As I go over my BOB.

I want to buy an extremely long lasting Light.

I've looked at everything from Surefires to Streamlights to Novatacs etc etc etc.

Even considered a Stylus pen...

I'm not concerned with burning someones retinas... I am only concerned with Run time.

I've used a green stylus pen a friend had (less then 3 lumen output) and it was fine for Simulated bug out survival (Backpacking in the Rockies with very little supplies for extended periods of time) it allowed me to operate in the dark, and do the things I needed to do while not emitting too much light and keeping a low profile.

I've seen lights claiming everything from 100+ hour run time all the way as high as 1,000+ hour run time.

Does the hive have any recommendations?

Note: I currently Own a StreamLight Side winder as my BOB light. Pretty handy light. But I want something that can run even longer. (it can get 100+ hrs on the low setting running on 2xAA's)

My recommendation isn't necessarily on one specific unit, but redundancy.


I have a fear of being in the dark if SHTF so I have THESE on just about every zipper or cord in my BOB. I am talking about my 1st aid, ham radio stuff, hygiene kit, cook kit, fire kit, everything. They are plenty bright and offer 12 hours of light per unit.

My Tk40 quotes 150 hours of runtime on low, which is 13 lumens.  Plus, if you change your mind and want to burn out someones retinas, turbo is 630 lumens...

Ask batmanACW, he has it bad for the flashlights...

I would bet the answer is a CREE of some flavor...

ETA: just looked, and I can't find anything in a quick search of my usual suspects that beats my tk40, but again, I am no expert.
I would think that the battery quality is a huge factor here.  of course, if you found an old 6 cell D maglight and converted it to a little tiny cree led, throw some good lithiums in it and you would have a great frankenlight that would last a long time...  not sure how the voltages would line  up, but it would make an interesting project...

Whatever you get , consider two of them for redundancy.

I get a chuckle out of folks who buy the latest super hi-tech kirifu cammoed low energy super bright flashlight for their BOB and then buy one of these as a BACKUP.





Instead, forgo a few beers or something and buy a second hi-tec super kirifu flashlight so you have commonality of parts and a decent backup.

It's easy to loose things when the crap starts flying.

And everyday as well...

Hard to go wrong with some of the Fenix AA models.

Some of them allow for the LED heads to interchange with a case so you can run CR123 batteries as a backup for failure.

I like the Fenix L2D and the LD20's.

I have this that has a backup battery that runs for 50hrs alone, but it is solar powered to recharge the battery and it is LED.


So with the LED bulb never needing replaced and the solar charging capabilities, this flashlight will essentially last a lifetime without batteries or bulbs. And its cheap.

The only downside is of course it isnt a super 200 lumen output light, but its enough in a dark room to illuminate what you need.  

LINKIE: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=202344341&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=202344341&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googlebase-_-D25X-_-202344341&locStoreNum=887&marketID=473

You make a very valid point.

I'd like to do with stylus pens... however... AAAA batteries are a total turn off to the Stylus pens...

If they made AA or even AAA stylus pens I'd go for them.

I have many lights... and my streamlight is by far the most useful... lugging 4 of them around is not practical.

The stylus pens are 1.1 oz's (with battery)... If they took different batteries I would be all about them.

I worry about the longevity of Solar Cells...

I love the idea of Solar powered items... but often times I wonder how long the rechargeability will last.

Rechargeable batteries do not last forever, so the rechargeable cells in the solar power articles will not either, then there is the question of the Solar Cells them selves.

Its been many years since I read into them heavily... I should probably do some research on them, because I have heard Solar Power Devices have come a long way and are not longer 2 - 5 year cell life but more 20-30 year cell life.

If they have a Solar power Light that has a 20-30 year claim on it, I'd be all about it.

The only light I have that is 20 years old is a 4D maglite, well, that and my old GI light from boyscouts, forgot that one for a minute...  No other flashlight I have seen lasts that long, so why does the solar powered one have to last so much longer?  If you are using it regularly, no light is going to meet the 20-30 year requirement anymore.  
Unless it sits in a cool, dark drawer with no moisture, your streamlite isn't going to be around in two decades, let alone three...

The longest running light will be a AA or AAA light with an LED bulb typically.  However AA and AAA batteries have a very short shelf life, very short in the heat.

Batteries with long shelf lives likes the CR123a typically don't have long run times.

