Light Preference?

[azma]

im just curious what every ones preferance on lamps and light LED, Incandescent, or other?

[White Rabbit]

If it's somewhere I don't need a bright light (like a huge cave or something), then I love my little LED flashlight or headlamp. If it's something big, then I always take a couple normal flashlights, or even my spotlight or kerosene lantern.

[Willard]

I know roaches don't like light at all... when you turn on a light in a room you can see them scurry to the far nether reaches of the room!

[Anne]

Tunnel rats dont' like light either! But I think cockroaches are funnier reacting towards light.

[Willard]

"Tear It!"

[youthsonic]

I like both LED and Standard. I always carry various mag lights, including a 4D upgraded with the Mag-num star XENON bulb, which is hela brighter and has a much longer battery life. I also carry a Black Diamond Gemini headlap, which is a hybrid and has both a XENON lamp and 2 LEDS. I find I use the LEDs most with that light because it seems bright enough. I also recently picked up a Princeton Tec Aurora headlamp, which is sufficiently bright for most needs, and noticeably brighter then the Gemini. You can't really beat LEDs for their brightness/battery life ratio, although they get ALOT more expensive when you start talking equivalent brightness to a standard light. The way I look at it, even though a LED light can last 10K+ hours, and the battery life is longer, when you really need the light nothing is better and more cost effective then a standard flashlight.

For example, a 4D Mag with the $1.99 Mag-num Star XENON upgrade has a peak candlepower of 32,000, 65 lumens and has a battery life of 14-16 hours. You can pick one up for around 20-25 bux. An equivalent LED would cost you 150+, and not have anywhere near the battery life for useful light.

http://www.surefire.com/maxexp/main/co_ ... rfnbr/1071

If you don't really need that much brightness / output, then a LED is a good choice because of its battery life. My Gemini has runtime of 500+ hours on 3 AAs, which is quite impressive. I find that the light is good for general navigation, and even better if the room is completely dark. However, in a dimly lit room, the light is less effective, because the thow of the beam is too short and the beam is too focused. I sometimes resort to the XENON light built in to it, which is generally bright enough, but only has a battery life of 3 hours off the same AAs (more like 30 - 45 min before you notice a degredation of light output), if they havn't already been partially run down from using the LEDs. My workhorse light though is still my 4D mag, which is a great balance of brightness / light output and battery life.

I guess the point is (if there is a point to my babeling) that a LED is a good choice for general navigation of dark areas and for providing good ambient light, but when you really need light output go with a standard light. So, I would suggest to carry both.

[Ford Prefect]

I rock a skate helmet with a Rayovac 3-in-1 attached; red and white L.E.D., plus a conventional bulb. The red light is the best, it produces a good amount of light and is fairly discrete. As well it preserves your vision in dark places. When I need more light I use the trusty 4-D Mag lite, and a 2-A Mag Lite just in case.
Ford P.

[caver]

Back problems have kept me from caving in the last couple of years. When I was caving about every weekend my preference was a helmet mounted carbide lamp. Then I was going out to Carlsbad Caverns on
trips with a volunteer group and found a TAG Lite 1
was prefered. It's a modified Nite Lite. The Tag II is utter crap,,,avoid this one.
http://www.4bobandbob.com/pages/07.html
I've been in the Big Room when the lights are out and it just swallows light. Now for camping and the odd poke in a mine or cave I tend to use my Photon Fusion.
I also have a Princton Tech Aurora.
Somewhere I have an original Petzle Mega...
There is just a
great selection of high tech lights out there now that were not available 10 years ago.

[S1L3N7B0B]

I carry a Maglite 4D and a Princeton Tec Yukon HL. Both are more than enough light for me. Though, I am considering purchasing a 2,000,000 candle light (or higher) spotlight in the future.

[White Rabbit]

Though, I am considering purchasing a 2,000,000 candle light (or higher) spotlight in the future.

I bought a 10 million CP a few months ago. It's bulky, but I bring the thing everywhere. It'll light up the biggest cave you can find.

[S1L3N7B0B]

10 million?! Where the hell did you find that, and how much was it?

[youthsonic]

Though, I am considering purchasing a 2,000,000 candle light (or higher) spotlight in the future.

Now that would rock!

[White Rabbit]

10 million?! Where the hell did you find that, and how much was it?

Bass Pro. And it was about 70 bucks.

[youthsonic]

I bought a 10 million CP a few months ago. It's bulky, but I bring the thing everywhere. It'll light up the biggest cave you can find.

What is the battery life, 10 minutes?!?!?!

[Willard]

Battery life? What sort of genrator do you need to hook up to a lamp that powerful???