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Re: lights flashlight lanters..........light of choice.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 06, 2016 9:55 pm
by Shadow Catcher
All LED lights and rechargeable batteries that can be charged with the charger driven by our solar panel. I love the Old 80+ YO Coleman lantern

Re: lights flashlight lanters..........light of choice.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 06, 2016 11:59 pm
by KCStudly
Inside and out of the cabin, and under the galley hatch it's 12v LED's powered from an automotive sized wet cell, supplemental charging from TV and solar.

Around camp it's AAA LED head lamps, a couple of white gas Coleman's and maybe a propane lantern.

I also have a small but powerful Fenix single CR123 powered LED flashlight that can be carried in a belt pouch. Good quality but not cheap.

Re: lights flashlight lanters..........light of choice.

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 12:34 pm
by tony.latham
Slow:

Why would you need a flashlight in Wyoming?

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:shock:

Tony

Re: lights flashlight lanters..........light of choice.

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 6:15 pm
by MtnDon
I still have the Coleman twin mantle white gas light I bought about 40 years ago. Complete with the green metal can to store and trasport it. I also have a twin mantle propane burning version; probably about 15+ years old now. I believe I used the white gas model last about 8 years ago, the propane model maybe was used last about 5 years ago.

My main lights have been battery powered LED flashlights for the past half dozen years or so. I used to have a twin D-cell and a triple D-cell Maglite. For 25 - 30 years, as well a few AA cell mini maglites. However several years ago I discovered high output LED flashlights. Maglites are well made for the most part but are anemic in output when you do some looking around. I have several favorites now. I'll post a picture(s) and description later tonight or tomorrow.

Re: lights flashlight lanters..........light of choice.

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 6:47 pm
by lrrowe
tony.latham wrote:Slow:

Why would you need a flashlight in Wyoming?

Image

:shock:

Tony


While we do not have these critters that size here in the East, I am cautious when I enter the woods 1 hr before sunrise.

Re: lights flashlight lanters..........light of choice.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 3:10 pm
by MtnDon
Here are some of my flashlights. These all use rechargable lithium cells, 3.7 volts each.

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The one of the left is my most used light, as it is the one that I carry almost all the time. It is an Olight S15R, R for rechargable. The cell is pictured just to the right of the light. It is a size 14500 lithium cell; capacity of 750 mAh. About the same size as a AA alkaline. In fact that light can also operate on a AA alkaline or eneloop, but at reduced output. The little stand is the charge base which connects via a USB/micro cord to a charge source. Maximum lumens output about 280. Also a medium and low plus a moonlight (extra low). It is a favorite not only because of the small size, great pocket clip and resonable brightness, but because it has a side switch. many li-ion powered lights have a switch on the tail cap, like the third and fourth lights.

The next light , just to the right is also an Olight S15, but does not have the rechargeable tailcap. The cell must be removed for charging.

Light #3 also uses a size 14500 lithium cell, but will not operate on a AA. It has 7 output levels, moonlight to 1400 lumens. I carry it a lot when I want more brightness, but a smallish size, light weight.

Then pictured are two different brands of size 18650 lithium rechargeable cells. They are both 3400 mAh capacity. They are used in the other lights pictured.

The light with the orange tailcap switch cap is a cheapy Chinese light bought on ebay for about $4. It has $15 worth of better parts which were removals from other lights that were improved/modified, so it's a more or less free upgrade, and is my knockabout light. Usually kept on the tractor. Maximum output about 800 lumens and it has an aspherical lens that provides light zooming.

The light laying down has 3 LED's and an optical lens, no reflector. I built this one from a shell and some parts. The optic throws an elliptical beam, very nice when clipped to a bicycle. On high it is over 1200 lumens.

The light that is 3rd from the right is a Nitecore MH20. It is short for a light that uses the 18650 cell. max output about 1000 lumens with 5 levels from a moonlight low, up to turbo. I can also be recharged with the cell inside. There is a rubber plug covered micro USB port on one side, opposite the side switch. It also has a good pocket clip. This is my choice for a brighter light to carry, with smallish size, and the longer life of the higher capacity 18650 cell.

The last two lights on the right started out the same. Both have had the LED upgraded. Both also have had the electronics, the driver, upgraded to push many more amps to the LED. Each has 6 light levels. The shorter one uses one 18650 cell. The longer/taller one uses 2 of the 18650 cells in series. It has a "special" Cree LED that has actually four LED emitters clustered touching each other in the center. The combination of 4 emitters and the higher voltage produces over 2500 lumens. And a lot of heat; it can not run on turbo for more than about 60 - 75 seconds in warm weather. The longer light uses two tubes. One tube can be removed and two of the short 18350's that are pictured used. That makes for a light that can fit a jacket pocket and still have the high output, but for a shorter time.

I have a couple of project lights waiting to be finished. One is fitted inside a kerosene lantern. The other will be a camp light fitted inside a mug.

