OK, two separate topics, but I'm feeling lazy.

1. Micro Photon

My Micro Photon's batteries are giving out, so naturally that's a chance for me to (1) replace the batteries, and (2) consider updating it by buying another one. I notice that some models come with a sleeve around the LED, to protect it and to eliminate side scatter. My Micro Photon has survived my pocket and many drops (with the rest of keychain) for nearly a decade. So I don't think I need it for protection. What about the side scatter? I don't think the little sleeve will intensity the light. It will simply block the light rays going sideways. Is that a big plus? If so, under what conditions?

Second, I started reading about the debate of light colors. Apparently people are preferring green over red for saving night vision these days. But then the more important thing is not to have a light source that is too bright -- no matter what color, a light that is too bright will make you lose your night vision, forcing your eyes to take time to readjust. Does color make a difference for the Micro Photon? Is it too bright?

Links in case anyone is interested, here are two links I read: Dough Kniffen,Astrolight for Visual Work, or Go for the Green, which is cited in Bryan Black, Navigating the Dark: How to Preserve Your Night Vision.

2. Food Spoilage

So this is stupid. I bought some groceries, and I left them out in this weather for 9 hours in my trunk. Can I still eat it? The groceries include: seal-packed raw chicken (no air in the pack) and frozen dinners.

Today was sunny, and the temperature outside was between 45 and 35 degrees F. (Yeah, it's warm where I live.) The car was parked under direct sun for all that time. (Just forgot about my groceries, and it took me 9 hours to remember.) Since refrigeration is supposed to be around 36-38 degrees F, I feel like I should be OK. I'm not a restaurant or anything, and I'm not looking for legal advice obviously. But I'd appreciate a "don't do it!!!" if you see danger.

Bryan Black's comments are in line with my experience in walking outdoors at night, something very frequent in SAR. Ideally, as twilight deepens, one just keeps going, and if there are lots of stars, or even just a bit of moon, you may not need any supplemental illumination at all. There are critical exceptions, of course.

Most of the time, I was following a trail, and I found that my feet could tell me when I had strayed from the trail tread. In fairly dense vegetation, you could look up and observe an open lane in the trees which would let you know you were headed right. It really helps if you have been on the trail before and have some notion of where it is going.

On occasion, we were tracking at night, which has its advantages, but we always used the lowest light possible to bring out sign.

On the food thing, I would cook (thoroughly!!) the chicken and refrigerate, not freeze, the dinners. Probably best to thoroughly cook them as well.

Remember that my guidance is worth every penny you paid for it. Mrs. Hikermor is much more conservative than me. She would probably pitch the lot. I don't do that until green slime is oozing from the packages.

Would Mrs Hikermor throw out your spoiled dates? Or do you still get to eat them up?

Seriously -- why refrigerate rather than freezing the dinners? Also, I bought a lot of chicken. It'd probably take me two weeks to eat it all. I was just going to freeze it all. Then thaw and cook small batches at a time. I guess thorough cooking is the key.

We got red filters for our torches in the army, since for obvious reasons soldiers would rather not show a light and try to preserve their night vision.
BUT under a red light; red lines on the map aren't visible. I went for red for my own use. There aren't many red things in the woods I'll be worse off for missing. A lot of green things.

qjs

As I understand it, refreezing will disrupt the texture of the food - may not be a consideration, depending upon how the food is dished up.

Spoiled dates are a different kind of thing. They are not allowed in the house or on the grounds, per Mrs. Hikermor. Haven't had any spoiled dates since Mrs. Hikermor came into my life....

cook it then refreeze it. No matter how bad the meat has gotten, if it is cooked well enough it will be safe to eat.

Where to start... First, the writer is primarily interested in night vision for Astronomy/Star Gazing, which is not a universal interest when it comes to night vision. Second, in one of the links there is a statement that reads: .
It’s a cones & rods thing within the human eye. The Rods and Cones of the Human Eye

Human eye color receptors are less sensitive to red and are very sensitive to blue. Green sensitivity falls between the two. He uses less green light because the human eye doesn’t need an intense green. However, it doesn’t take a lot of blue or green to desensitize the rods. When the human eye is subjected to blue & green, the rods are suppressed/turned off and it takes time to bring back that rod sensitivity once gone. Red does not have the same effect, so with a red light, your rods can continue to function receiving the all those shades of gray between light & shadow.

It takes what, 20 minutes sitting in the dark to bring your rods up to an acceptable level of night vision sensitivity and this guy then wants us to use a green light? Try it yourself. Get your eyes nicely night adjusted and then use a red light to read a book. Turn off the light and see if your eyes are still night adjusted. Then do it with a green light...

