Lights For Hiking

[watchmaker]

LIGHTS FOR HIKING



This post will try to show how different lights used for hiking compare with each other, and will clarify the difference between the lumen ratings used in Luxeon (LED) lights and incandescent lights.
In short, I will show (through pictures) how Luxeons lack definition when used at increased distances, but are excellent when walking in well marked trails due to their increased run time in comparison with incandescent lights and their usually more expanded flood (side spill) qualities,

Last month I had conducted one of my annuals deer antlers hunts with a group of boy scouts that my son work with, in those hunts we often do a lot of night travel in the woods, using map and compass like in an orienteering game, and also checking out the new GPS that the kids usually have.

In this last one I used and give out to use a bunch of new lights that I had collected in the winter months, they range from head lights with LED’s to incandescent head lights to the new powerful key chain lights.

I collected a number of opinions in the different lights and the easy or difficulty that was to use them in the woods, and that gave me the idea of making a data-base of beam shots to help people to understand what kind of illumination they can get from them.

For close up chores around the campsite, cooking, washing dishes, pitching the tent etc., I will not be without a lightweight headlight such as my Peltz Tikka or my Princeton Tec Aurora, they have three LED’s Nichias of 5 mm each and they put out a good amount of flood light. I have seen the new improved Tikkas with four LED’s and even the Tikka XP with a 1 watt Luxeon LED., which are of course more powerful than the regular Tikka but will consume more battery juice.

The new key chain lights are really amazing, I have an older ARC AAA that puts out about seven lumens and will do a great job a short distance, but I have adquired the new Fenix LOP (1 AAA) and the Fenix L1P (1AA) and they are amazing in the light output, the L1P is outputting close to 40 lumens of white light.

Of course due to the small diameter reflectors, don’t expect these lights to throw a long way, as the light is quickly converted into flood and dissipated.

As I say the best way to show others is with pictures taken at the same distance and with the same settings.

To make things interesting I placed my bear and deer heads at 26 yards distance from the where the lights was coming from (second story window) and the bear at 18 feet and deer at 12 feet from the camera and tripod.

Here is how they look in daylight:




And here are the contenders, from left to right the Nuwaii Q III, the Fenix L1P the Surefire L-4 Digital Lumamax the Surefire Centurion II in black anodized with the 65 lumens lamp, and the Surefire Centurion II in hard anodized type III with the P-61 lamp, 120 lumens, also a one dollar bill for size reference and a knife on top of the bill so the wind doesn’t blow it away,
And finally the mini spot-light, the Bear Cub 220 lumens rechargeable light.







So here are the beam shots of the lights that we used in that antler collecting trip.

Surefire Centurion-2 65 lumens

This is a light is an incandescent light and will work on two 123’s batteries for one hour, it puts out 65 lumens of light which is more than enough for most walking around in the woods.
The light cost about $100 USD.

SUREFIRE CENTURION II BEAM SHOT (65 LUMENS)



Surefire L-4 (Digital Lumamax) Luxeon V. LED, 100 lumens

This is one of the higher quality offering from Surefire, it is a Luxeon V (a flood Luxeon) and will throw about 100 lumens of light, because the light is in a side spill pattern (flood) it will not have the reach than the C-2 (previous picture) has but the light is quite impressive at shorter ranges providing a lot of flood for a great coverage of near by terrain.

The light is made of aluminum, but with a special military hard anodizing type III that is quite sturdy and resist scratches that will mar other lights finish.
This light is about $160 USD and like the G-2 will work on two of the 123’s batteries for 2 ½ hours.

SUREFIRE L-4 DIGITAL LUMAMAX BEAM SHOT (100 LUMENS)



I have a light that is really out of the key chain size, but not for much, it is a Nuwaii Q III and use one of the 123’s battery and produce around 40 lumens of light, it will run for about one hour on it.
This light cost about $40 in the web and to my thinking it is well worth the price.
Here is the beam shot.

NUWAII Q III BEAM SHOT (40 LUMENS)



And here is the beam shot of the Fenix L1P (1 AA) this light is say to put out 40 lumens, but of course the small reflector make it a flood light that it is quite impressive at short range.

