What Kind of Flashlight/Lantern Do You Use?

ianscampbell

New Member
Messages
14
Points
3
My brother in law has a bit of a flashlight obsession and it's rubbed off a bit on me. He got me a Streamlight lantern for Christmas this past year and I love it but it's a bit heavy for backpacking. Do you have a specific flashlight or lantern that you've found to be a great mix of brightness and lightweight?
 

Cappy

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,746
Points
113
Location
South Louisiana
For the last few years I have been using those cheap led headlights most have several brightness settings including red light and are easy on batteries.
 

ianscampbell

New Member
Messages
14
Points
3
I like those, too, but my wife wants something that can double as a lantern (although I'm starting to think it would be better to just go with an actual lantern...
 

Bojib

Active Member
Messages
373
Points
28
Location
Lexington, KY
I too mostly use the led head lamps.

Lantern wise, I have a Snow Peak GigaPower lantern. It's a tiny little booger but puts out a lot of light.

I also use a small Coleman led lantern for a light inside the tent. Had it for years and its still holding up well. Not the brightest, but batteries last a long time and its easy to pack.
 

Grandpa

Well-Known Member
Messages
5,904
Points
113
Location
SE Idaho
I love the Luci lights. Solar powered, bright enough to read by, but dim enough to avoid light polution. Our whole scout unit now uses them. For a spot beam, I still carry a little 2 cell aaa maglite but on this last outing, one of the guys showed up with a little 300 lumen light so he could see predator eye shine as soon as his horses started to fidget. I'm getting one of them to replace the old mag lite.
 

Pathfinder1

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,716
Points
48
Location
Liberty, N.Y. Lower Catskill Mountains.
My brother in law has a bit of a flashlight obsession and it's rubbed off a bit on me. He got me a Streamlight lantern for Christmas this past year and I love it but it's a bit heavy for backpacking. Do you have a specific flashlight or lantern that you've found to be a great mix of brightness and lightweight?

Hi...!!

I don't have one yet, but had a chance recently to try out a couple of those new ones that put out up to 1,100 Lumens...!!

They can light up an unbelievably large area with an excellent BRIGHT light...!! I really like them, and must get at least one real soon...!!

They are a bit pricey, but I think they're well worth it...!!
 

MacGyver

Active Member
Messages
223
Points
43
Thanks to REI's liberal return policy, I was able to try out more than a few headlamps. I settled on the Princeton Tec Remix. The ones I returned had what I considered crazy click progressions you had to remember to get the different settings. Especially enfuriating were the ones you had a lot of "click and hold for x number of seconds". With the Remix, it's click for low spot, two clicks for high spot, click and hold for low flood, click hold and click for high spot. That looks like a lot in print, but it's simple enough that I can work it even when the Southern Comfort has me "less than sharp" :)

The low spot setting is fine for reading and walking in open areas, high spot for late night trips to the men's room trees. The floods I rarely use unless the idiots in my group are playing the Can You See OK Now? game while we're sitting around the fire. But the best part I like about the Remix is the battery life. I've never timed it, but I do know it usually lasts through a couple of extended weekend trips.
 

briansnat

Platnium Member
Messages
514
Points
28
Location
Morris County, NJ
I have a Black Diamond head lamp that I like a lot. Bright, long battery life, multiple brightness settings and not too bulky. My go to hand held is a Fenix LD22. It's a good combination of brightness (300 lumens) weight, size and price (under $50). For lanterns I have a Black Diamond Orbit and an Apollo. The Orbit for backpacking or when small size/low weight is important. The Apollo for when I'm not as concerned about size and weight.
 

ppine

Forester
Messages
3,929
Points
113
Location
Minden, NV
Some of the new LED headlamps have great power but go through batteries quickly. The Lithium torches are the worst. I like headlamps with long battery life and lower power. I use some of them around the house several days a week and the batteries last more than a year.
 

