A Mag-Lite is very bright, but it still has a bulb. Aren't LED flashlights a better choice for survival use?
I do have a lot of mag-lites, works great. (Not that I have something against Mag-Lites) <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Given that LEDs are more durable with a longer runtime, yes, in a long-term survival situation, they are preferred. My BOB has an Infinity Ultra-G, which runs for a long time on one AA battery. But for a real blinding blast of light, you can't beat a Surefire.

well i prefer LED's. Leds are much more energy efficient and have a nicer beam.
This feature of LED also allows small lights like the Fenix L1P to produce loads of light in a very small packages running on just one AA battery.
Or extreamly long runtimes with a single AA battery, like the Al-91 which is advertised with 88 hours of run time on a single AA battery, using a 5mm Nichia Led. Still using the original battery in it...

Leds are claimed to be more durable, but i never managed to break a incandence light either with normal use...

Personally i think maglites are way over rated and priced. You can get much beter price / quality ratio's. www.flashlighreviews.com is a great site, where you can find loads of reviews.

Don't forget to have a look at headlights, they are very usefull.

Depends on what you are trying to see. I find that trying to find my deer stand in southeastern Oklahoma pine forest at 6:00 am is mighty difficult with a LED, like wise finding a blood trail after dark is equally as hard...it doesn't throw the light very far, very bright and you can't concentrate the beam. I find for that situation, the regular bulbs work better. However, post Tornado, in a urban setting I would want longer run times and the longevity that LED brings to the table...so I believe the both have their place in the survival situation. I EDC an Inova on my key chain and have used it many times..amazing how effective a single LED can be in a completely dark room.

I bought some of those LED conversions for the Mini-Mags that I keep for BOB's and house survival kits, but the hunting one will continue to be the standard bulb. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Agreed on all counts -- leds are smalled and more efficent --the micro light has found its way into most kits.

A waterproof headlamp is a great idea; a huge step forward is ease of use.

Teacher

PS of course you can get the conversion kit and put led's in your maglite...

I retro fitted my AA Maglite with the Nite-Ize L.E.D. package. This is after having several bulbs pop on me at the wrong moment. Gives me the build quality of the Maglite with a reliable light source. I also pack a Surefire C2 for "punch" situations. And one of several Petzl headlamps for handsfree situations.

I do not know what the shipping will be like but there are many led upgrades out there for the mag lights. I recently purchased this Mini Mag up grade but have not received it yet. From what I read it is well worth it.

I got the Nite-Ize LED upgrade for the Maglite and I find it is very weak.

The AA Maglite is too heavy for hiking or EDC... I highly suggest you look into the Fenix L0P or L1P if you want a decent flashlight.

I agree some of those more powerful LED mods for the Maglite might be fun, but unless you already have a AA Maglite lying around, I would not bother with Maglites at all.

I'm not overly impressed with the nite-ize conversion -- I got one from wal-mart over the weekend. it was quick enough to install and is fairly bright, [only a flood beam] non adjustable now -- can no longer go spot to flood, but won't have to worry about burned out bulbs. of course, I'm used to having the fenix l1p and l0p lights and they can't compare to the nite-ize, but they are 10 times as much [nite-ize only $4 at walmart]

The focus IS fixed, but I never had the regular bulbs, Mag or Rayovac, throw like this no matter what kind of battery was in there.

I just bought a couple of those self-charging flashlights (with magnet and coil charging a capacitor). They work ok. I bought them at Wal Mart for 16 bucks. I got a large and a small. I keep one in the truck (large). I keep flashlights in the truck and they are often dead. They both use LED's. The smaller one has to have the button depressed continuosly. I am not sure why they did that.

I edc'd a minimaglite for years. I finally got fed up with the bulb blowing out about every third time I used it. I am going to order a Fenix L1 asap.

Each has its advantages and disadvantages. I've blown two or three mag bulbs in ten or so years and have had a dozen or more LED lights break or fall apart. the LED lights are small and run more efficient for sure but just don't put out a whole lot of light unless you get into the really high end. My ARC AAA will let you see a couple feet in front of you but a AA or AAA minimag will let you see quite a way farther into the woods. I carry one of each and the bulbs in the AAA minimag can be put into the Arc AAA if needed. Its kind of like asking is a fixed or folder better or which caliber is better, depends on the intended use.

what brand is "Al-91"?

I've owned AA minimag lights for years and swore by them. I recently have had to put my AA mag lights to daily use. I got so that I felt I didn't get enough light from it so the other day, during a wal-mart run I decided to see what they had in the way of small lights. I came across a Dorcey 1 watt LED, powered by three AAAs. I figured for the price (12-14 bucks) it wouldn't hurt to try. Lots more light, belt clip, and on-off switch on cap. Ok it doesn't focus but the amount of light makes up for it. I'm replacing all my AA mini mag lights with this light.

i don't know the brand, but it is distributed by Nuwai.