FENIX L1P BEAM SHOT (38 LUMENS)







SUREFIRE CENTURION II BEAM SHOT P-61 LAMP (120 LUMENS)



We had a light that was out of the lightweight class at 13 oz and nine inches long, but was our long range spotter, like a mini-spot light, the beam intensity was amazing and the range reached well over 150 yards.
The Bear Cub uses special Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries to produce 220 lumens for 90 minutes.
The rechargeable batteries of the Bear Cub were a blessing as the others lights using 123’s at almost $2.00 each battery put a dent in the budget of the trip.
Here is the beam shot with the Bear Cub


BEAR CUB RECHARGEABLE, BEAM SHOT, (220 LUMENS)





Perhaps the members can find a light that will suit your needs in this selection, hope this post it will be not too boring, and people find some interest in it.

Cheers,
WATCHMAKER

[bigbog]

interesting W....

[watchmaker]

THE FENIX L1D
AA KEY CHAIN LIGHT
WITH CREE EMITTER

I finally remembered to order one of them, as I am not in any sense keychain-light poor, having several of them from the ARC AAA passing through the CMG (Course Made Good) to the Streamlight key mate and Fenix’s L1P and LOP AAA.

Not long ago, I reviewed the Jet beam II Mark VIII, which is a very similar light to the Fenix L1D. Any of the two can be considered revolutionary, and it is hard not to get excited about them.

I opted to have the Fenix L1D that works with 1 AA battery, as I like the size and shape which is the same as the Fenix L1P that I have been using for the last 18 months.
The L1P is a 40 lumen light that runs on one AA battery. I never did a timed run test because I always carry a couple of extra batteries in my pocket anyway to get extra run time from my lights, but wherever it is, it can never equal the multi-functional powers of the Fenix L1D.

The extreme power is achieved by a Cree 7090 XR-E LED emitter with a life of 50,000 hours- the little torch has two models of output selected by turning the bezel.
The first mode (as you click the light on) is 9 lumens and will last for 25 hours in the AA battery. The second mode (as you soft-press the switch) is 40 lumens and will last for 5 hours, and another soft press on the switch will access the 80 lumen power and your battery will last for 2 hours.
There is also an SOS mode (with another soft press) using the 80 lumens power.

Here are some of the lights, at top is a McGizmo modification (a collector’s item light worth $250 USD) it outputs 135 lumens and the big 32 mm reflector throws the light well at the 26 yards distance.
Next is the Fenix L1D which shows it is a tad longer than the Fenix L1P , below.
Next is the ARC AAA and the Fenix LOP, great keychain lights, all.




The second mode of the light system is accessed by turning the bezel ½ a turn. It is a steady 90 lumens that will last for 1 ½ hours and with a soft press of the switch the 90 lumens becomes a very quick strobe, that can disorient people or help in disco dancing.

Most chores inside the house can be handled with the 9 lumen mode. For walking the dog or hiking a trail at night I will use the 40 lumen mode; in fact, I can see that attaching it to my cap with Velcro will beat all the head lights in the market, as it is so light and so convenient without the restricting head band around my head- and anyway, I always wear a cap to shade my eyes or protect my glasses from rain, branches, etc.

The SOS or the strobe mode will always be there if I need to attract attention in an emergency. It is even useable in the suburbs, like recently, when a member of my family fell and broke her arm in the rear entrance of a church, she landed between two pine trees and the pain was so strong that she was unable to move, or even scream for help, and a key chain light used as a signal called the attention of people nearby and she was able to summon help that way.

Here are beam shots with the L1P on left and the L1D on right both at 40 lumens, the L1P is more yellow in the corona, but at the center are of the same intensity



The 80 lumen mode or the 90 lumen mode puts a tremendous amount of light NEARBY. Yes, I emphasize the word because due to the small reflector (that will diffuse the light into a flood), the reach of this little light even at that power is very restricted. Oh yes, it will serve to illuminate a big room well, but when tested at the 26 yards distance where I have my deer and bear it was just as the poor results that I got before with the Jet beam, so you can check that post if you are curious about the amount of light reaching there.

For that long distance you just need a bigger reflector of a bigger flashlight. My PR Turbo head by McGizmo running two Lithium Ion 123’s is much more efficient in putting illumination in the 26 yard spot just because the Pelican reflector of 32 mm is so much more efficient in canalizing the light.

So, a long distance light it is not, but all the other common chores can be handled very easily with the new Fenix L1D light. The battery will last a long time on the nine lumen mode (25 hours) and will probably be my choice for hanging from the ceiling of the tent all night long, in replacement of the CMG LED that I was using until now.

