If you were moving to Africa…

…what lights would you take with you? Seriously. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I'm moving to Central Africa pretty soon to work in agricultural development. The way I found this forum was through my search for lights I could take with me. I've been registered here for a while and have learned a lot, but not enough, so I come to you asking for advice.

I think LED lights are the way to go since I won't have access to replacement bulbs, aside from what I would bring with me. I will eventually be in a very remote area and likely will have to charge my batteries with a solar charger. I think this would exclude the use of high capacity C or D NiMH cells. So I guess I'm looking for some reliable AA powered lights. I'd like to stick with one size of cell for the sake of simplicity. Reliability is a HUGE issue as I'll be there for a minimum of two years with no access to replacements.

As for intended uses, I think I'd like a small light for wandering around the house at night; I really like the idea of a 1 celled AA Luxeon light. A brighter light with moderate throw for night time use outside is another requirement.

Price is an issue as well as funds are kind of tight. But I guess I'm willing to pay for quality as longevity of the light is crucial.

Thanks for your help!
Darren

PS – I already have a Princeton Tec Yukon headlamp, but not the one with a Luxeon. Are there any drop in Luxeon replacements for the standard bulb?

Though I wouldn't rate them as delivering the very best beams. Your requirements could be best met with 2 lights rather than one.
1) "a small light for wandering around the house at night" . Even with wha I have at my disposal - the Dorcy AAA is hot property around my place ( go ahead and buy 3 or 4 at $6.00 each - uses rechargeable AAA's)
2) "A brighter light with moderate throw for night time use outside is another requirement." Though I haven't yet reviewed it, the UK 4AA should be a winner with a 10 year warranty on the flashlight case. Again - uses rechargeable AA's. Total package cost not including batteries- $100.00
For a bit more money, the Longbow Micra in OD color + an ecco tube would be a nice and versatile "luxury" contender that delivers a punchy beam and is very water tight- as is the UK- Add $36.00 > $136
There are some newly released 2AA Luxeons for less money but I hesitate to recomend them just yet.
BTW- give some consideration to a flexible solar charger rather than the stiff or boxs types
You may want to search the CPF for links to reviews of these products
Bon Voyage!
A I

Darren, What takes you to that part of the world? Geographicly where will you be?

In addition to your other stuff, two or three Swiss Light solar flashlights would be invaluable backups (or gifts). Also I would consider taking an Opalec NewBeam for the great runtime.

if your headlamp takes a PR based type bulb you should try an Everled replacement bulb.

for a good durable and long lasting, bright light i would suggest an Angelux(version 1-24 hrs of bright light, will actually run for a couple of weeks) Wayne Johnson of Elektrolumens makes these to order. in case your not familiar with these, they are a custom modified Army anglehead light with luxeon. the clip on the army light comes in handy. 2D light albeit small for a 2D light. i had mine for probably around 8 months now it is still on its original batteries and i don't notice any difference in brightness if i put in fresh D's! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif this is after a few backpacking trips(one of which the light was on for 5+ hours straight) and my friend also borrowing it for coon hunting(an all night process). this light is awesome!

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…what lights would you take with you?

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It's been 16 years since I was last in Africa. But, I have a friend in Burundi right now. He has a Pelican M6, Infinity Ultra, Princeton-Tec Aurora headlamp, and a Mini-Mag with one of Dat2zip's (The Sandwich Shoppe) drop in LED Sandwiches, and one of those Energizer folding 4AA LED lights.

Last time I was in Africa, I had a stock Mini-Mag and a dozen spare lamps, a couple of US GI Fulton Angleheads with spare lamps and a bunch of candles to go in my dinky little hikers' candle lantern. I was regarded as well equipped back then. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

Alkaline D and AA cells are available, but the farther you get away from Kinshasha/Brazzavile the harder they will be to find and more expensive they'll be.

Are you going to Congo, DRC, CAR, or where?

Whatever else you take, be sure and take either an Infinity Ultra or Arc AA.

I'm not up on the various Pelican and UK waterproof multi-AA cell LED lights but plenty of CPFers are. I'd take the most reliable and powerful AA cell fueled one of those I could get.

I bought 96 AA batteries for less than $40.00 at Walgreens a few months ago. In your shoes, I'd probably take twice that many with me.

