

Alkalines will work very poorly at 20 f, let alone at your expected minus -20 f (that temp. sounds very extreme for camping). It does help if you keep them warm next to your body inside your coat in the winter, but you will have a lot better luck with Energizer Ultimate Lithium's, they work great in extreme cold temps.

Lithium primaries are your only choice for temps that low. Other than that, LED's actually perform better in cold.

i believe nimh cells would be perfectly fine too, especially eneloops. check out the tests on this thread. i recently just saw this myself.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/241606&highlight=eneloop

The cooler LEDs are, the more efficient they run. It's the batteries you should be worried about. But the batteries won't be damage unless something inside it freezes. As long as you keep the light in your pocket you should be fine.

Great help everyone , now I have to buy one

The battery freezer test was great thanks

The light will be fine but ......
In (very) low temperatures aluminium lights will feel very cold.
Maybe even freeze to your skin.
You might consider a good plastic, synthetic, nitrolon light.
Like the SureFire G2 / G3 series.
I'm sure other members know of more good synthetic lights.

Take care,
Robert.

asfaltpiloot said:

The light will be fine but ......
In (very) low temperatures aluminium lights will feel very cold.
Maybe even freeze to your skin.
You might consider a good plastic, synthetic, nitrolon light.
Like the SureFire G2 / G3 series.
I'm sure other members know of more good synthetic lights.

Take care,
Robert.

Click to expand...

Hmm I didn´t even think of the aluminum freezing to my skin. Are the construction of the synthetic lights as sturdy as their aluminum counterparts?

the SF G2 is very sturdy, nearly unbreakable.....and no scratches in the ano!

Olaf

Me personally I'd grab my favorite aluminum light (I like Surefire above most others) and get a Neoprene foam sleeve that fits it snugly.

Un gloved hands in minus 20 degrees would be bad in a very short period of time.

I would not worry about the aluminum feeling cold as you would be most likely wearing gloves.

I would consider keeping your light on your person. This will help keep the light warm so it won't stick to your fingers.

Lithium primaries would be the way to go.

Don't worry about aluminum freezing to your skin. If its THAT cold outside you always wear gloves, or else you don't have any fingers left when camping trip is over. Imo a hard driven aluminum flashlight is a great hand warmer during winter Keep it close to your body next to your water bottle or something. If your water don't turn to ice, your flashlight is at least above 0 Celsius, and always good to go.

One more thing to considerate. Tint. I think that cold tinted lights is really hard on my eyes when its snow everywhere. I felt blessed the first time i tested a warm tinted led during winter camping.

For extended cold weather use maybe consider a headlight that will allow you to keep the battery pack close to your body;

http://www.petzl.com/us/outdoor/duo-series-0/duobelt-led-14

http://www.petzl.com/us/outdoor/headlamps/myo-series/myo-xp-belt

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I recently bought the m20 which came with cr123a´s. I´m thinking about buying a charger and a few 18650´s for it.

Im not quite sure if these are the right kind, can someone help me pick the correct battery. Thanks!

• 
  [*]Nominal Voltage: 3.7V
  [*]Size: 18650 (Cylindrical)
  [*]Capacity: 2600 mAh
  [*]Chemistry: Lithium Ion (Rechargeable Li-Ion) (lithium primary?)
  [*]Brand: LG
  [*]Max Charging current: 2.4A
  [*]Max Discharging current: 5A
  
  And the charger
  http://www.onlybatteries.com/showitem.asp?ItemID=13691.11&cat1=27&uid=1913
  
  
  

bobjenkins said:

I´m thinking about buying a charger and a few 18650´s for it.

Click to expand...

General rule of thumb - no rechargeables in extreme hot or cold. A li-ion will work fine as long as there's body or emitter heat, but if left off in the open for a bit, odds aren't good it will come back on until it's warmed (plus the cell can sustain irreversible damage/capacity loss).

Most people here would recommend AW's 18650 batteries. Check the Marketplace.

The batteries you posted should work too.

Thnk you everybodylovecpf

pobox1475, I like your watch. I have an EHC Chrono myself.

pobox1475 said:

For extended cold weather use maybe consider a headlight that will allow you to keep the battery pack close to your body;

Click to expand...

I'm right there with you Bob. I've had my eye on the M21 and have most of the same questions. Will these lights be about the same as far as battery use in cold weather? I live in Jackson Hole, Wyo. and it gets ridiculously cold sometimes.

Anyone happen to know the freezing point of the various batteries or can you point me to the appropriate thread?

If primaries are indeed the choice to make for say a light your going to leave in your car during the winter, how long will they last?

:thinking:

Thanks for your help!

bobjenkins said:

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I recently bought the m20 which came with cr123a´s. I´m thinking about buying a charger and a few 18650´s for it.

• 
  

Click to expand...

pchambers said:

Anyone happen to know the freezing point of the various batteries or can you point me to the appropriate thread?

Click to expand...

The problem is that the lowest operating temperature listed for a battery is the temp at which it's pretty much guaranteed to fail - it will still be erratic at any temperature near that value; For example, alkalines have a minimum operating temperature of 0F, but they'll start getting iffy around 20F. NiMHs and Li-Ions are only rated to 20F, so anything below freezing is pushing your luck (we have had CPF members use Li-Ions in ~0F conditions, but at least one reported that the battery lost capacity/was damaged by it. Again, a good rule of thumb is no rechargeables in extreme heat or cold.) Lithium primaries are good down to -40F, so even approaching the temp where they'd be questionable would be quite difficult..

pchambers said:

If primaries are indeed the choice to make for say a light your going to leave in your car during the winter, how long will they last?

Click to expand...

They'll last longer than they would indoors, because batteries self-discharge more slowly in cold storage. Just make sure to store your light somewhere in the car where the temperature varies as little as possible - the trunk is ideal, under the seat is a good alternative.