Winter's close! Cold weather options?

Jekyll & Hyde

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Oct 1, 2011
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J: Hi all. It gets pretty cold here in the winter (-30 to -40 degrees C) at night at times.

H: Some of my flashlights do get left out in the cold (poor things). So I need a reliable chemistry at those temperatures.

J: I've only been using the Energizer AA and AAA lithium primary cells thus far (Li/FeS2). They have worked fine.

H: Does anyone know how well the 123A (Li/MnO2) Lithium primary cells work at those temperatures?

J: Any real world experience you could share?

H: 123A's would give me a lot more flashlight options!

Many TIA,
J&H
 
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mmace1

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Wikipedia says:

"Wide temperature range" for Li/Mn02 chemistry. Which is pretty useless, sorry. That's the best I can do while also providing a bump for a very interesting question...
 

chmsam

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In this part of NY we don't get super cold but we will see temps below 0 F. Lithium AA and AAA as well as primary 123 lithiums work well for that.

Bigger problems that I have seen are that flashlights get so cold that they are uncomfortable to grip (suggestion: try using several layers of friction tape or some bicycle handlebar foam grips) or that the switches are hard to use while wearing gloves.

If you are using the proper amount and type of lube/grease for the o-rings and threads you should be good to go.
 
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Jekyll & Hyde

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J: Thanks for the advice guys.

H: My plan (so far) is to get a Surefire G2X Pro Nitrolon bodied 2x123A light for cold weather.

J&H
 
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cummins4x4

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Our temps here range from +35C to -45C so I have the same problem. I have decided all lights must be capable of running on CR123's with the option of 18650's weather permitting.
 

Tommygun45

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Ya, CR123's are fine they are practically designed for feezing cold weather. Nitrolon bodies are a good choice. There is also a thread floating around here though of Malkoff MD2 bodies that some of us got bike handle bar rubberized grips and put them on our MD2/3's. Can't wait to use them in the cold.

IMG_20111017_205224.jpg
 

StarHalo

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Make sure you're taking lube into account once you start bumping the -40 degree mark, as most lubes sieze up at that temperature. Krytox is good down to -90.
 

ampdude

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Keep G2's, spare bulbs and Surefire CR123A's in the gloveboxes of my vehicles. It can get very cold here in the winter as well. Nothing else battery wise is really gonna work at those low temperatures, I won't trust the electronics in LED's for that either. A G2 or G3 with spare lamps (just in case) and lithium primaries is pretty fail safe.
 

longboat

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Aug 13, 2009
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Two related questions:

1) Would a torch that cools the LED by conducting heat to the body be a better choice in these situations? The LED would likely last much longer and the heat could be transferred to the user's hand (an advantage in subzero temps). Plus, if you have to hold it in your mouth, your tongue is less likely to get stuck to the flagpole, er, flashlight. :ohgeez:

2) Would warm tint be a better color choice to use in snowy/icy/foggy conditions that are more prevalent in winter? Seems the cool (no pun intended) white tints would create a lot of reflection off the snow (night-time snow blindness :eek: ).
 
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