Good Luck! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Britt

I would opt for an LED light that would run on multi AAs and be a clickie. If you ever need to buy batteries in the Third World, AA will always be the most easily obtainable.

I would prefer a clickie switch because finding out that your twistie flashlight has shortened your rechargeables to the point that that they don't work anymore is a real drag when you're in a country where they can't be replaced. This exact thing has already happened to me out in the boonies and it really cut the buzz. All twisties are not guilty of this but be advised -- some are. I would love to see a table listing twisties which do not shorten rechargeables.

I sheepishly note that I would probably pack something like a Tektite 3AA twisty and some alkalines as backup to the clickie.

My AccuManager 20 charger comes with a 12V cable and is all set up for solar charging.

Take a look at what ElektroLumens has to offer. He has a modified bent neck style 2xD light that is switchable between 1w or 3w. Great runtimes! Send him an e-mail and lay out what you need, and see what he comes up with. I have one of his 2xD traditional styled lights....built like a tank!

Olalec New Beam conversion for a MiniMag...nice close in light,

PT Surge...very bright, hand sized, waterproof (it's a dive rated light) but uses 8 AA batteries.

Uk 4AA eLED....uses 4 AA batteries and has a nice long runtime.

The Swiss Solar light needs no batteries...just some daylight to charge the built-in battery....it's a one led (Photon siged) light.


Earlier in the year someone was fitting out his son for a stay in Central America,,,,,might try to find that thread and see what he desided to take.

Kermit, I envy your upcoming adventure.

Only advice I'll attempt is to keep it very simple and basic and have as much redundancy as possible. I've several acquaintences who've had Peace Corps, USAID and Red Cross experiences. They're greatest problems were theft of their personal "life support" items. Several solar chargers disappeared while in the sun charging, so 12v charging capability might be good to have.

Edit for an idea -- a bunch of the 20 for $20 keychain lights from www.CountyComm.com would serve you well (in addition to buying your a lot of goodwill as gifts as suggested earlier).

Hi.

I was in the Peace Corp in East Africa some twenty years ago. My sole source of light was a Tekna 4AA light that I used for everything, including acting as a headlight on my moped (since replacement motorcycle bulbs were not available). If I was going back and money was tight, I would get three lights.

1. Infinity Ultra G for in pocket long life.
2. Eternalight Xray for around the house long life.
3. Minimag with BB500 sandwich for in the woods

I would also bring
1. Solar charger for AA (one that also plugs in)
2. Plenty of high capacity NmH batteries
3. Plenty of cheap AA alkalines

All of these lights are AA, reasonable in price and reliable.

Although I personnally fancy 123 cell lights in small form factor, unless one can bring a large box of 123 cells (or rechargable), I would skip these lights.

The area that you will live will probably have quality dark thus making the need for super high power lights not that necessary. If lux is necessary, I would go for a higher power and bin sandwich for the mag.

Good luck on your journey.

Regards.

Small dimmer indoor lights:

Arc AA $35 Adequate brightness. Stands on end. Waterproof.

Infinity Ultra $20 Adeqate brightness. Waterproof.
UK 4AA eled $25 Long runtime decent brightness.
Waterproof.

Brighter lights:

UK 4AA xenon $15 A few spare lamp assemblys would be good, or just buy whole extra lights. Might be able to use the UK 4AA recharbable lamp assembly with nimh AAs for very bright light. Waterproof.

Arc LSHF-P with 2AA battery pack. $160 Personal favorite had to at least mention it but probably too pricey. Waterproof. Very nice output.

Streamlight 3AA luxeon tasklight. $30 Only read about a few people having problems with this light not sure about waterproofness though.

Mag-lite multi D cell with Everled, Inretech, or Electrolumens Luxeon drop in module. $60 - 200+. Water resistant.

Prices are rough guess on my part. There are probably a ton of other lights that fit your requirements as well.

Thanks for all the info so far. I still think it best if I standardize to one cell size which takes the Dorcy AAA and Angelux lights off the list, but thanks for the suggestions.

Aten Imago - Thanks for your suggestions, but could you recommend anything a little less expensive? I want to bring some back-ups along, but at $100+ for a light, I couldn't afford it. I'll look into the flexible solar panels.

