watchmaker
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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
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