One of my favorite lights for night vision is a FourSevens 1xAAA Atom that emits two levels of red, Moonlight and Low. With night adjusted eyes, the moonlight level of red is all you need for close-in work.

FWIW

FWIW, I'd cook the chicken as plainly flavoured as you can, and then re-freeze it in portions. You can add flavor when you thaw it later to re-cook.

My 10 year old micro photon is orange. I've always just used it as a brief light in the night, without worrying much about my night vision, though I did figure orange was a good compromise between white and red lights.

I guess I'm just unlucky... I've had a couple Photons (real ones) and had problems with switches on them both... the Fenix E01 and later E05 have served me much better... I didn't notice the purple tint to the E01 until someone complained about it on a forum... to me a light is a light

"to me a light is a light" - I am with you on that, but it is enlightening to read the in depth discussions about cool, neutral, and warm light, CRI, various alleged tints, etc.But then, I don't have an educated nose when it comes to wine....

After wrestling with some of the junk I have used in the past, I am very happy that light, any light, emerges when I mash on the switch.

Sayeth the carbide lamp guy!

That isn't necessarily true. Food contaminated with botulism is not safe to eat after cooking. This is not due to the bactirium, but rather the toxins produced by the bactirium which do not go away with cooking.

That said, smell it. If it still smells good then it is "PROBABLY" still good. Vacuum packed food does last longer un-refrigerated in my experience.

Botulism is very rare and needs a very narrow range of environmental conditions to grow and build up the toxin: low oxygen, salt, acid, etc. Think canned foods. Meat that has been unrefrigerated for a few hours will not develop botulism. Meat that has been rotting in the open air will almost certainly not develop botulism. If rotten meat is cooked well (high heat for a long time) it will not hurt you. Been there, done that, multiple times. You can eat old road kill if you cook it well enough.

Loved my carbide lamps back in the day!! Heat and light all in one, usually reliable appliance. Now my lamps are just treasured antiques, sitting on the shelf.

The problem is obtaining and maintaining carbide, which decomposes readily around humidity and water. Just not worth the hassle.

I have embraced 18650 batteries, with their great capacity, inserted into beautifully designed lights. But they will never replace the warmth of a hand held carbide, cradled in one's hands, walking along a trail on a cold, frosty night....

The geezer will now be silent.

Hikermor, have you gotten rid of your oil lamps yet?

Of course not!! Who would ever do such a thing!

Actually, I believe there is an old kerosene lamp out in the garage, inherited from a previous owner, as well as a couple of Coleman mantle lanterns. I don't think I am actually counting on them for anything useful. Much easier and probably safer to rely on solar and electric lighting....

I usually take an ice chest to the grocery store. I also put several half gallon bottles full of ice in the ice chest. This way even if I spend another hour or so running errands then the food is still safe.

I’ve carried various Photon lights on my key chain almost since they were first marketed. I currently use a yellow bulb , Photon Freedom , with the cowl over the bulb sides. I perceive more beam projection ( unscientific impression) with the cowl and certainly less distracting side scatter. I chose yellow light based on the info on the Photon site. Yellow seemed the best combo of illumination, battery life and night vision preservation. Check out the descriptions on their website. I avoided red as I live urban. I do not want to be mistaken for a “ shooter” when turning the light on or changing aim point.

NOTE: I carry the Freedom as a backup to my Fenix E05. It serves well in that role. HOWEVER, the push switch is too easily depressed in the pocket, by keys, etc., resulting in a depleted light. So I carry mine on the neck dangler, switch faced in. That prevents accidental “on”.

I recently replaced my EDC Fenix L1D light to a Nitecore Tip. These newer keychain sized lights have really taken off in brightness and usability. Also, rechargeable by USB, so that part is also easy.

The old micro Photon honestly never impressed me that much

The point about not using red light in an urban environment seems like a good one. You don't want to turn on your light, only to hear someone yelling, "He's got a gun!!!" Thanks for providing this tip!

Personally, the Micro Photon works for me. I want something light and small, and I can compromise on the lumens. I usually have a much more powerful light in my purse. I'm sure the Feix L1D and Nitecore Tip are brighter and more capable, but they are a little too big for me.

Yeah, I’m always mistaking a laser pointer for a handgun
No, actually that’s never happened.

Speaking of oil lamps, it's pretty easy to stash some Dietz lanterns and a couple sealed five gallon cans of k-1 kerosene from lowes. Dietz lanterns are what the Amish in my area use. Of course, I have some led lanterns based on aa batteries, with a solar recharger too. Best to cover all the bases! (yeah, couple cases of votive candles...)