Kilowatt - I'll send a PM to you shortly as it isn't flashlight related.

BC0311 - I'll be in the SW portion of the Central African Republic, working near Gamboula and Bayanga. I'll probably bring 24-48 alkalines and 24-36 2300mah AA. Walmart has 2300mah AA at $18 for 8. They are stamped with HR so I'm assuming they're Sanyos.

Sub_Umbra - Thanks for the clicky vs. twisty comment!

Roy - Thanks for the suggestions. I'm now strongly considering an Opalec or two. I'll look into the UK 4AA eLED as well. I'll take a look for the thread you mentioned.

BIGIRON - Good thought on the 20 for $20 keychain lights. They would make nice gifts.

Thanks again everyone! Keep the suggestions coming!

Kermit, dadgum, you've got guts. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

For the benefit of others, here are some links to help acquaint yourself with where Kermit is going and what the situation is.

MAP of CAR

US DOS Consular Information Sheet on CAR (click on the DOS travel warning)

CIA Factbook on CAR

Kermit will be headed for the Prefectures of Haute (High) Sangha and Sangha. The Sangha is a river that runs N to S.

Be sure and take a couple of radios with you. FM and the SW bands will be most important. One should be small enough you could stuff it in a pocket. Have something waterproof you can put it in.

Also, think through your medical kit. Don't rely on anyone else to provide for you or think it through for you.

Have your own personal water purifying (not just filtering) equipment and containers. If you have one of the pumps also get the iodine H20 purifying pills. In a pinch use chlorine bleach.

Take a substantial lock and chain and box that you can lock shut and chain to something they can't walk off with.

Get some of the dessicant cartridges (the renewable ones that you put in an oven to dry out)

Splurge on the best Leatherman Tool or Swiss Army Tool (with pliers) you can. Get a very good locking blade knife. Don't rely on a clip to keep it from getting lost.

Fingernail scrub brush, couple of plastic bottles of Povidone-Iodine, H202, and concentrated liquid soap.

Oh heck, I'm off on one of my mother hen binges. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

Just one more...no sex with the locals. HIV is running at 12+%. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sick.gif

Britt

PS: Oh yeah, bring a pocket French to English/English to French dictionary. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif Ok, I'll relax. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

How about a couple SL TT3AAs? 3 LEDs for close in, plus a semi spot Xenon bulb for some reach. In "Quality" dark, I think you'd find them plenty bright! They are pretty cheap to acquire as well.

The security of your 'stuff' might be in question. Opalec modules or Sandwiches in otherwise plain jane minim*gs might stick around longer.

The UK 4AA Eled might be a wonderful light. I know the Xenon UK 4AA is! Maybe get an Eled and a couple Xenon modules so you can have both versions?

Don't discount the single AAA pocket lights. Used sparingly one alkaline AAA will run an ARC AAA for months! I think the little Dorcy 1AAAs should run a good long time too.

The Infinty Ultra or Ultra G is a dandy 1AA light.

I both envy you, and say NO WAY would I do that!

Standardise to AA sized lights where possible. That size of cell is the most easily available form factor. Where you might like a larger (C or D cell) light, consider using battery holders/adapters. This may even give you a slight advantage in terms of flexibility, which is why I have a couple of D cell lights and am building some AA to D adapters. In fact, if I'm going for larger lights, I'll choose D-cell lights over C-cell lights because I can easily put in C-cells plus adapter in to a D-cell body.

I would have the following lights at least.
Infinity Ultra or Arc-AA (if you can spare the extra cash. Have at least 2.)

UKE Mini Q40 replaced with eLED module. (I prefer the Q40 over the 4AA because it is TOTALLY sealed. Very important in mud. Plus eLED gives reasonable brightness over long battery life. IMHO, better value for money both in terms of initial cost and running cost than Opalec. Also get at least 2.)

UKE Mini Q40 with 2 spare xenon lamp assemblies. (I've found the UKE lamp assemblies to be exceptionally long-lived. Didn't have to replace it in 2yrs of army training, but suggest 2 spares just in case. This will be your generic-use long-throw light.)

