Flashlight vs. Headlamp for hiking

[Bob Gross]

Eric, I suppose that is possible, but I don't see it. This LED flashlight was purchased about 15 years ago and has seen a lot of use. So far, no visible corrosion or reliability failure. The only problem with it is that I have to change batteries about once per year.

–B.G.–

[James holden]

i stand corrected then … ill say every flashlight or headlamp with a switch mechanism will fail for someone sooner or later … lol

[David Ure]

I have a Surfire that I have had for 10 years with a lot of use. Switch, er, button is just fine. Push it in. Works. Nothing to fail.

When I know several people personally that have switch failure on an E-lite, I have to take that as a potential design flaw or…they are working out too much.

[Randy Nelson]

"If both hands were incapacitated, how are you going to get the whistle to your lips?"

Mine's on my chest strap. Haven't actually tried to get it in my mouth without my hands yet. :)

Dang! Couldn't do it!

[Rick M]

del

[Roger Caffin]

> ill say every flashlight or headlamp with a switch mechanism will
> fail for someone sooner or later …

Only if the light is made to a consumer spec at the cheapest possible price. Then you get very cheap tin-plated switches, which do fail after a while. But cheap is what the consumer wants.

If the switch is a professional-grade one with gold-plated contacts, rated to far more current than most LED lights draw these days, and to a million cycles, then failure of the switch is less likely.

Personally, I find the battery contacts to be far less reliable. Try finding pro-grade battery holders! Bob's comment about twisting the end cap has the benefit that it always scrapes the cheap tin plating to make a new contact.

Cheers

[Bob Gross]

"Bob's comment about twisting the end cap has the benefit that it always scrapes the cheap tin plating to make a new contact."

Actually, I twist the bezel at the front lens. All that does is to tighten the battery fit, but it does it interestingly. In the back of the battery compartment, there is one spring that holds the back battery away from electrical contact in the circuit. As you tighten the bezel in front, it pushes the back battery so that it makes contact. So, there are no switches, and there is no rotating scraping action except around the bezel, and it is hard plastic.

–B.G.–

[David Ure]

RIck – in the northern Rockies, for example, most that go missing and are never found are out for….day hikes. Your expectations are limited to where you trek and assuming that nothing happens to your partner or alternatively, it is YOU that gets lost.

Backpacking on groomed trails is an entirely different endeavor.

[BPLwiia]

"If I understand this correctly, you only day hike and you are already carrying a serious flashlight for the unlikely event that you get caught out in the dark. Now you want to add a second light in case you get caught out in the dark and your contingency flashlight fails?"

In a word ….. yes. I don't think I'm alone when I plan to have a backup flashlight/headlamp. Even the best piece of electronic equipment on this planet can, and does, fail. I can't think of a prudent reason not to have a back up.

Do you backup your hard drive?

A ferrocerium rod is one thing. It is what it is. No moving parts. What do you do if a flashlight slips from your hand and falls down the mountain or falls into a stream? What do you do if you inadvertantly render your flashlight inoperable when your backpack slams against a rock. There are endless examples of things that can go wrong in the wilderness. What do you do if the manufacturer had a snafu and you happen to possess it?

I hike alone and wish to minimize risk which is why I decided to ask for the sage advice from the many experienced folks here at BPL. By the way, I am not a UL'er so adding a second light and a few ounces is not an issue while afoot hiking.

[Rick Dreher]

Roger modestly fails to mention he builds his own flashlights, so do take his word as gospel on the subject :-)

re. dropping your light: a dummy cord on a handheld flashlight, clipped to your belt loop will forever banish the possibility of dropping it down a mountain or into a river. Problem solved for five cents worth of cord. Pack metal flashlights deep inside your pack where they're safe from impact, or prefer plastic flashlights that won't dent. Problem solved.

I think we, as comsumers, are programmed to believe our electrics will all crap out because so many of our crappy electronics do indeed fail. But when we transitioned from incandescent to LED lights, be they headlamps or flashlights, we gained orders of magnitude in dependability. Now they're certainly more dependable than zippers, sewn seams, lightweight fabrics, trail sneakers, water filters and much of the stuff we depend on every time we hike. Choose well, avoid the dogs, and fuhgeddaboudit.

Cheers,

Rick

[Randy Nelson]

"I let my hiking partner(s) carry the "spare." Seriously, reading this thread as me scratching my head as hiking alone is like NUMBER ONE on the list of "things not to do" in the woods. ~95% all the deaths/serious injuries/ requiring SAR operations happens to hikers going it alone."

I'm ~95% positive you made that statistic up. Even when I hike with others, I carry everything I need. It can certainly be argued that a spare light is not a critical piece of gear but if I feel it is something I should carry solo, I'll carry it in a group as well. YMMV.

[James holden]

dayhiking is a serious issue when it goes beyond a day …

[Eric Blumensaadt]

My Princeton Tec Scout headlamp W/ 2 LED bulbs is so far the best UL headlamp I've found. Yes, it's for summer only. In winter's long nights I want a brighter, regulated headlamp like my PT Quad or EOS.

FEATURES of the P.T. Scout:

1. waterproof to several feet
2. headband can be removed and light clipped on a hat brim, inside tent ceiling cord, etc.
3. uses two coin batteries (which have lasted ALL summer season). I can carry 4 spares W/ no real weight or bulk in case I need to have all night light in an emergency and still have spares.
4. the clip/headband holder protects the switch when stowed to prevent accidental discharge. (Why don't all headlamps have this?)
5. light at 1.7 oz.
6. five modes – bright, med., low, slow flash, fast flash

P.S. Notta too bad for 1.7 oz., notta too bad.

