Streamlight Sidewinder when parachuting from high altitudes?

I own a Streamlight Sidewinder (Military version) and was looking at its specs.
It is MIL-STD-810F which means it was drop tested, shock tested, and low and high extreme temperatures.

So I was just wondering if it can be used on my gear when doing military HAHO/HALO high altitude jumps from altitudes around 15000 to 30000 feet.

itsonlyme said:

I own a Streamlight Sidewinder (Military version) and was looking at its specs.
It is MIL-STD-810F which means it was drop tested, shock tested, and low and high extreme temperatures.

So I was just wondering if it can be used on my gear when doing military HAHO/HALO high altitude jumps from altitudes around 15000 to 30000 feet.

Click to expand...

I can't visualize what one would be doing with a flashlight during such an evolution except possibly picking out a landing sight, and even that would be more appropriate for NVGs than a flashlight. Are you planning on using a round chute or a steerable one?

I couldn't find any relative information available to answer your question definitively but one could surmise that since the light is a Military version and would have been designed to meet a Military Contract Specification at inception, and would need to meet some of the basic 510 criteria when in POM (proof of manufacture). The Altitude testing portion (Low Pressure) of 510 would suggest it was design rated to meet a portion of Section 2.3.1 Paragraph b. Since that would cover troop movement in Military Transports (C130/C141/etc). That rating is 10.9 PSIA at 8000ft. However the only reference to pressure I could find was from the description at Streamlight and all they list is IPX-7 (1 meter submersion test for 30 minutes without leaking ) that exposure equates to a 1.4 PSIA loss meaning it meets far less stringent standards.

All of that having been said if I had to hazard a guess (a WAG) I do not see any reason the Sidewinder can not be used under the conditions you plan on but you might consider twisting open the battery pack to expose the battery space to the pressure changes as you gain altitude. Or at least compensate half way up? Maybe at 15k or thereabouts? Couldn't hurt. Its a sure bet that the head is sealed from the battery section so I doubt exposing it to altitude will effect anything. And the head does have an o-ring gasket around the lens. Plus the selector knob is o-ring sealed. Just my 2 cents.