BBQing with Flashlights

How often has it been that you are outside cooking and the sun starts to go down. To add to that, the outdoor lighting is either too weak, or you are too far from the outdoor lighting to illuminate what you are cooking. Often in times like these, I was stuck with a Arc-AAA to help cook the steaks. I've gotten pretty adept at cooking with leds and my Princeton Tec on occasion. The only problem is the color of the meat isn't truly represented with some LED lights. Have any of you cooked with flashlights and what flashlights do you think are the best to cook outside with? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

The last 3 BBQs I was cooking at I used a KL1, L4, ARC, SL Clipmate. Out of all of these the KL1 was best. Not too bright and pretty good runtime. If there wasn't so many girls at the BBQ I would put the Clipmate on the headstrap and grill hands-free! You just can't look cool with a flashlight stuck to your head.

Hey Fonz,

You worried about being cool? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

- Don

V8TOYOTA: That's pretty funny. AGREED about looking cool and having girls around!

I forgot to mention that my LW-3000 in the pre-Luxeon days worked really well!

Ayyyyyyyy!!

Wouldn't doing that make the grease get stuck onto the lens and cleaning very dificult afterwards? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

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Spango said:
Wouldn't doing that make the grease get stuck onto the lens and cleaning very dificult afterwards? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

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I've never really had a problem with the grease flying onto my flashlight lenses. Then again I keep the light relatively far away from the meat. Good question though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I always seem to grab my Arc LS modded headlamp; It seems to be just right. Before that I think I used a Brinkmann Rebel LED which wasn't quite bright enough to overcome the the flames in the backrground.

Plus having hands free by using a headlamp beats juggling meats, plates, tongs, forks and knives....

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Silviron said:
I always seem to grab my Arc LS modded headlamp; It seems to be just right. Before that I think I used a Brinkmann Rebel LED which wasn't quite bright enough to overcome the the flames in the backrground.

Plus having hands free by using a headlamp beats juggling meats, plates, tongs, forks and knives....

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Speaking of overcoming flames in the background, I would take pics of the BBQ with my dig cam, and you could get some pretty weird effects depending on what kind of LED you would use. Using a ARC-AAA would turn out kind of violet tinged in the pics. Using a Luxeon would sometimes expose a greenish tinge in the rising smoke... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif Cool Stuff for sure! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Yes, I like the Surefire M6 it puts out sufficient heat, the only problem is you have to use the 500 lumin lamp which requires changing batteries every 15-20 mins.

With steaks I suggest one battery set change for each side for medium rare.

GregR


oops, I've just been informed that you diodn't mean using a flashlight to cook with, but only to illuminate the cooking area..... Never Mind!

The 1-watt luxeon is pretty close to perfect for this purpose. I usually use a BB400/Q3 in a minimag with a mcflood. With this combo I can light up my whole smoker and get a good view of everything very quickly, so I don't have to leave the door open longer than absoultely necessary. I also use a Arc LS (with the NX-05 optic) for things where I need a little more focus (usually grilling as opposed to BBQing). The W3V McModule 5-watter is way too bright for up-close work like this, but it throws a pretty dang cool beam through the smoke.

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Double_A said:
Yes, I like the Surefire M6 it puts out sufficient heat,

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I'm an L4 kinda man myself...just wrap the steak around the tube and let'er run till the meat turns brown.
But I guess it's kinda lika a propane vs charcoal kinda thing. You have to go with what you're comfortable with.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
-Jason

Hey Tyler, your BB400/Q3 sounds well-named for BBQing; you could even shorten its name down to BBQ3 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

So it's not just me that uses a torch when grilling. I grill out often and it's usually at night. I wear the nite-ize headband with a Badboy 500. I have tried several power levels, from an ARC AAA to a Tigerlight and the BB 500 works best for me.
I must admit to a lack of girls coming around when I grill with my light but then again it's the same thing when I'm not grilling.

ARC AAA with rubberband on spatula or tongs. more hands to fumble with other stuff and you don't look like a coal miner

That's a good idea! I used to find myself sticking the ARC in my mouth on occasion for cooking, fishing, stuff that needed both hands... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

How aboout getting one of the girls at the cook out to come ove and hold the light for you? Sounds like a good way to get her away from her friends so you can talk [about flashlights] to her.

My Surefire G2 got called to action yesterday. I tried to substitute my SL 4AA 7LED, but the chef woould not have it. Like Double A and flownosaj imply, apparently ican is the way to go for grilling. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I found the PM6 to be way too bright for close-up grill work. I can't imagine the G2 would be much better. It's too tightly focused IMO.

Got my 3 AA Luxeon Tasklight and TL-2 Xenon(I had the LED version, just didn't feel complete without the xenon) in the mail today from brightguy. I knew it would come this week so I've already set up a cook-out with friends at my Uncle's working place.(That is if I'm still functional after my b-day celeb on Friday night) He works down at a shipyard. Nice, very dark and sheltered. Great chance to play with all my lights, not to mention cook with them.