[Dug Shelby]

I have a friend, Nick Vujicich, and he was born without arms or legs. I'm hoping he can come spend a day or two with me on my PCT hike this year.

But he can get up when he's fallen down on the ground…can swim…can even type with his one little "chicken drumstick" toe he has.

If someone who has lost use of both of their hands can't get a simple whistle into their mouths, then they need to get off the internet and pick up a whistle, open the back door, walk outside and start practicing!

I always wear a whistle around my neck on a lanyard, and usually have another lashed to one of my shoulder straps. It's just smart. And both ways assure me I can get to a whistle hands-free.

Dug
http://thf2.wordpress.com
(there'sa picture of Nick and I on my website…plus links to his videos. Dude is amazing)

[Rick M]

del

[Dug Shelby]

And my emergency light of choice is the Petzl E-Lite. Love this thing. I am looking for an every day (night?) headlamp for safer night hiking, but my E-Lite takes the cake for the money I spent on it. Love it.

Dug
http://thf2.wordpress.com

[Jason Brinkman]

I recommend a Zebralight H31 or H51 headlamp (depending on battery preference). Works great as a headlamp and can easily be used as small 90-degree flashlight. End cap unscrews slightly to inactivate battery (no contact = no draw or inavertent activation) while remaining waterproof. So small and light (H31 is ~2 ounces with strap and battery) that you can ignore the chiding you are getting for suggesting you want to carry TWO lights (gasp!). Mine is an H31.

http://www.zebralight.com/Headlamp_c_7.html

[BPLwiia]

I was looking at the Zebralights and almost pulled the trigger on the H31. Thanks for your suggestion and maybe that is the one for me.

Two lights? Banish the thought! (…psssst, I won't tell anybody if you don't!)

[David Chenault]

For serious night hiking I use two lights. One headlamp on the head, one on a waist strap. This system drastically improves depth perception.

[Dale Wambaugh]

I use a headlamp for general camp stuff and would be my choice for night hiking as I use poles. I do carry a Fenix EO1 flashlight on my pocket survival lanyard as a backup, but the headlamp is my main light.

I would prefer to stay put until daylight unless I was familiar with the trail.

[David Ure]

Eric, that's a great chart! Where did you source that?

[Tim F]

I recently got a Maratac Extreme AAA flashlight for countycomm.com. I am on my mobile right now so it is hard to post a link, but if you search, it comes right up. It surprises me that they don't seem to come up much in discussions on here, but maybe I just miss it. Gets great marks on candlepowerforums.com, which would also be a good resource for you.

The Maratac uses 1 AAA battery, has three output levels (1.5, 20 and 75 lumens if I remember right), rotating bezel for on/off, Cree Q5 LED (up to 50,000 hour life), anti-reflective coating on the lens, and a reversible clip that makes it easy to clip on a baseball cap or visor for headlamp mode. Best of all- only 22 grams WITH the battery, and $22! The only thing that I think would make it better would be if it were regulated.

This is my primary light now, with a Photon Freedom backup. I carry it in my pocket everyday too, instead of a little button cell. It would make a perfect backup as it is tough, light, small and powerful enough to replace your primary light. You would never know it was there until you need it. Good luck in your search.

[drowning in spam]

Okay, since it doesn't look like a coin light will be considered as an emergency backup light, what about a Spark ST6-360? It weighs 50 grams without the headband and puts out 360 lumens for 1.8 hours…or 12 lumens for 6 days.

If you really want long battery life, get a Quark AA2. It can go for well over a month with lithium batteries.

[James holden]

david .. if yr talking about me … lol

here it is

Heggie and Amundson, “Dead Men Walking: Search and Rescue in US National Parks.”

Objective.—To identify search and rescue (SAR) trends in US National Park Service (NPS) units.
Methods.—A retrospective review of the US National Park Service Annual Search and Rescue
Reports from 1992 to 2007 and the SAR statistics for all NPS units in 2005.
Results.—From 1992 to 2007 there were 78 488 individuals involved in 65 439 SAR incidents. These
incidents ended with 2659 fatalities, 24 288 ill or injured individuals, and 13 212 saves. On average
there were 11.2 SAR incidents each day at an average cost of $895 per operation. Total SAR costs from
1992 to 2007 were $58 572 164. In 2005, 50% of the 2430 SAR operations occurred in just 5 NPS units.
Grand Canyon National Park (307) and Gateway National Recreation Area (293) reported the most SAR
operations. Yosemite National Park accounted for 25% of the total NPS SAR costs ($1.2 million);
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve ($29 310) and Denali National Park and Preserve
($18 345) had the highest average SAR costs. Hiking (48%) and boating (21%) were the most common
activities requiring SAR assistance. Hiking (22.8%), suicides (12.1%), swimming (10.1%), and boating
(10.1%) activities were the most common activities resulting in fatalities.
Conclusions.—Without the presence of NPS personnel responding to SAR incidents, 1 in 5 (20%) of
those requesting SAR assistance would be a fatality. Future research and the development of any
prevention efforts should focus on the 5 NPS units where 50% of all SAR incidents are occurring.

http://sierranaturenotes.com/WorkFolder/Misc/DeadMenWalking.pdf

[. .]

+1 on the Maratac – it replaced my Fenix LD01, as it is much easier to operate one handed and has a more practical truly low mode for reading at night and use in a tent, etc. Not to mention that it is half the price.

As an aside, the chart that Eric posted above caused me a bit of distress because, according to it, I can no longer spout that climbing, hiking, or mountaineering are safer than driving (at least in the National parks). I suppose the 20mph speed limits help a bit there.

[Author]

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