Max lumens for a general purpose hiking/camping flashlight

koziy · 2019-07-26T02:51:20.000Z

I’ve done a lot of backpacking and thought about my ideal flashlight a lot lately. I have used various flashlights and headlamps through the years and a 3200 lumen hot rod flooder that eats up half its battery capacity in 5 minutes of use isn’t even something I’d consider. My basic criteria are as follows:

Headlamp. Must be a hands-free flashlight so you can set up camp or do camp chores in the dark. You can theoretically get by with a handheld light, but why torture yourself like that, honestly?
Waterproof. Absolutely no rubber flaps or easily preventable points of failure.
Pre-set modes, no ramping.
Intuitive UI, ideally separate power and mode buttons, no blinky modes whatsoever.
Low mode of 10-40 floody lumens for inside a tent.
Medium mode of 80-150 floody lumens for around camp.
High mode of 300-500 lumens for sporadic use while night hiking or checking on noises at the edge of camp.

A nice 4000-4500K tint can be a nice touch to set the mood in camp if you don’t have a fire, but is definitely not a requirement. I’d much rather take a headlamp in cool white with good battery life and a floody beam over some handheld flashlight with a warm tint but terrible battery efficiency.

I wouldn’t rule out packing a mini thrower when camping out west, but even then, I wouldn’t consider it essential. It can be nice to spot moose on the other side of a lake at night or confirm if a bear is trying to get down your food bag or if it’s just a squirrel, though.

My latest headlamp I’ve been testing is the YLP Panda 2M CRI, which is the best so far, although I haven’t used it enough to say for absolute certainty how good it will perform.

One more thing to note: In camp with other people, you’re going to want to turn your headlamp down, like headlights on a car, so as not to blind other people, and you’ll expect the same of them. I’ve found that a lot of, if not all of, those 90 degree headlamps create glare in my glasses when angled down like this, which can be especially annoying when camping and your glasses have dirt on them. I need the reflector or lens to be a a little bit projected out from my head so as to avoid this.

discharged · 2019-07-26T14:36:18.000Z

Around the campsite or in the campground I would agree that a headlamp is a good choice however it is far more convenient/quicker to lower the output on any handheld flashlight that fiddling with a headlamp or at least it is for us. Where a headlamp is categorically the best choice is for trade use and we have several Petzl Duo S lights that we use for mechanical service, yes these are very high end and really any quality product would work very well we just always have purchased big dollar tools and instruments, usually one gets what one pays for.

As for hiking there is not enough spill and output for our needs with headlamps and this is where max lumens in the range I cited really shine so to speak-the Mrs and I have to be able to see out to a distance any creatures/quadrupeds which are watching US deciding whether or not to have a go plus having a strobe has in the past proved effective in dissuading aggressive animal behavior; shooting is always an option but only one of last resort.

Of course a strobe is very effective for use on two legged predators also.

Relampago · 2019-07-27T06:22:13.000Z

Sounds like the ft03 in xhp50.2 would fit the bill. Great distance shooter, decent spill, high lumens and Narsil to boot.

Lightbringer · 2019-07-28T05:51:57.000Z

Love my new little toy, so will plug the WK30.

Very lightweight for its size, yet packs a come-with 26650 (which clocked in at 5380mAH, over twice the runtime of a typical 2600mAH 18650). Great LH351D for white light, plus red and UV LEDs!

Reviewed one, immediately ordered myself a spare, it’s that nice.

Phlogiston · 2019-07-28T11:31:46.000Z

discharged:

One brand offers the following in an easy to carry/pocket flashlight: 3200 lumens for about 1 hr and 30 minutes-1000 for 3/40-350 for 10/50-100 for 38/40 and 20 for 152hrs all plus or minus. Additionally there is a strobe at approx 3200 but no sos which in my opinion would have made a fantastic light nearly perfect.

Do you have a link for that light, please?

It’s very unusual for a pocket flashlight to sustain 3200lm for 1h 30m. The vast majority of lights like that step down after a few minutes.

As a guide, a 1×18650 light will normally be able to sustain 1000lm for a maximum of 1 hour, assuming it’s been built to get rid of the heat without stepping down or becoming too hot to hold. That’s a fundamental limitation of current technology, so there’s no way round it.

Boaz · 2019-07-28T13:01:47.000Z

I'm sorry .....I just googled the Petzl Duo S.

amazon.com

Amazon.com : Petzl, Duo S 1100 Lumens Headlamp Black : Sports & Outdoors

$349.95

I have no comment .

CJ_Avlis · 2019-07-28T13:14:58.000Z

Friendly advice…NOT an attack/criticism…dont let your desire to be right, get in the way.

