Flashlight for multiple day backpack hunt???

[verminatorr]

Take a look at the Saint by Surefire. Or peek at the Petzle brand lights! Super small built to last like Surefire!

 

[BigRam$]

Petzel LED headlamp. 3 fresh AAA bats before every hunt and no worries. Hands free, light, put it around your neck in the late afternoon so you have it when you need. 3 oz. lasts at least a week of significant use. Great stocking stuffers for others as well. $40.

 

[shortshooter]

Usually I carry an small one CR123 battery Nova Tac in my pocket at all times. That's daily carry.

If I go out and into the brush I like to carry an headlamp as it allows handsfree operation. I prefer that my headlamp run on AA batteries.

What I use is the Petzl MYO XP. It uses 3 AA batteries and lasts forever. It's spendy at $85 but it is one of the better pieces of gear I have.

 

[300rum]

For hunting as a flashlite I found the flashlite without batteries to work the best.
No need for batteries, and all you have to do is shake or pump, or squize (dynamo flashlite)

Dynamo Flashlights

I have one in my cars, trailer, backpack. Works great.
just under $20.00/device

 

[roaddog1m]

I'm going to throw my 2cents in too here. I make a living working in rural areas in the middle of the night. So, when it came to a backpack flashlight it was a "no brainer" for me. I use an LED flashlight and LED headlamp. I also like my Surefire 126 Lumen tactical light for the times when I need a bright white beam in a small package.
The LED lights have gotten much better since they first came out and they run for ever on not much battery life.

Good luck!

 

[HUAINAMACHERO]

Guys,
thank you all for the replies, it is all very interesting and usefull information. As I already have a AA Princeton Tec headlamp I think I will buy a LED flashlight as a better light and back up light.

 

[winmag]

I generaly wear a headlamp with a red bulb, 2 blue bulbs and a white bulb with a selector swich. It runs on tripple A batteries wich I stock up on before every hunting or camping trip. I never use the white bulb, but I use the heck out of the red! It is alot easier on your eyes, and pupil recovery time seems signifigantly less. I find this important around dawn. Red doesnt seem to spook ducks off the water like the white or blue, and in elk camp the red doesnt seem to keep others in the wall tent awake if you wanna read. The blue light is kinda handy if your walkin out in Pitch black conditions, or for an edge for keeping your fingers, splitting kindeling at 3 am cause you forgot to dampen the stove..... oops! But other than that we have a couple lanterns at camp, and one ''Royinidaho special'' shake up flashlight just cause theyre kinda neat. But the headlamp fits in your moccisons, or cott pouch, or sleeping bag pockett for the ''midnight urge'' when your bladder is screamin at you to get your butt outa bed NOW moments. Not to mention its alot easier NOT to wizz on your moccison when you dont have to fiddle with the ''Royinidaho special''. Besides you only need to shake one thing at a time or confusion could set in, thus the wet moccison. I here Roy sometimes wizzes on his feet just to keep em warm tho, and uses a spruce bow backwards for....Well Im not sayin there wasnt a bear in Roys camp, but those noises couldve just as easily been Roy growling...I Wish I was that tough.....Sorry Roy, You left the door WIDE OPEN on your last post, and I couldnt refrain.

 

[royinidaho]

winmag,

I'm already one step ahead of ya, again!

There was some chic on TV whining about having to reuse a catheter. I asked my wife "what is a catheter used for?" She no sooner told me than the "light" came on.lightbulb

Now I sleep all night and don't have to be concerned with winding my light for the occasion.

I'm now plumbed with an extra length job and sleep the night through. Heck, I can even dream about peeing no the fire and let 'er rip.

However, I do get a little concerned about some night roaming insect finding the end and deciding to see where that tube takes it. Even worse would be when some night critter trips over or snags the dern thing. THAT would wake ya up in a hurry!!!

I still think my wind up light is the cat's meow.....

 

[winmag]

Good one Roy.

 

[HUAINAMACHERO]

LOL Roy,
Funny indeed!!!

 

[mnoland30]

I love the Petzl 3 led, 3 AAA headlamp (3.5 oz.). Perfect focus, and no dark rings in the light. I like one that goes on and off only. I hate having to push the button 3 times to turn the light out. My light will last for about 35 hours on a set of batteries, but it is pretty dim after about 10 hours. 6 batteries are enough for a 5 day trip. It puts out enough light for my old eyes.

In bear country, or cliffy country, I also like a longer range light. It makes me nervous to just see eyes in the dark and not be able to identify them. I use a UKE 2 CR123 with lithium dive light with halogen bulb. It weighs about 3 ozs. One trip I looked up with my Petzl and saw a dozen pairs of eyes. I thought maybe the wolf introduction was going too well. When I turned on the UKE, I found out they were lion dogs, with the hunters. A dive light puts out a very focused beam and will reach out about 100 yards. Being able to see ahead a ways helps pick out a good route.

For an emergency backup, I use an LED headlamp powered by button batteries. It weighs about 1 oz.

 

[eyeball 2]

I tend to have anxiety problems when it comes to batteries for electronics or lamps when in the mountains.

Rechargeable batteries don't hold charge well when cold. Regular batteries can't be recharted.

I carry 2 extras for the LRF. I have a cap with 3 LEDs built into it. When the batteries die the cap is useless.

For the last 3 years I've carried a fairly inexpensive wind up batteryless multiple setting LED hand held. Its been scoffed at by some to the extent that you knew a bear was in camp when alerted by ol' Roy winding his light.

Had to tighten the screws a couple of times but she's still working. Plenty of light for walking in the darkness. Spots eyes at a decent distance. Doesn't do much more than that.

my cap with the three leds has 2 replaceable nickel size/shape batteries. i also take a 2 c cell pelican light that runs 8 hours or a headlight streamlight with a band.

 

[mtngun]

I use a black diamond headlamp (small flat 4 light head and a separate waterproof 3 battery compartment) for hiking early and also as a camp light and lantern (hung on a branch). I like having both hands free and 3A batteries are light, last a long time.

 

[thewileyone13]

Fenix has a flashlight out that will last a long time. Headlamps are a must have.