I contemplated buying one some time ago. The salesperson in the store told me they were more of a toy that you would give to a child going to camp than something an adult should buy. IMO They are a bit too large for use as a flashlight (although I like 4AA lights and have been happily using a Princeton Tec impact XL for years - its waterproof) and possibly not quite as good as a dedicated lantern to be used as such. There are quite a few good small flashlights around.

As for information on flashlights, try where the flashaholics hang out:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com

As for my advice on what to use, there is a 300 Candlepower Sportsman Extreme by Rayovac. It uses 3D's. The batteries last 72 hours on high, 150 on low. They also have a 4D lantern and an 8D area lantern.

There are also a black diamond line of lanterns that are all excellent.

So what I ended up deciding was that you are better off with two dedicated devices. Do you want a thrower? A flood light? A lantern? Etc. On the flashaholic website they have a much larger list of types of lights.

Apparently LED's are not considerd bulbs and will never burn out? Not ragging on the product but its strange for a company to suggest such things.

http://www.amazon.com/Energizer-Weather-Ready-Folding-Lantern/dp/B001D937SY

Has anyone had any experience with this? I was thinking about purchasing one and didnt know if it was worth the money over candles.

I've had one of those Lanterns,for about 2yrs now,It has the same Energizer 4-D batteries it came with,& Is still working Fine!I pulled the Batteries out a while back to clean them & the compartment,dabbed a little vaseline in areas to preserve the contacts,etc.The light isn't Real Bright but,It Beats candles by 100 to 1,for home use,Of Course!

Holy hell Rich, please, for the love of Zeus, change that vaseline out. If you want to preserve the contacts, use something like silicone lubricant. Vaseline, after all, is made from oil, a nice, flammable substance. I imagine it would catch flame easier than other lubricants.

LEDs tend to have a rated life of 50,000 hours, which is over five and a half years of continuous use. If you use it for a full week (168 hours) every year, the emitter should last for almost 300 years.

Ive had LEDs burn out on me multiple of times. Everything has a lifespan everything is prone to Defects and imperfections and wear and tear and such. When I hear "this will never that" no matter the product I scoff. Im sorry but when it comes to Camping and survival gear any hint of the item being magical turns me off on the company. Id prefer to hear the hour lifespan not "never" same thing for anything else. We May know this on this forum but how many people looking for a product with little knowledge on the subject will trust marketing first? I Dont know why but I just take offense to marketing ploys especially in fields I know a think or two about Cause I still remember when I didnt know a thing or two and fell for them myself only to get kicked in the rear.

Anywho sorry to get off topic there. I really have been looking for a decent lamp for awhile now and been relying on Candles and flashlights for too long.

A couple years ago Target was carrying a brand called River Rock. I'd picked up one for about $25 and was vary pleased with it. They are a cree led and run on three AA batts. Then a few months later Target had them on close out for $10 and I picked up several more.

You might be able to find them online. I use the eneloop's for the ones in the house and barn and keep lithium's in the one in the SUV. Highly recommend this little lantern.

Unless the light was overdriving or somehow overheating the LED, it's unlikely that you burned out the emitter. More likely, the driver circuit or some other part of the light failed.



I couldn't agree more.

Changing out an LED emitter on most flashlights is absurdly difficult to do in the field. I am entirely in favor of carrying spare flashlights, though. Sitting here in my office I have two dedicated flashlights on my person and three in my laptop bag. This might be excessive.

[quote=chaosmagnetSitting here in my office I have two dedicated flashlights on my person and three in my laptop bag. This might be excessive.[/quote]

No, it just means you fit in here at the ETS Forums!

LOL! I failed to mention,I store the Batteries,Outside of the light,in a tube attached to the light,Homemade Jobber type of storage contraption,Preserves batteries very well!I install the batteries from time to time,when doing PM's on Emergency Preps/Equipment.Vaseline is an Xlnt Contact Preservative,A little goes a long way,& Is easy to Remove when needed!