Much like you can get folding knives for ~$20, but it's worth it to spend more (at least $70 for a spydie endura, iirc), Maglites can be had for cheap, but there are _Much_ better lights out there.

www.flashlightreviews.com has already been mentioned

Another excellent site is www.candlepowerforums.com

There they discuss everything about flashlights. Literally, everything. Many of those forum-goers also make their own custom lights that you can buy. I've simply not seen such quality lights anywhere else.

However, many of these higher-end lights can run in excess of $200. In the end, you get what you pay for. Those wonders measure in less than 4 inches, output several light levels, run off of a single battery, use LEDs, and are still brighter than Maglites. O_O

However, if you're not up to spending all that money on a single light, the Surefire G2 is an excellent light. It costs around $35, runs off of two lithium batteries (you should purchase these online! Surefire sells them in packs of 12 and prices them many times less than what they go for in stores!), fits in the palm of your hand, and is several times brighter than a 3-D cell maglite. On top of this the batteries have a shelf life of ~10 years (lithiums last much longer than Alkalines, and don't suffer the same low-temperature restrictions as alkalines), and the light is nigh-indestructible. Well, most surefires are nigh-indestructible. ( www.surefire.com ).

In all seriousness, a good light can be as important as a good knife, and at least as useful in everyday life. A good flashlight is definitely not something to forget about.

Did a search on the forums "solitaire kit" No luck.

Could someone direct me to a British/Dutch site which sells LED/click switch lits for the solitaire?

Much obliged,
Reinhardt

Sorry, have to disagree with you there. I E.D.C. a AA maglite with conversion along with various other bits. You very quickly get accustomed to carrying the extra weight. I just think that, within it's limits the AA LED meets my requirements. Ofcourse if anyone comes out with a torch that can illuminate a gnate at a 1000yrds, weighs 1oz, indestructable, waterproof to 2000ft, explosion proof, 200hr battery life, lifetime warranty, $10.oo each etc, etc, etc I might just possibly consider buying one or two or three......

Exactly, five years ago almost everyone thought Maglight was the dog's ********* now Surefire has taken over. I still carry my Solitaire (and Swiss champ, but thats another story <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />) for map reading.

Two questions: one: what is a gnate?? Two, A 1000yards, for a maglight mini?

I've never used a surefire before, seem pretty good.
Mag-lites also work just fine.

desertrat1 said:

For what it's worth, Target seems to have a **MUCH** better selection of high-quality flashlights than Wal-mart. Every time I go to Wal-mart and look through their selection of lights the phrase "lotsa junk" comes to mind. At Target, I see a LOT of cool stuff under $30 that I would like to have.

Speaking of headlamps, last week I picked up a couple of River Rocks on clearance at Target for less than $4/each. Here's a review:

River Rock headlamp

I put one in each car - they may come in handy when changing a flat tire.

You'll love the Fenix. It puts out a lot of light for a single AA.

Ooops, sorry. I forgot that you chaps speak American. Ok, in answer to you questions: A gnate is a very small irritating insect. Some what smaller than a mosquito or a midge. A thousand yards is 1000 yards or 3000 feet. In this context it usually means an impossible range. Actually I am surprised that Doug hasn't come up with a torch to that spec yet. Come on Doug, you have a reputation to live up to here.....

Well Target is a French owned company and I wouldn't buy anything from them.

MagLights were great in their day. I'm sure there are many people who still have use for them. But I now find them middle of the road. Too much for around the house. LED's are much better there. But then, not enough for outdoors, unless you need to be significantly mobile. They're a good enough compromise for that - mobility, brightness, cost. For a quick check out the back door to find the reluctant-to-come-in cats at night, my wife now uses this monstrosity she bought at Costco. A "Thor" or something like that. A handheld rechargeable super car headlight basically. Now THAT beast is bright! No problem picking out the reluctant cats from a mile away. You just have to be careful not to ignite them.

I'm still laughing at that one... <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I haven't bought a Mag in a long time, but I have several and still keep the multi-D's in my vehicles. Their claim to fame is their construction and adjustable head. The fact that they are readily available in nearly every retail shop for a decent price makes them attractive still.

I have moved on for now, have a nice 2D light with 10 LEDs and a Xenon tube... I can switch between 5 or 10 LEDs or the single center light which is adjustable in beamwidth. It's a nice compromise and I'm pretty sure I've seen them in smaller AA sizes. But I'm certainly going to give mag a shot when they deliver their LED models.

