Recent Camping Trip - Nothing but LEDs

I went on another cub scout camping trip this weekend. This wasn't real camping (we drive to the campsite, pitched the tent and then drove back to the parking area .5 miles away) but it did offer a chance to use a few of my favorite lights.

On my last camping trip I took a number of lights including a TwinTask 2L, modified X5T, Arc AAA&AA, Tec 40, 4aa Lantern/spot and SL Scorpion.

This time I only took three lights:
- Mini-Mag w/ Q2 Low-Dome & NX-05 direct-drive from 2AA's. This was my son's light and he didn't care for the low output and yellowish beam. He used it to walk down one of the roads in the campsite late and night and claimed it simply didn't put out enough light for him. After that he insisted on leaving it in the tent. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif
- Mini-Mag w/ R2H high dome, modified MM reflector running on a micro-puck. This was my personal light and turned out to be very useful. It will throw a bright enough beam to identify people 50 feet away and it's generous and full spill was very useful for walking and camp chores. Interestingly enough, it's beam is a bit like a PR's which I don't like. Anyway, it's white light was much more pleasing than all of the yellowish beams that everyone else's incandescent lights were producing.
- SL ProPolymer 3C 7LED. I just can't say enough good things about this light. It was the "go to" light for my son and I and others in our campsite kept borrowing it once their flashlights' batteries began to die. One woman was intrigued by the beam and asked if it was "halogen". "No, it uses LEDs" I said and left it at that. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

If I was going on an extended hiking/camping trip I think I'd swap out the Q2-DD pill in my son's mini-mag for something that has a converter (maybe an MM-Lite or BB400 sammich) and might switch out the ProPolymer 3C for a the 4AA 7LED for weight and battery commonality, otherwise these LED lights proved more than adequate for the entire trip.

Jon

Hello Jon,

It sounds like a fun outing.

Get those Scouts hooked on lights at an early age...

Tom

I've been in my Boy Scout troop for 4 years now. I was the first with LEDs. Now, about 75% of the (60 or so) boys have given up their M*gs in favor of LEDs.

Unfortunately, even the gear-a-holic adults cringe at the cost of my ARCs (even the AAA!) and SureFires /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif (They sure know its me coming down the dark path, though!) They'll spend $400 on an Arc'teryx backpack but the thought of $150 for a flashlight just doesn't go over well.

I'll see how they like my new eLEDs. I'm planning on using 2Ls with eLED modules on our upcoming 5 night backpacking trip.

Well, this is my first year in the scouts - my son is a Tiger (1st grade) and we were one of only three or four tigers that made it to the campout. I was happy to have a campfire to sit in front of and people that were willing to talk to me while the boys were out playing "flashlight tag", so I wasn't really in a frame of mind to push LED flashlights. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif The SL ProPolymers are not expensive, perhaps I could've said "it was only $25" but didn't think about it. I wouldn't even get into my moddified mini-mags, at least not until they've bought into the idea of LED's - these folks weren't hard core campers. Interestingly enough, a few of their flashlights were decent, one was a Xenon/CCT combo light that through a nice, thin spot. I didn't get a good look, but I don't think it was the "novigear m-6" sold on eBay.

Jon

You should bring a real monster LED flashlight next time. Perhaps a 5W/mag reflector or a tri-star type light! That'd be some real fun /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif My V2T McModule is on long-term loan to my father, otherwise I would've brought that.

I'm really interested in the InReTech Trilight3, that may be my next purchase and if so it's definitely going camping housed in a 3D Mag converted to 4C. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Jon

Just don't loan out your favorites!

I loaned my pristine Blaster 1R (converted to a BB750 w/3W) on one of our campouts and received it back with nice dings from being dropped on some rocks. Oh well, it looks "well used" now.

Also, I once loaned a SureFire 8NX that got dropped. Bulb exploded leaving shrapnel on the inside of the Lexan. Poor guy about fell over when the replacement bulb cost more than his M*g.

Funny, though how a 40-something guy (me!) enjoys blinding the other adults with the newest LED toy.

I LOVE LED's, but . . .

Cub Scouts, if you want them to turn into flashoholics, need to see who's light is brightest, and who's light shines the furthest.

That's true. I probably should've brought my Mag 2C KPR112/3x123 mod. It's easily the brightest, longest throwing light that I have...

As I'm just getting back into camping after a 25 year absence I'm trying to figure out exactly what I need vs what I would like to have. This is why I went easy on the flashlights this time. I was kind of minimalist (not extremely though) on just about everything and didn't really notice it - except I should've brought an extra blanket or two or possibly a cot to get us off the ground. But, that's another story.

Back to the lights. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif LED lights offer a unique mix of runtime, utility and portability, making them ideal for camping. A small upgrade to my son's mini-mag and we could very easily spend a week out there with only a few spare AA's for backup.

Jon

Hi Jon, I loved your story. My 2 boys have been in scouts since Tigers. This is the 1st year of Boy Scouts for my oldest.

How is the run time on the SL ProPolymer? I have an Arc AAA and a Newbeam and I'm trying to select my next light.

Thanks

Try Lithium AA's in the son's mini-mag. Might just make the difference.

wwglen

JohnnyB, The SL ProPoly 3C 10LED has a claimed runtime of up to 336 hours. I'm not sure how long it takes to get to 50% brightness, but I'd guess it's something like 12 or 15 hours.

wwglen, normally I run 3xN with a space in his light but I'm not confident in the runtime so I switched to 2AA. Lithiums will certainly help, you're right. But, I'd rather go with a step-up convert of some sort.

Jon

If you took a TT2L, that has an incan bulb, so it's not a LED-only trip. But it's a good choice, should be sufficient for most any camping purpose. Use the LED's for most things, the incan if you need to light something far away.

For a non-flashaholic, the UKE 4AA eLED is another good light, $20 at Brightguy.

Stonedog: please explain that modification of the 2 cells Mag (Mag 2 C KPRll2/ 3xl23) I am specially interested in how you put the three 123 in the light. and where I can get
the KRP112, (Radio Shack, maybe)
Thank you.
Juan C.

juancho, There are many, many threads in the custom forum about this mod. It's probably one of the easiest out there. All you need is the bulb (Yes, Radio Shack although a 5 or 6 cell Maglite bulb will also due), some 3/4" (or is it 1/2"?) PVC pipe and duck tape. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif The PVC pipe is cut to the length of 2 "C" cells and then wrapped close to both ends with tape until it is the diameter of a "C" cell. Insert new bulb, PVC battery holder and 3 123's and you're done! Over driving a 5 cell bulb will net more light but a decreased bulb life.

Jon