WalkIntoTheLight · 2019-07-28T13:32:09.000Z

On a hike, you’re going to want to carry a backup light anyway. So, use an efficient headlamp with modest output as your main light. Something like a Zebralight H600 with a frosted lens, for a good floody beam. Run it at a couple of hundred lumens, and it will last all night. When you need more light, use a regular flashlight to blast some lumens in a particular direction. You can use that for 3000 lumens if you want, and don’t have to worry about wasting the battery or it overheating since it’s not used for long periods.

koziy · 2019-07-28T19:40:57.000Z

discharged:

Around the campsite or in the campground I would agree that a headlamp is a good choice however it is far more convenient/quicker to lower the output on any handheld flashlight that fiddling with a headlamp or at least it is for us. Where a headlamp is categorically the best choice is for trade use and we have several Petzl Duo S lights that we use for mechanical service, yes these are very high end and really any quality product would work very well we just always have purchased big dollar tools and instruments, usually one gets what one pays for.

As for hiking there is not enough spill and output for our needs with headlamps and this is where max lumens in the range I cited really shine so to speak-the Mrs and I have to be able to see out to a distance any creatures/quadrupeds which are watching US deciding whether or not to have a go plus having a strobe has in the past proved effective in dissuading aggressive animal behavior; shooting is always an option but only one of last resort.

Of course a strobe is very effective for use on two legged predators also.

Yes, “high end” would be a good way to describe the Duo S. That looks super cool, although big enough of a head contraption that trade use is going to be the most practical for most people’s needs. I wish other headlamps had an auto-dim function for around camp when two beams cross.

Back in the incandescent era, I somehow was able to follow leaf-covered trails in autumn with a dim (probably 60 lumens on a full battery) Petzl incandescent headlamp. When I finally stepped up to a 360 lumen LED headlamp, which was a Fenix HP25, I felt like a whole new door had been opened up. Suddenly, I could see everything, certainly any faint trail at night for as far as I needed. I can totally understand wanting more light if you are bushwacking, although I don’t personally see the appeal of extended off-trail travel after dark, so I just do not do it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to say nobody should have 3200 lumens, and if some flashlight company figures out how to make a light capable of sustaining that level for long enough to be practical on the trail rather than sucking down battery charge rapidly and burning my forehead, I’ll be the first to buy it. I’ve been able to get by with a lot less, though, and there are some good options that output a lot less — there are also some not-so-good options that output 2000+ lumens. My most recent test headlamp was the Thrunite TH30, which can output 3350 lumens on turbo, and I tried an Acebeam H30 before that, which is in the same range. Keep in mind that’s not sustained lumens, at all, and if you use it on turbo continuously, you’re not going to have a good time in the woods. Overheating, rapid battery drain, low battery warning flashes, thermal protection that dims the light and limits your ability to use it on high again…. I just don’t think we’re there yet.

As for using strobe on animals, that’s a new one to me. I never thought to try it.

Helios_azimuth · 2019-07-29T01:47:04.000Z

Using strobe to scare animals does not work for me. A fox will not like it and trot away, but coyotes pretty much ignore it. Deer will slowly feed in the direction opposite from me. Rabbits will really take off with any strong light. Have not tried it on bear or mountain lions yet. Hope it will work, but I will not rely on it at this point. Others might have had better luck. For a human aggressor would it just be an irritant or would they be stopped? I like a headlight for camp chores and a thrower for animal identification. Self defense is in a different category, but whatever works for you.

discharged · 2019-07-29T13:30:49.000Z

The Fenix TK35 UE is one light that we have and find to be exceptionally useful while we haven’t decided for sure yet it just may be the perfect light for general use. As for how long the max output is available-I don’t know as we only use the highest setting for a few seconds to a few minutes at most as I think would be the case with nearly all other non professionals (not search and rescue or police/fire/military) though I will post that under most all circumstances high power can be a high liability, all those lumens bouncing back at you from windows/mirrors/bright metals and brighter painted-bare concrete walls and flooring/sand takes its toll quickly, I post-regrettably- from experience. And all these ‘hazards’ are generally present while hiking and camping. So while high output has a use it must be used with discretion.

Generally for us there is not a whole lot of difference between output levels over 2k lumens, certainly some but not a breathtaking amount BUT in some situations a little really can be a great deal.

As for a strobe being effective in keeping predators at bay-our experience is that it works and works well, perhaps what is key is the rate? I cannot imagine any animal, two or four legged, attacking what it cannot clearly see; if anyone takes exception I would be very interested in comments.

Should you have an issue with pests in a building or attic-consider grabbing a few inexpensive DJ type strobes, set them up and turn on for a few days or so and see what happens. For us the problem goes away-always, it has never failed BUT remember to turn on the lights after you have exited, I had to rescue the Mrs. on one occasion but only once.