I'd direct you to this site: http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/target.asp

I've always found Target to be a more upscale Wal*Mart. Strangely enough, a common turn of phrase where I live is "Target is French for K-Mart." I wonder if that has anything to do with the urban legend.

Although they have turned to Chinese goods to compete (like nearly every other store in the world!), I think the company itself is okay. They seem to carry some better quality items and I don't see them in the news about smashing the souls of their workers on a monthly basis.

Anyway, thought you might want to reconsider your position. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Just for info.
Not being up to date with international economy, I would like to know which french company owns (or is the major stockholder of ...) Target ?

TIA

Not sure if that was supposed to be in reply to me, but I was refuting the previous "french ownership" claim by posting the link above. Here's an excerpt:


Here are the Major Holders and it's mostly institutional:
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/mh?s=TGT

Oh, and I should mention that I have absolutely nothing against Chinese folks. I just have a real problem with our current imbalance of trade.

As for the overall vein of not wanting to buy items from French owned stores, you'll have to take that up with the original author. I can only surmise it has to do with Iraq.

I was duped!! You're right I even checked the Securities and Exchange commision and they are wholely American owned.

Frenchy,
No offense to you and not wanting to get into a political debate, I have to support my political views and not support the views I don't agree with. That said, I've spent quite a bit of time in France and just like anywhere else in the world there are regional differences. I didn't appreaciate the attitudes in Paris, but absosutely fell in love with the people around Tolouse. Warm and friendly, and open to my ignorant questions.

Well, I guess I incorrectly formulated my question ...
It was not intended to start a (political or not -) debate or to question your views on the subject ; it was a simple question, out of curiosity. I have read that assertion in various posts and was just curious to know which french company was involved (I thought it might have been the Carrefour Group or something like that...)
No offense intended, no offense taken.

But I guess this shows how easy it is to missread/interpret a simple sentence from a non english writer. I don't speak/write english well enough, maybe I should have added some words/adverbs or I don't know what, to be more explicit.
Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Which THOR do you have?
If it is the 10,000,000 CPF model, then YEA, that thing is bright...
I was on top of the 20 story building (that I weathered Hurricane Rita in) after the hurricane, and was shining the beam at other building all around town, and would get an occasional 'blink, blink, blink' back from other 'survivors'... It was a lot of fun, and almost like a scene from some post-apocalyptic movie! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I now have the nick-name of 'The Omega Man' among some of my friends... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

As a point, I work for a French company. Most of my French colleges tell me that even the French consider the Parisians to be sodding rude & arrogant. Apparently the Parisians consider themselves to be the only people who speak proper French & ofcourse being Parisian, to be the only true font of French culture. Three guesses as to what the rest of Franch thinks......

Yep, that's the beast. Great utility device. Point it at a cup of water - bingo! It boils. Bacon takes only 30 seconds to cook. Lift it over your head a time or two, and you've found an inexpensive replacement for that fancy Nautilus Home Gym.

It makes a great weapon too. That first night when we tested the Thor, unfortunately it was Fluffy's last day on earth, ... I was trying to console the wife by telling her the silver lining was the money we'd save on the vet cremation bill. I think the whack I took required 10 stitches to close...

"....the only true font of French culture."

Personally, I think that is Frenchy's job! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

LOL !!!

I do live right near Paris, but I don't consider myself as a Parisian, but an exile, far from home (Lorraine, east of France) <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

And yes, it's true most of the parisian crowd is quite elitist, one way or the other, and look somewhat disdainfully on the people in the provinces.
OTOH, it's also true living in Paris can have some advantages (theaters, museum etc.. all things "culture" related), but you need :
- not to have to work in Paris
- to have some money to enjoy the parisian life ...

Sure, if you think that the stink of the traffic fumes is worth it. Personally, I would rather be sat outside a cáfe somewhere in the south of France, A decent beer, fresh bread, butter, a little cheese and no rush to be anywhere. Watching the Madamoselles go b. Oooh la la......

You know, there is SOMETHING about the THOR that enspires these sorts of postings...
Over one CPF, the thread just went on an on(If I remember correctly.).

<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Did anybody try this:



Since I already have a Mini Maglite® and want a headlamp, I was wondering how this accessory compares with a real headlamp, because it would be much cheaper...

Frankie

Is it as good as a real, full fledged headlamp, no, becuase your light is off to once side.

However, if you already have a MiniMag or Infinity (same diameter) or something similiar on you or in your kit, this is LOT smaller than a headlamp. It's a trade off.

Best Mag LED mod I've found:

http://home.mchsi.com/~lambda_lights/smjled.htm

Got mine about a month ago and it is freaken awsome.