I paid $52 USD for the light and I consider the cost a bargain. With one in my pocket I just need two or three more powerful lights to cover all lightning situations that I can possible think of; for example, I will use a 200 lumen light in my belt for animal control (in the wild and in the street- and I mean two and four-legged animals) this could be a Surefire Centurion III with the optional P-91 lamp, or even better the rechargeable Bear Cub 220 lumen 90 minutes run time.
For my truck or cars, I am never too far away from a Borealis flashlight, 1050 lumens and 50 minute run time, the most powerful flashlight in the world with the power of a two million candlepower spotlight.
With that I am in control of riots, accident sites, search and rescue, and WWIII.

Coming back to the Fenix L1D, yes I am very happy with this light. Hopefully it will give me even better service than the Fenix L1P and the LOP that I have been using until now -lights that are very good and I have nothing but praise for them.
Respectfully

Watchmaker

[cbcbd]

Interesting comparisons...
...but in all honesty, I rarely do any "hiking" or anything with handheld flashlights anymore and don't know too many "hikers" who use anything else other than headlamps - you just rarely need to see that far if you're just hiking.

Now, if you're talking about lights for hunting... then I guess it's a subject I'm not too familiar with and don't know the pros and cons.

But just to quote a guy in an EMS being shown headlamps (he was looking for flashlights):
"Headlamp? Nah, I don't need anything that hardcore"
all right...

[David Metsky]

I agree, I use a headlamp and I don't find the need for excessive brightness. Your eyes adjust quickly to low light situations. A 4 LED headlamp is more then enough, the batteries last 70+ hours and it's good enough to hike, cook, and read by. And, they don't blind the others in my group when I look at their faces.

-dave-

[watchmaker]

SOME HEAD LAMPS

For walking in well-marked trails at night, I used to use (like everyone else) a head lamp.
The Peltz Tikka with the three LED’s was good for well-marked trails, as was the Princeton Tec Aurora.
The Tikka with the red filter I use for taking notes while wildlife observing, as the animals will not detect a red spectrum of light. Also, when camping out and walking to the latrine, in consideration to my fellow campers that dislike been shined in the face.
I am using the Tikka now for reading in bed, so as not to disturb my wife’s sleep.



For going cross-country in the woods and when doing compass and map games, we needed something with more throw for the alignment of the next mark. In that case, I used the Princeton Tec Predator pro, with almost 8 hours of duration on the batteries and 28 lumens with good throw.
I like to use rechargeable NIMH batteries, because after the initial cost of batteries and charger, they are almost free to use, as the electricity used to recharge them is negligible.
And a fringe benefit is that I will not pollute another landfill with the alkaline batteries.
But I don’t think I will ever buy another head light. I like the idea of sticking one of the Fenix lights with Velcro tape on top of my cap more; it liberates me from the feeling of the constricting head band, and the new Fenix L1D has multiple power and functions.

The 9 lumen (25 hours) first setting is plenty for most trail walking. A soft touch in the switch pad will access the second setting of 40 lumens (5 hours), and with another soft press on the switch, the 80 lumens will come out (2 hours). One more time will SOS the light in 80 lumens.
A twist on the head will access the 90 lumen mode (1 ½ hours) and a press in the switch and the strobe will be on, which is great for disco dancing.

This little light will do most of the chores that were reserved for bigger, heavier lights, and I predict we will be seeing many of them in the trails.
Kind regards,
Watchmaker

[ctenidae]

I find that a headlamp and a Mini Mag are more than sufficient for hiking use, even when doing a 4 am rain-soaked fog-choked 2 mile downhill.

[AHM]

Agreed, headlamps are the way to go; however, they do not throw out ample light to say..........ski tour your local hill and then ski down--a practice I like to engage in. What I have found that works best for "night time" ski touring, is using my mtb nightrider digital headtrip helmet light and adding the headband to use it like a standard headlamp. The nightrider throws out about 15 w Halogen beam and it adds a lot more light than a BD or Princeton Tech. A bit more pricey than a standard headlamp, but really a lot more light and hence function. Check it out.

[watchmaker]

Most headlamps throw much less light at 26 yards than any of the lights I tested above, if the concensus is to hike only with a headlamp, those that do that will not have hike much at all at night.

In my night hikes I have found in the trail, porcupines, skunks, bobcats, coyoters and even bears, if you hike with an LED head lamp only, you will be in top of them before you realize it.

Watchmaker

[AHM]

WM: Do a great deal of night hiking and night XC skiing and night ski touring. Convinced my niterider works well. Would have liked it finishing the Freax couloir at dusk one time. Big mountain skiers and climbers (UIAGM guides) use headlamps.........end of story.