Princeton Tec Matrix or Vortec headlamp with EverLED bulb. (A headlamp is useful for keeping your hands free. I prefer the Matrix because it comes with the dimmer but incredibly long burn-time 3x5mm LED module which is useful for near-field work like reading. It also comes with an incandescent module. The incandescent bulb will naturally be replaced with an EverLED. The brightness is similar to the original incandescent while burn-time is improved. The smooth reflector is adequate, though I would try hard to get the orange-peel reflector. It seriously improves the beam. The Vortec usually comes with both reflectors but is incandescent. I would put an EverLED in the orange-peel reflector and some generic 3x5mm LED PR bulb in the smooth reflector.)

UKE Light Cannon 100. (This will be your superbright, long-throw, use once-in-a-while lamp. You will need to build an adaptor so that it takes AA cells. 2 banks of 8 will do the trick. You will probably use this so infrequently that you'll have to shake off the dust and cobwebs when it comes time to use it. Probably load it up initially with lithium AAs before you go.)

That's my selection. I prefer sealed/water-tight lights because I like the security of knowing that there will never be any water or dirt ingress to damage my lights. Bring a small tub of silicon grease to maintain the o-rings.

If after all that, you still have cash to spare, go for an Arc-LSHF-P with 2 AA pack as FluffyGrunt suggested. Expensive, but well worth the money. I did not suggest this over the UKE 4AA eLED because you said that money was tight and IMHO, the eLED, though dimmer than the Arc-LS, would be better bang for the buck. And the UKE will allow you to get a second light for redundancy. What are you going to do if you lose your $160 light? This is a luxury item you should get if you can afford it though.

But perhaps a little more important may be to get some first generation Solar Swiss Lights and couple each of them with a Traser glowring. When you get to your new home, hang them in strategic locations around the house so they get a couple of hours of sun. Even bright, indirect sunlight is good enough to charge them. These are your last-ditch, black-out emergency lights. Always charged, always ready.

And don't ever under-estimate the value of a pack of tealight candles and a box of matches. Safe and stable for storage, unlike oil, gas or kerosene.

I like BigIron's idea of the 20 for $20 keychain lights too.

edited cause the Vortec and Matrix are by Princeton Tec, not UKE. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

BCO113 gives good advice. I'll restate my feelings of importance of security. One PCV wrote me that "her life was in her backpack." I've used a GI 50cal ammo can as a secure box with some success, tho one country refused to let me bring it in, even after searching the contents and being offered a nice bribe.

Kermit, you're in for a great experience. Enjoy it.

I would second everyone who suggested the Infinity Ultra; it's rugged, waterproof, compact and relatively cheap.

rei.com

Plus, it comes with a lanyard and pocket/hat clip for hands-free operation (crucial in the latrine). Note: the Ultra-G version has a more rugged finish, but doesn't include the lanyard and clip.

Re: If you were moving to Africa?

As I wrote several times in other threads:
I have (up to now) very good experience with the Rayovac IC3 15 minute charger and cells. The charger's wall wart takes anything from 90-300V and the 12V plug is also very useable. As they charge so fast, it is not necessary to leave them unattended for a longer time. And as the charge termination 'intelligence' is built into the cells these will also shut off (or charge full) at higher temperatures. I also expect a longer life (but am still waiting for results).
And in some parts of the world, D cells are easier available than AAs.
Always take a headlight with you. When you have to fix the main light source (gasmantle lantern or whatever) it is very useful.

If you want cheap, reliable, long burn, highly water resistant, go with a LightWave2100 (3AA, Continuous use will be over a week) I left mine on when i went out of town for 7 days and it was still decently bright. Its ugly but will be plenty bright to walk around in complete darkness. Also, second the idea of Swiss Solar light 2 and infinity ultra. The UK 4AA eLED is a long distance runner as well. Maybe even an Eternalight Elite X-Ray? You'll have to have a small philips screw driver. But this sucker is a great light for function and battery conservation.

There hasn't been too much talk of headlamps, but it can't be overstated that your headlamp will probably become your main indespensible light. Fortunately the Yukon is a good and versatile light. I think I would want a backup headlamp (ideally a Yukon HL) and then a good pocket light along the lines of an Infinity Ultra or NewBeam. If I could only take one light it would definitely be a headlamp of some sort.

Also take some disposable cigarette lighters. Chances are good that the local method of artifical lighting will require a flame to get going and if your electronics fail or get stolen, you will be using exactly what the locals are using.