Need a flashlight for frog :p hunting - can you help?

I've been looking around the internet for information on different types of flashlights, and I'm having trouble figuring out what would best suit my needs. I can't ask a flashlight company because they'd just suggest the best one of their own models.

I need a flashlight that can light up about a 2-3 square-foot diameter area from a range of 3-10 ft away (i'm guessing that would be the distance I would be trying to spot that frogs)(i hear some flashlights have adjustable beam width - is that right? that would be perfect) and be nice and evenly bright within that whole area (i HATE cheap flashlights that have a bright center spot and then immediately outside that spot have a larger dim spot - it makes it hard to look at things in the outer circle when there's the brighter center circle present). The light has to be bright enough to light up small frogs. The flashlight has to last for hours (at least 3-4) and be bright like previously mentioned (is krypton bright enough?). I might also be wading in water or mud, so if I dropped the flashlight into water, would water-resistance protect a briefly (probably quickly brought back to surface w/in 5 seconds time) "submerged" flashlight? Of course cost is a biggy - I'm not a flashlight collector, so I'm not looking to spend more than $50 (preferrably from $20-30). I'd probably be okay with a hand-hend flashlight because I'd have my other hand for grabbing or to hold a net, but perhaps a strong headlight might be a very good idea.

I hear Maglite 3D or 4D are good, is that what I should get if I got a hand-held?

I know you people know a LOT about flashlights, so if you were frog hunting and you wanted a "light" fit for that purpose, which one would you get considering all of the above mentioned qualities and perhaps extra qualities you can think of that would be important. Which hand-held light(s) would you suggest and/or which headlight(s) would you suggest?

thanks - Eric

Hi Eric!

What do you do with the poor little frogs - eat them ???
What you need - QUAACK - is a light mounted - QUAACK - on your head. So you - QUAACK - can't drop it - QUAACK - and you have both - QUAACK - hands free for - QUAACK - grabbing a frog. - QUAA..SQUEEZE - As a LED light I would suggest the PETZL Tikka headlamp, but I think this one will cost you about 50$. The cheaper alternative is a indescendent headlamp for example from PETZL also. They make outdoor gear for climbing and examination of caves, therefore the headlamps. So have a look in a store that carries climbing utilities.

I hope you find what you are looking for...

Bye,

phantomas2002

I agree with phantomas that Petzl Tikka is a good choice for your requirement. You should be able to get it at under $30 if you shop around.

Alan

I would recomend a small birthday candle...REVIT...REVIT...OK, I agree with Phantomas, an LED is the way to go given the short range requirement and a headlamp would be a good choice.

I ordered a Petzl Duo Belt Headlamp from www.tannerstorefront.com. It cost exactly $50 (my limit)(not including shipping). From reading, it seemed like the LEDs just aren't that bright (bright for LEDs but not like halogen) and not to mention it wasn't water resistant. I couldn't resist the Duo Belt. It has two lights - one low intensity light for less requirement (like when I'm just walking through swampland) and then a high intensity halogen for good viewing (like when I'm closing in on a frog and I need good light to see it). It also has an adjustable focus - so I can widen it for close up spotting or narrow it for far viewing. It's also water resistant. It also uses 4 C batteries (for increased power/longevity) and the extra weight is not put on the head because the battery pack can be placed in a pocket or clipped to a belt ring.

I can also use this thing for other purposes too and it has the ability to produce bright light (because of the halogen). I hope I picked right. I think the LED one would be good for low light requirement (like I would need if I was just walking through the woods or swamp and needed only a tiny bit of light). The Duo is good for both walking and spotting.

- or perhaps I'm not realizing just how bright the LED is and how what I'm getting is just way brighter than imagined.

www.tannersstorefront.com Sounds like a good choice to me...poor frogies...I don`t suppose you are just lonely and looking to have a few animal friends around the house?

HEY ERIC
Your from New Jersey. Don't the frogs glow on their own???

My choice would the Lightwave headlamp; 4 LEDs make it a bit brighter with a longer throw than the
Tikka, and with 3 AA lithium batteries, will probably last longer...I think it's about $35-
...I was the 'can't miss' frog catcher at summer camp, but did all my hunting in daylight...I can only guess about what colors, if any, frogs see -- maybe they are blind to certain colors, (red?) which would give you an advantage -- unless the flash of a white light would blind them briefly and freeze them for an easy grab...the LEDs in the Putzyl Duo is a good idea, except on mine I had to either rewire it (switch the positive and negative wires) or install the batteries "backwards" -- opposite the way indicated, to make the LED portion of the light work -- which results in a wobbly connection in the battery holder, sometimes, (the battery contacts have to be bent back into position)...I think I'll try rewiring it...
LOP!:

I like catching them at night when they are calling - because many frogs would otherwise be hard to track down during the day, like treefrogs.

I usually just catch them, hold them and examine them, then let them go. Sometimes I keep them for a day to show some other friends that might be interested, then let them go that night.

Still waiting for my headlamp in the mail... along with three African Giant Black Millipedes I ordered off an internet site.

oh, treefrogs! they can be very difficult to spot. I mostly caught the green ones in the streams; mostly all meadow and leopard frogs..once I caught a hyla crucifer on a tree in the Catskills, very rare.
As long as you release them, I wonder if the treefrogs would luminess (?) or 'become luminous' in blacklight, as do scorpians, among other animals, for instance?