Camping This Weekend

JAS

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Nov 16, 2002
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Rosemount
My family and I are going camping this weekend at Mille Lacs Kathio State Park http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/mille_lacs_kathio/index.html
I will probably bring along the following:

-Tigerlight FBOP (for me)

-Inova T4 (for my wife)

-mini Ultrastinger (Stinger HP with cutom 6 volt sticks and US bulb for 9 yr old son)

-Gander Mountain cheap Chinese LED that I got free last weekend (for 5 yr old son)

I am still thinking about getting a Streamlight Twin-Task Rechargeable Flashlight for my oldest son. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...com/products/Cpod0022197.jsp&_requestid=86003
And our route does take us right by Cabela's.
And it is their Grand Opening weekend.
Hmmm.
 

NoFair

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I think I would grab a headlamp at Cabelas... They are by far the most usefull lights for camping, hiking and other outdoor activities.. They have quite a few nice ones, but I would recomend a Princeton Tec; either an EOS for a small one or an Apex for a larger, brighter and better headlight.

Living in Norway just passing by stores like this seems pretty nice, wouldn't be able to pass by it without taking a good long look at quite a few lights...
We pay about 2-3 times what you Americans do for quality flashlights... SIGH..

Sverre
 

Pydpiper

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Brantford/Woodstock
I'm envious.. :)
Camping season has just ended here, and I am going to miss all the fun uses I found for my lights around a campfire..
My son and I may still sleep in the trailer tonight on our empty lot, but it's just not the same.. I need to start the winterizing process..
Have fun! Camping is one of my families tightest bonds :)
 

daBear

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Chigger Branch, MS
Sorry about that, we camp year round. Thanksgiving week we go to Topsail Hill State Park in Destin, FL with out 8 year old. Her biggest worry is having enough other little folks to play with. If you ever venture far enough south into the Florida panhandle you MUST check out Topsail Hill.
 

Bright Scouter

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Dec 18, 2001
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West Michigan, USA
Switch to a tent to camp in. It doesn't need to be winterized!!!!

I agree about the headlamp. I have many highpower lights. I always carry one with me. Usually a FM85 or some Surefire. But I almost always use the headlamp and the Arcs for general use. I do like the Pila combo lights a lot.
 

zespectre

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I usually have a "lull" in my camping season. Oddly enough it usually goes hand in hand with deer mating season and hunting season. Learned from long experience that it's just not a good time to be out in the woods so I usually give it a break.

I third the headlamp idea though. These days I take a handlight (usually a Surefire L2) and a headlamp (usually a princeton tec EOS). and so far that has covered every circumstance.
 

BIGIRON

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Take a telescope if possible. Mars is very near. The cold air and real darkness should make for good viewing.
 

Vee3

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SoCal
Camping is where I get the most use out of my lights. Perfect excuse to use them. I killed two batteries with my QIII clipped to a ballcap last time out. Very handy setup if you don't want to feel like a kid with orthodontic headgear (I'm sure they're very practical though).

If you want to have some fun with the kids (Okay, kids not reqired) bring a green laser pointer. Smoke from the fire makes it look really neat (Just make sure you're not shining it at anyone else in the campground).

Another light I like to use around camp is an old kerosine lantern, just for nostalgic looks mainly.

My SL ProPolymer Lux 4AA made it through three nights of heavy use on one set of batteries and is still going.

The new camping light for my six year-old boy is a G2 with Bugout Gear LED drop-in. I put a big o-ring under the cap so he could only use it momentarily (He has a habit of leaving it on 'till it dies otherwise).

One mistake I made last time out was not having a long-range light with me. I figured all the LED lights would do the job and left my M*G at home. The ranger warned us of recent mountain lion sightings when we checked in. I was wishing I had a thrower to check out noises in the bushes. My super-cool new SL TL-3 will fill that need next time!

Have fun!
 

Sigman

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Vee3 said:
Another light I like to use around camp is an old kerosine lantern, just for nostalgic looks mainly.
AGREED!! :thumbsup: I know we all like to have our "high tech" lights with us, but it's nice to have the ole' glow of the "plain flame" around!!
 

JAS

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The kids did have alot of fun. In fact, I took four of them for a walk in the dark and they all seemed to get a big kick out of just finding white-tailed deer in the woods. Oddly enough, we only saw one purcupine the whole trip. The other family we were with seemed to be kind of in awe at our selection of flashlights. They had the usual garden variety. The Tigerlight FBOP, of course, seemed to have the best throw. The Inova T4 was like the Energizer Bunny and just kept "...going and going..." And, actually, for its size the mini Ultrastinger did a very nice job, also.
 

aceo07

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I last went camping over the long Columbus day weekend near the White mountains. The flashlight we had were Inova XO, Inova T2, 2x Nuwai 1watt headlamps and HDS EDC U60. The headlamps are definitely useful for camping. Doing anything with just 1 hand isn't easy.

I drained 2 R123 for the U60 since I was using 30lumens for a couple of nights. Also a pair of CR123s for one of the headlamps.
 

zespectre

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JAS said:
...<snip>...The Inova T4 was like the Energizer Bunny and just kept "...going and going..."

Yes, the T4 has rapidly moved into my "most used light" category. As I said earlier I tend to use the EOS headlamp and the Surefire L2, but the past couple of campouts I took the T4 along as well since we were "shameless car camping" and I had the charger along. Funny thing is I never had to charge it at all while we were out. It's amazing how long a two hour battery life really lasts when you only use a light for a few minutes at a pop.

As soon as the initial blush of hunting season dies down I'll resume my camping for the winter. I'm interested to see how the T4 does in colder weather.

Oh, and a side note, the BlackHawk holster for the Surefire 6P also fits the T4 very nicely! (http://www.blackhawk.com/product_detail.asp?product_id=2479&d=)
 

JAS

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We never did actually stop at Cabela's even though we drove right by it on this trip. (I could sort of *feel* the van trying to take the exit, but I resisted!) And, of course, that meant that we did not get the Streamlight Twin Task rechargeable, but the more I think about it the more I think:

1) if the Streamlight Twin Task rechargeable ever goes on sale for say $40, I am going to get it, and

2) it might make a good birthday or Christmas gift for my oldest son who will be turning 10 years old on Christmas day.


I figure that I will expose him to two of dad's vices: lights and radios. The neighbor kids that camped with us had a couple of combination FRS/GMRS portable radios, so I will probably have to buy one or two of those again someday.
 
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