Bojib

Active Member
Messages
373
Points
28
Location
Lexington, KY
I've discovered the same thing ppine. I purchased a newer LED headlamp last year. Thing is bright, but the battery life stinks. I thought the idea behind LED lights was being smaller, more compact, and greater battery life. With ever increasing brightness they are killing the battery life part of that equation.
 

Cappy

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,746
Points
113
Location
South Louisiana
I use my lil led light alot around the house also. I will often forget it on my ole canvas hat and have it on and not even know it. My buddies will pick at me sometimes when they see me with it in broad open day light.
 

outador

New Member
Messages
3
Points
1
My favorite light is the Black Diamond Storm head lamp.
http://bit.ly/2c6p0oF
The red light intensity can be adjusted.
Easy to adjust all the lighting options with the top button and it is very bright and also excellent for peripheral vision in the dark.
 

Newanderthal

Member
Messages
903
Points
18
Energizer LED headlamp. Wide angle, intense spotlight, dim spotlight, and red light. Batteries included.
Picked it up at Walmart and I've been using it on every backpacking trip for years.
 

Cappy

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,746
Points
113
Location
South Louisiana
Dang I missed ya New We use those Energizer head lights for every thing. even around the house to walk the dog and take out the trash etc. We had no power a while back in all the flooding rain and wore them constantly. It was a few days later when I remembered to take it off my hat I had gotten used to having it there.
 

Northern Dancer

Moderator
Messages
1,021
Points
113
...I have an arsenal of lighting instruments - my preference is the ZZIA Tec headlight - two level white brightness and one red for personal use. That thing can light up a canyon. In camp I use the solar powered luminAID that will last the entire night on one charge. I also use a Goal Zero kit too. I have one Goal Zero flashlight as an extra. I'm not apposed to using the ol' kerosene lantern around camp or candle light for that matter. I use to fill the lanterns with the cheaper citronella fuel until health officials posted a health hazard.

I tend to stay away from heavy flashlights and the expensive stuff that I really don't find any advantage in having.

 

ppine

Forester
Messages
3,929
Points
113
Location
Minden, NV
My brother's self-described interest in flashlights is called a fetish. Whenever I visit him in Oregon I check out the latest lights. That is how I learned about the excellent Luci inflatable.
 

Northern Dancer

Moderator
Messages
1,021
Points
113
My brother's self-described interest in flashlights is called a fetish. Whenever I visit him in Oregon I check out the latest lights. That is how I learned about the excellent Luci inflatable.
----------------------------------------> :)
Congratulate your brother on selecting a lower cost fetish. Now for me...at one time I had twelve tens in my camp equipment inventory. After some rehabilitation at a lake side cabin I'm now down to nine-ish. :(
 

Roybrew

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,263
Points
113
Location
East Tn
I am always looking at new lights?? Don't know why I am so facinated with them. If I was a bug ppph&zzzttt I would end up in someone's bug zapper.

I bought this one because it's small and light, but the lock switch tore up and I had to jimmy rig it.
Mother-in-law got me this one for Christmas. It's a little heavy but it wears good, and puts out great light.
Yes my Mother-in-law likes me, what can I say? I am her only son-in-law, so that makes me her favorite one.
 

Northern Dancer

Moderator
Messages
1,021
Points
113
I am always looking at new lights?? Don't know why I am so facinated with them. If I was a bug ppph&zzzttt I would end up in someone's bug zapper.

I bought this one because it's small and light, but the lock switch tore up and I had to jimmy rig it.
Mother-in-law got me this one for Christmas. It's a little heavy but it wears good, and puts out great light.
Yes my Mother-in-law likes me, what can I say? I am her only son-in-law, so that makes me her favorite one.
--------------------------------------------------------- :)
I dunno...but a Mother-in-law buying a headlight for her Son-in-law to wander around at night in the wilderness is a bit suspicious.


I was looking at those type of headlights - if I recall they were 280 lumens which is just as bright as you're going to get for these devices. What is the battery life expectancy?
 
Top