I want everything but the fancy name and fancy electronics. A durable, reliable XM-L2 18650 flashlight I can trust my life to but not pay top dollar.
I go caving a lot. I have a ZebraLight SC600w MkII and I’m just looking for inexpensive 18650 backups. So my life may depend on this light but hopefully I’ll never have to use it. Would be nice to buy some extras for friends that tag along as well. Cavers tend to have 3-4 lights per person and if you supply free Zebralights lights for a girlfriend you’ve already dropped almost a grand on flashlights.
Get yourself a couple of Convoy S2 in your choice of tint as well as a Convoy C8 for deeper penetration in the caves and you will be good to go. They are really well made and many of us swear by them.
Another great choice would be the Eagle Eye X6. About $19 and built to take a beating. They are the equal to lights costing a couple hundred when it comes to build quality. One of our members tested it by tossing it out the car while doing 60mph down the road and it only had a couple nicks in the bezel and one or two in the tail. Rock solid lights and great backups for what you need.
Go with any of the Convoys you want.
I would glue or epoxy threads, retaining rings and driver so they can’t wiggle around and loosem themselves up.
There are some experiences in this forum about it: Just search for “potting” the driver etc.
EDIT: The Eagle Eye X6 also is great value, build like a tank indeed, some of the threads are already glued which is a plus in this case. Only 19$ at Banggood.
There is also the Xindt/Convoy X3 (25ish $ ) build really solid.
I concur with the ‘anything Convoy’ suggestion. “Everything but the price tag” is a very good description.
I also carry a $8 Nitecore headband rolled up in a wad the size of a golf ball to improvise a pretty decent headlamp. There’s one in every pack and glove box.
I will echo that the convoys are a good choice. I suggest the M2 for a little bigger head and better heatsinking compared to the S2+, but any of them are good options depending on your needs.
Backup lights are backup lights. I’ve had a headlamp fail while descending in the dark after a long alpine climb. Whipped out the backup (1x18650) with a lanyard around the wrist and was good to go.
I have one of those headbands. I guess they’re ok for backup purposes, but pretty darn annoying otherwise. Even a Convoy S2 is a little too heavy for it and it wiggles and bounces around as you move your head. Probably better for a small 1xAA light. For 1x18650 lights I prefer the lanyard around my wrist.
My own recommendation for a caving backup light is a zoomie. Nice for the close up stuff such as rigging and passing anchors, and with the option of narrowing the beam for longer viewing. This one is liked by many: Review: Zeusray CREE XM-L2 zoomable flashlight
I don’t have one myself as a prefer a wider beam for other uses, but might get one as a caving/mine exploration backup as this one is a little smaller than the ones I normally use.
Only 3 to 4 lights per caver?
I’m sure some members here carry more than that for a trip to the shops :bigsmile:
I’d agree with the convoy suggestions, I do a lot of caving/mines etc, I always have a convoy s2+ fixed to the strap of my nitecore nc90 helmet light as a back up, or if I need more light
To be honest if it wasn’t for the ease of adjustment on the nitecore, I’d probably just have a s2+ or three ;— as my main helmet lamp
Found the s2 is just the right mix of flood and throw most of the time underground.
Have a convoy c8 smo also, which someone else suggested too, useful if I need to look down a long adit/shaft
Plus a srk for lighting up large cavens/cathedrals
Plus a couple of other as backups and loaners for others
I have a universal clamp on the side of my helmet. And a headlamp on the front. So I’m good to go. Will pick up the headband just in case. Thanks for the suggestion.
Oh and Mike C is right. When you are in emergency mode you don’t care about creature comforts.
Convoys are easy to work on, if you can solder 2 wires you can change the star yourself. Otherwise, Fasttech has convoys in nearly every configuration imaginable under the “model” drop-down. 5C is fairly warm.
I carry 8 lights on average on a backyard BBQ “trip”.
Seriously, I recently acquired a Olight M20S XPG2 for $30. It is a solid light at a good price. Here
But the price went up to $40 as I checked just now.
And Convoy is for sure and good choice. great price, great quality. I have S3 and M1. Love them.
Yes, warm white is the best option. As mentioned before, fasttech and a guy called Simon who has a store on aliexpress. I haven’t bought from him as yet but lots of members here have and he has a good reputation. http://www.aliexpress.com/store/330416
I agree with the S2 or S2+ recommendations. However I would probably not recommend the X6 because it’s not waterproof. If you know how to replace drivers, an LD-1 driver would be a big upgrade because it would increase run times in the lower modes.
Are these convoy S2’s a good reliable everyday use torch ? I work in the automotive field and the light would be used on a daily basis for several hrs a day .
What about the Roche F6? I’m not sure if you can get them with the XM-L2, but it’s a solid light either way. Seems for the same price as the convoy you could have an electronic switch which is supposed to be more reliable than a mechanical switch. The backup 18650 I usually carry is the EagleTac D25LC2. It’s light, compact and reliable. A twisty doesn’t have a switch to fail, but it does wear. But it wears gradually and consistently, so I personally think they make the ideal backup if you don’t use them heavily.
For caving I’d go with lights that use the Energizer AA Lithium primary.
It’s good in ice cold water
it’s going to last a very long time, longer than most lithium-ion cells.
My caving was done with 2x AA incandescent lights as backup for carbide lamps,
and candles and waterproof matches as backup for the flashlights.
I’ve Prusiked (climbing knots) up a rope, out of a 100’ shaft with cold muddy water dribbling down the rope, while holding a candle.
I don’t recommend the romance of the old methods.
