Re: What\'s the best light for a scout?
Less than $200 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif
You can get "best" quality lights for less than $200.
ARC4+; Can be clipped on a cap for a temporary headlamp.
Surefire A2; Brighter than the ARC4 when both are on high and 20 hour runtime on low. The high beam has good throw compared to the other lights I listed.
Surefire L2; The low beam is brighter than the low of the A2 and has 10 hour runtime on low. This light has more of a flood beam.
It's hard for me to pick only one of these to make a recommendation because they are all very good lights. I recommend the A2 for scouting because you might need the throw of the incandescent for finding a trail or some unknown emergency application. Be prepared. IMHO you'll use the low beam the most.
The ARC4+ is a very close second because of size, brightness & runtime. The runtime on level 16 is the longest of these lights. I only picked the A2 over the ARC4 because of the brightness of the A2 on high.
Now that I've shown you how to spend your $200 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif let me say that for camping and hiking I recommend a headlamp and a backup light.
I recommend the
Princeton Tec Yukon HL for a headlamp and the
CMG Infinity Ultra-G for a backup light.
The
ARC AA is a nicer light than the Ultra or Ultra-G, but it costs more. These lights have similar brightness and if money isn't an issue or if you want a nicer and slightly smaller light get the ARC AA.
In addition to a headlamp and a backup light I also take a bright incandescent especially when I'm in bear country. However the bright incandescent doesn't get much use and if weight is an issue (backpacking) it would be left at home unless I'm going to be in bear country.