Disclaimer- our results with the lights we used in the application we used them in for control of the pests we had-racoons, mice, squirrels, birds and chipmunks……………… As they say, your results may vary-we are not experts and caution against using only our experiences as the basis for a purchase.

discharged · 2019-07-29T13:45:36.000Z

dated, may or may be relevant but should be interesting;

Police Magazine – 29 Jun 10

How to Use a Strobing Flashlight

The one thing I can tell you is that many of the students who arrive for my classes with their strobing lights ready to go are often not aware of the pros and cons of strobe light deployment.

discharged · 2019-07-29T14:12:22.000Z

perhaps a mutant side note; last year a very good friend took his motorcycle trip of a lifetime (we both retired) to a place called the ‘Tail of the Dragon’ NC/TN USA (a very dangerous place due to very crazy people). This person is a riding fool and traveled the 1200 +/- miles in a lot less than a day and a half, he arrived mid morning and the last thing he told me he remembered is having to pull over quickly then, as the story goes, 72 hrs and a $42,000 USD helicopter ride later he was coherent (relatively speaking) again. Seems he decided to count the lines/poles to occupy travel time and induced some sort of grand type of seizure.

Any relevance other than the lesson that all should not travel at high speeds over vast distances on a bike whilst trying to count rapidly disappearing lines and objects ?, you tell me……….

lightwonder · 2019-07-29T14:45:52.000Z

All the lumens

Siftah · 2019-07-30T18:13:33.000Z

Of all the lights I have, the very most often used is my Petzl Tikka R headtorch.

I think it’s something like 260 lumens, but having the “Reactiv” technology which brightens or dims depending on the light conditions, plus the ability to move to a diffused beam for close-up work or a more focused beam for longer distances is excellent. The beam is excellent with good CRI (have not tested it scientifically, but it feels it).

It may not be the brightest, the furthers throwing or even the longest battery life, but it’s incredibly practical and reliable and it’s my most often used for around the campsite or the garden at night (especially for BBQ’ing in the dark).

Helios_azimuth · 2019-07-30T22:57:00.000Z

discharged:

As for a strobe being effective in keeping predators at bay-our experience is that it works and works well, perhaps what is key is the rate? I cannot imagine any animal, two or four legged, attacking what it cannot clearly see; if anyone takes exception I would be very interested in comments.

Let’s start by discussing what you are not saying. You are not encouraging my 100 lb niece to spend a week in the high Sierras thinking a flashlight is all the protection she needs after dark. She is a naive city girl who might believe that is what you mean… you who pack a firearm. So I am not arguing with you as much as establishing relativity for others reading your vigorous theories.
Now, you are correct about persuading rats to move out of the attic. My results were the same for persuading deer to move out of my orchard and stop eating the young tree branches. Persuasion is not self defense. And experimenting led me to believe shining two lights on turbo was more effective than strobe, perhaps it reminded them of eyes or of a vehicle’s headlights (just a subjective guess). Ultimately, yelling while clapping my hands was more effective than using a flashlight, I think. But that was at a distance and deer are not aggressors.
Coyote packs often come as close as 30 paces. Strobe, verbal commands, and just ignoring them all result in them just passing by.
Realistically speaking, the only close encounter was a test on my German Shepherd, LOL. She had a quick reaction and then just continued to smell for scents. She looked back at me a couple of times, perhaps thinking this guy is a real pain. When she whined, I stopped. There was no reaction to indicate she was disabled by the strobe, just irritated. Others can try and we can compare results.
If someone armed with only a strobe came into your camp, grabbed your pack and ran off, would you be neutralized and unable to pursue them? No way!
So a strobe might be helpful for my niece for a momentary advantage to be used along with other methods, but is not sufficient alone. Please do not mislead her and others unless you have had close encounters with something like a bear or Sasquatch. I admit I have not, but will advise others on the side of safety.
There was a debate long ago on Candlepowerforums with some officers/military for and some against using strobe in a combat situation. One said, “Another former SEAL and tactical trainer, Jeff Gonzales, debated former SEAL trainer and handheld strobe inventor Ken Good on the merits of strobing on another forum. So, with some SEAL trainers and combat vets not sold on the merits of strobing versus the inventor’s same background, I’d say it’s a wash.” This is old news and new strobes might be better. So it is worth trying strobe if the need arises, but have a plan B.

Relampago · 2019-07-31T05:49:20.000Z

Unless they have epilepsy

discharged · 2019-08-04T13:45:27.000Z

H/a, maybe it is the flash rate as I mused OR it might be that strobe lights that are in or near the Sierra Nevada Mountains have a requirement to be predator friendly

Helios_azimuth · 2019-08-04T20:56:07.000Z

discharged:

H/a, maybe it is the flash rate as I mused OR it might be that strobe lights that are in or near the Sierra Nevada Mountains have a requirement to be predator friendly

I heard that was in a bill before the California senate, but have not verified it.

It is a bit of a surprise more people have not recommended their favorite tint, since it is important in nature. My opinion is the warm white might be nice with a campfire, but is a bit too orange when doing camp chores or during fire bans. The nw is my favorite, around 5000K. Someone mentioned it shows tree bark and details better than ww and I agree. Cool white is said to be outstanding around lakes and rivers and has a bit more throw than nw. But it does create more glare in rain, fog and dust storms, so you see farther with nw in those conditions. Still, you cannot go wrong with whatever you buy… just be prepared to buy many more!

Jack_Kellar · 2019-08-05T11:17:42.000Z

All of the lumens that you can within the form factor and beam profile that you want. If you think it’s too much, just use a lower mode.