LED lights and winter camping.

Woods Walker

The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
5,433
Location
New England woods.
Winter brings long nights and cold temps but on the flip side the bugs and rattlesnakes are gone but not forgotten.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/287534

Sometimes I don't make it to camp before dark and the weather isn't always on my side. Following white blaze markers in a white world isn't all that easy. There are times when a low mode just won't cut it. Here I had to backtrack to the last marker and try again to find the next.


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Found it!


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My long running Fenix and 4sevens lights make it possible to setup camp during a harsh winter night.


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Then light up my shelter!


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Fenix HL20 never failed me when I needed something small with good throw. I broke the diffuser and not sure where to get a new one. I changed out the Fenix headband with an old PT band.


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Warm vs. Cool tints winter camping style.

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Deep snow with lows of -14F.


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4/7s Quark mini XP-E Q3-5A doing its thing.


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No shoeshoes and jacket no service….


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Goes without saying following my snowshoe tracks back is kinda easy.


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Fenix LD10 R4, Mora knife and Ti mess kit.


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4/7s Maelstrom flashlight being used to illuminate metal plate targets during some night target shooting. This was done during a group winter campout at a safe range area where it's legal to do so. I don't recommend this being done in the back yard. LOL! The temps hit around-12F that night.


CLICK ON PHOTO TO VIEW VIDEO. THIS IS BEST DONE IN SEPARATE WINDOW.


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Using my H501w (awesome gear item) to light up a small spring for a late night subzero water run. Notice the nice flood light. :) My buddy was using a 70 lumen EOS with a nasty green tint. I was a bit taken back by this as both my 50 lumen EOS headlamps have good tints and this makes them look brighter.


CLICK ON PHOTO TO VIEW VIDEO. THIS IS BEST DONE IN SEPARATE WINDOW.



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I mostly use my LED headlamps for trail and camp work. The flashlights are for backup, more throw if needed and lantern duty. Just looking to thank the CPF community for all the knowledge I have picked up here.
 
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ranger07

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Joined
Feb 14, 2010
Messages
57
Location
New Jersey
Wow! That looks so cool. Looks like you have a good setup. Been wanting to do some winter camping, and your pics make me want to even more.
 

Captain Spaulding

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 25, 2009
Messages
764
Location
Sacramento, CA
Great pics Woods Walker! Thanks for sharing! I usually carry my HDS High CRI and a couple Quark Minis with extra primaries to be light and good for cold weather performance... Im waiting on some GITD diffuser film for my Quark mini and that will be a great in-the-tent light! I also REALLY like the beacon mode on the Quark to hang in the tent so when I wonder off in the dark, I can see my beacon lighting up my whole tent.

I LOVE winter camping and show-shoeing myself. Cant beat camping on TOP of 8 feet of snow! :thumbsup: Here are a couple from my last winter adventure:

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And on the way to the summit!

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And oh so close to the summit. This is Castle Peak off of I-80 near Donner pass if anybody is wondering.

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Walleee

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Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
2
Nice report, thanks. In the "4/7s Quark mini XP-E Q3-5A" what kind of diffuser/cone is on the light?

Thanks,
Wally
 

Xacto

Enlightened
Joined
May 22, 2010
Messages
569
Location
Heidelberg Area, Germany
Great pictures, I have great respect for what you do, especially since I could not even picture myself camping in the summer.

Have fun.

Cheers
Thorsten
 

Woods Walker

The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
5,433
Location
New England woods.
Glad to see CPF back up!

Captain Spaulding.

I also like to float my camps. For those who don't know how a person needs to stomp the snow down (snowshoes work great) and allow it to set for at least 30 minutes.

This camp is floating on a 3-foot base.

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A frozen New England lake during a cold….very cold camping trip this winter.

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Frozen river from this past New Years Eve campout.

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Walleee.

I made it out of a necked down small Nalgene container. Warm tint and runs a looong time. What's not to like.

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That was from an early season campout/fishing trip. No snow on the deck yet but got down below freezing at night.


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Xacto.

Thanks for the comments. No bugs is a big draw to winter camping. I can deal with the cold but those ticks, blackflies, horseflies, mosquitoes etc etc can work a person good.
 
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blackbalsam

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
1,583
Location
WNC
Such a great thread guys, as i love to winter camp in Pisgah National Forest in NC. A lot of good info and reading here...Thanks, Guys.
 

David-syd

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Joined
Jun 27, 2008
Messages
5
great scenery pictures. Nothing similar to this in Australia. total white out.
 
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