If you think I'm crazy with so many flashlights, okay. But no more crazy than a guy with a bunch of assorted Coleman lanterns. :R

Re: lights flashlight lanters..........light of choice.

PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 10:33 pm
by tony.latham
Don:

Thanks for the show-'n-tell! Aren't today's just damn cool? What an improvement over the old things.

Tony

Re: lights flashlight lanters..........light of choice.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 11:48 pm
by HossHoffer
Lighting has been completely changed with the new led lighting. You can now light your campsite for several hours on one charge and have more light than the old incandescents. This includes flood as well as task lighting. I carry several flashlights now, some rechargeable, some not, just cause I can. I think that all my vehicles have at least one flashlight in the glovebox and I usually have a half a dozen in the tool box. I am currently rewiring the teardrop and replacing all the lights with LEDs. The cool factor is just too cool! That said I always light up a white gas lantern because camping just isn't camping without the hiss of a Coleman lantern. Slo you will find a variety of LED flashlights in every store you go to including the dollar store. Just consider them to be like guns and tools. There is no bad reason to buy another one.

Hoss

P.S. Make sure one of your lamps is a headlamp. You can thank me later.

Re: lights flashlight lanters..........light of choice.

PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 12:25 am
by MtnDon
HossHoffer wrote:P.S. Make sure one of your lamps is a headlamp. You can thank me later.


Absolutely. I did not include my two; one a lightweight rechargeable AAA eneloop battery type and the other an 18650 li-ion based beast.

Re: lights flashlight lanters..........light of choice.

PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 3:37 pm
by Camp4Life
General camp light is a Coleman LED lantern from Home Depot. Uses 4 C-batteries which I've been using for 2 years now and haven't had to replace yet. It's adjustable so it's nice, and it's plenty bright

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Also have 2 Energizer LED flashlights that are plenty bright (250 lumens) and also last a long long time. On the low setting, then last 50 hours from the 2 AA batteries. Also waterproof and drop-proof.

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Re: lights flashlight lanters..........light of choice.

PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:53 pm
by booyah
So, for lights in the camper, we're wired up with LED lights inside, under the hatch and porch lights to the group 24 deep cycle battery in the tongue box. It also runs the fan, and 12v and USB chargers in the camper.

For outside we have a mix of cheapo 9LED flashlights for the kids, and some slightly modified and otherwise unmodified Ryobi lights for the 18v system

the green flashlight had its crappy xenon bulb replaced with a 1w LED, for an awesome upgrade, the LED lantern and when I want to light up the world, their 2800 lumen spotlight.

best part about the ryobis, is they use the same batteries as my tools, and i have a 12v charger for them, so I can recharge off the camper battery, or once I get the solar panel installed, off that. :thumbsup:

Re: lights flashlight lanters..........light of choice.

PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 6:56 pm
by MtnDon
This week I completed a new light build. It is a little off beat. I built it for a contest on one of the flashlight forums. If anyone is interested the build topic is found here. Here's a photo of the light undergoing it's first illumination....

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It is built in an acrylic mug, uses 4 lithium rechargeable cells and a special type of LED that uses a remote phosphor (the dome that lights up). The cells are easily changed. It has 6 levels from a very low up to reasonably bright. Run time tests are ongoing. It can operate on one, two, three or four cells (all in parallel).

Re: lights flashlight lanters..........light of choice.

PostPosted: Thu Sep 22, 2016 4:00 pm
by arbakken
I'm surprised by how many people use normal flashlights! The LED headlamp is the pinnacle of camping light technology. I use a Black Diamond Revolt so I can recharge it off USB. I just bought a luminaid packlite 16 to replace the spectra I lost after the 2nd time I used it.

Re: lights flashlight lanters..........light of choice.

PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 3:13 pm
by MadMango
I use LED headlamps for hands-free freedom, and inflatable LED lights with their own solar panels. I'm a big fan of the LuminAID lights, mostly because they pack small, just throw them on the dash in the morning, and they are good to go all night long. Plus I can stuff them into the corners of our 10x10 EZ-up and they give off plenty of light. When I go hammock/minimalist camping, it also doubles as my pillow.

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They are a little on the expensive side at $20, but I think they are very much worth it.

Re: lights flashlight lanters..........light of choice.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 24, 2016 10:48 am
by Wolffarmer
I use old school white gas stuff for outdoors large area lighting. Or setting outside reading, cooking. And on cold nights I retreat the teardrop and hang it on a hook for light and heat while I read some more. Yes I do open windows a bit. They usually put off so much heat you have to open them even more. I use a variety of LED lights for quick trips to the outhouse. I have some that recharge via USB and have one of those adapters in my ciggy lighter. Also use my bicycle head light that has adjustable beam. Can light up hill sides a long ways a way. Unfortunately not rechargeable but batteries last a long time. And have a 2 D cell LED flaslight and a 2 D cell Mag light in case I feel like I may need a weapon on the way to the out house.

Randy