Christmas gift for geocaching father: recommendations?

Z

z_TomasC

Guest
Hello all,





I'm thinking about buying a decent flashlight for my father for Christmas. He's a very active geocacher (for those who don't know: a game where you search for hidden 'treasures' all over the outdoors). He often goes out late at night with some buddies to find caches. These are often in the woods.



Right now he has a LED headlamp. I don't know what brand it is; I don't think it's anything top of the line. It has three brightness settings and an orange cap you can slide over the light.





Ive filled in the Flashlight Recommendation Checklist from the sticky thread in this forum. I hop its OK for me to ask for recommendations like this. Well, here goes:







1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?



[X] I would like to purchase the light from a brick and mortar store. I am located in Belgium.

[X] I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.



I checked both because mail-order or brick mortar or order pickup doesnt matter. For brick mortar or pickup, Id like it if its closer than 100km (62mi) from Limburg, Belgium.





2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest! :)



[ ] Less than $25.

[ ] Less than $50.

[ ] Less than $100.

[X] Less than $150.

[ ] Less than $300.

[ ] I have no limit.

[ ] I'm flexible, tell me what you gotJ.

[ ] Other, please specify ________



I'm willing to go over $150, but only if there's a very good reason to do so (super features, ...).





3) Format:



[X] I want a flashlight.

[ ] I want a headlamp.

[ ] I want a lantern.

[ ] I want a dive light.

[ ] I want a portable spotlight.



He already has a headlamp.





4) Flashlight-specific format/size:



[ ] Keychain size.

[X] Every day carry small (2-4 inches).

[X] Every day carry medium (4-7 inches).

[X] Holster carry.

[ ] Big enough to need its own travel caseJ.

[ ] I don't care.

[ ] I don't know.

[ ] N/A





5) Emitter/Light source:



[ ] LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)

[ ] Incandescent (known for superior color rendition)

[ ] HID (known for max output, but often at the expense of size)

[X] I don't know.



I though LED would be best for better duration, but I've read on this forum that for geocaching, incandescent can be better to find the hidden caches in the woods at night. So, you tell me :)





6) Manufacturer:



[X] I want to buy a light from a traditional mass producing manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.

[ ] I would consider getting a light that is pieced together (for example a "host" or flashlight body from one manufacturer, and a "drop-in" emitter from another source). Under the right circumstances, this path can provide more options to the consumer to meet specific needs, and can often be easily upgradeable as technology improves.





7) What battery type do you want to use?



[X] I intend to use alkaline batteries (AAA, AA, C, D) (disclaimer, while it does not preclude all choices, these are not recommended for many of today's most powerful lights)

[X] I intend to use rechargeable nickel chemistry (NiCad, NiMH, NiZn)

[X] I intend to use lithium primary batteries (CR123, CR2, Energizer Advanced/Ultimate Lithium AA/AAA)

[X] I intend to use rechargeable lithium (li-ion) chemistry. Feel free to specify a size if you know which size you want (14500, RCR123/16340, 17500, 17670, 18650, etc.)

[X] I want a light with an integrated rechargeable battery. (Note: these choices may be very limited unless you are looking at spotlights)



I checked all options because it really does not matter. If there are two recommendations that are the same except for the battery system, I'd prefer the one that's most environment-friendly.





8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).



[X] I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (0-10 lumens).

[X] I want to walk around an unlit rural area (50-150 lumens).

[ ] I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens).

[ ] I want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens).

[ ] I want ridiculous amounts of lumens (800+ lumens).



Its main use will be geocaching.





9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select all that apply.



[X] Less than 1 yard/meter (reading, other close work)

[X] Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)

[X] 5-20 yards/meters (check out a noise in the backyard)

[ ] 30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)

[ ] 50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)

[ ] 150+ yards (I want maximum throw possible)





10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum output).



[ ] Up to 30 minutes (I want the brightest [and potentially smallest] light for brief periods)

[X] 30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)

[X] 90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)

[ ] 3 hours + (I critically need this light to run on max for extended periods in between battery changes/charges).





11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.



[ ] Not Important (A "night-stand" light).

[ ] Slightly Important (Walks around the neighborhood).

[X] Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).

[ ] Critical (Police, Fire, Search Rescue, Caving, Survival).

[ ] I don't care.

[ ] I don't know.



It is meant as a gift, and I don't want to give something that'll fall apart after being used a few times.





12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):



[ ] I want a forward clicky (Helpful for momentary activation and signaling).

[ ] I want a reverse clicky (For use with multi-mode/level lights).

[ ] I want a momentary switch (Predominantly for use with signaling and short bursts of momentary light only).

[ ] I want a twisty switch (Tighten the head/tailcap to activate, and the light will stay on until the head/tailcap is loosened).

[ ] I want a body mounted switch (near the head, like on a Maglite).

[ ] I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today's high end lights).

[ ] I don't care.

[ ] I don't know.

[X] Other, please specify: it doesn't matter what type, but it has to be easy to use. No manual reading should be required.





13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.



[ ] A simple on-off with only one output level is fine for me.

[X] I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)

[X] I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)

[ ] I want a programmable light.

[ ] I want a selector ring.

[ ] I want a strobe mode. (Blinks to show location.)

[ ] I want SOS mode.

[ ] I want a beacon mode.

[ ] I don't care.

[ ] I don't know.



I checked 2 light levels because that seems enough. However, I dont care if it has a few more.





14)Material/Finish/Coating



[ ] Plastic/composite body (this may limit your choices significantly).

[ ] Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today's flashlights).

[ ] Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum)

[ ] Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminum, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).

[ ] I don't care.

[ ] I don't know.

[X] Other, please specify: I don't know what material, but it should be something that can survive a drop to the ground.





15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any below.



[X] Red filter (for preserving night vision).

[ ] Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________).

[ ] Dedicated R/G/B secondary LEDs.

[ ] "Hybrid" light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs)

[ ] Pocket/belt clip

[ ] Holster

[ ] Wrist/Neck Lanyard

[ ] Crenulated bezel

[ ] Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments



I marked red filter because, if that really preserves some night vision, it's definitely nice to have. Not required, though.





Water resistance:

[ ] None required

[X] Weather proof (can withstand rain and an occasional brief dunking)

[ ] Waterproof (can withstand water down to few meters for an extended period of time; swimming pools should be okay, but not for diving depths)

[ ] Dive light (can withstand water to great depths)



It should be able to withstand heavy rain and lying on wet ground (forest, wet leaves, ...). It doesnt have to be able to withstand occasional brief dunking, though.







Any suggestions for specific products or just things to be aware of or take into account given the use are much appreciated.



Thanks in advance!
 
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