So pick your poison.  I am personally more concerned with shelf life then run time.  I choose to worry more about longevity in my BOB since if it's dark in a bug out or other situation you likely want to be practicing light discipline.

I really like this guy though.
http://www.9voltlight.com/home


Here are some other good resources.
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/index.php?s=6d7a457c3522b812f5ead5fbc48cf348&
http://www.lighthound.com/Flashlight-Run-Time-Graphs-Run-Time-Plots_ep_37-1.html

The Stream Light is built really well... It's weather proofed and the contacts and components shouldn't corrode over time quite so easy. The LED bulbs should technically last longer then I would use them in 20 years... if I had batteries for them I'd be willing to bet one of them could be used regularly for 20 years.
My father owns alot of old tools... he has original Flash lights that still work... just their run times obviously aren't that great... They have been around long past 20 years... and they weren't babied either. Everything looks corroded and old and they still work with fresh batteries.

And even if 2 decades is alot to expect (which I agree it is)... All I'm saying is I dont want to invest into a solar powered Light and only get the same Lifetime I'd get out of a dozen battery changes...

The Pak-Lite seems interesting... It keeps popping up in my search for a long lasting light. But something tells me it's not rugged... I have not had one in my hands... but It looks like it'd break if I dropped it...

I need to research them some more.

You want the Stylus Pro... There is also a shorter one that uses a single AAA battery.

my pretzle (spelling?) head lamp lasts 150 hours on low, I use it daily for barn chores and rarley change batteries (AAA) it has muilt beams, and the highest one easily reaches 50 yards well, I have a coulple of them keep on in the car, kitchen, barn, and my BOBs

my .02

Go to 4 sevens and look at the 4sevens/Quark regular line. My get home bag light is a quark regular 2AA.

Moonlight: 0.2 OTF lumens for 30 days (1ma)
Low: 4 OTF lumens for 5 days (10ma)
Medium: 22 OTF lumens for 24 hours (50ma)
High: 85 OTF lumens for 5 hours (250ma)
Max: 206 OTF lumens for 1.3 hours (700ma)


Unlike Fenix, it will keep its low modes when you use lithium batteries for their long, long storage life. The User Interface is simple. With the head loosened slightly, click to turn on in moon light mode. Partially push the button to get to the next mode, low, its called a soft click. Do it again to advance to the next mode, medium, etc.... Once you have the hang of it you do it without even noticing in a fraction of second.

Tighten the bezel and click to turn on and you come on in max mode. This way you always know what level you will be when you turn on. Either moon light mode or turbo.

The quarks have wonderful beam quality. The center hot spot is not too tight so its not the throwiest light around, but its much better for a working mans use. The transition to the spill is extremely smooth with lots of spill to keep yourself out of trouble.

The tactical is a forward clicky two mode light where both modes are programmable. I do not care for it as much, but I do have a Quark warm 2AA tactical for work. I only use two modes; high and medium.


Because this light and its smaller cousin, the Quark regular AA I also carry in my ghb, are so efficient, I carry only 10 lithium AA spares in my pack. I may some day have to walk home from California, and 8 spares will be enough with normal usage. This does not include the batteries in the lights that may last as long as several weeks by themselves. You don't need solar panels and rechargeables to have light for months with very little extra weight.


My bug out bag has a Quark regular 2x123, and a Fenix P3D (which is almost identical). The quark also has a 30 day run time in moon light mode. I carry 6 spares in my bug out bag and its way more than I need for a two week bug out, but I can use lots of turbo mode if I need it.

There are many other great choices. Just make sure they are LED and they have good quality regulation for long, long run time.


I should mention that I am a big Fenix fan as well. I just like the moon light mode for really long run time and not advertising your whereabouts. I find that when my eyes are dark adjusted, .02 lumens is just enough to move around without tripping over stuff. The low of the Fenix lights, in conjuction with eneloops or regular alkalines, is a recipe for a good long run time.

The shorter one is a Streamlight Microstream. Both are capable lights, but the run time is not terribly impressive. The output is around 20 lumens on both of them. I have both and would not give them back for the money they cost.

There are many, many lights that take 123's that have simply massive run times. You just need to hang out in the led section of Candlepower forums and check them out.  30 days straight at .2 lumens is 720 hours. 4 lumens for 150 hours.

The Fenix TK45 will run for 232 hours at 8 lumens. I am probably going to buy one next month. 760 lumens on high. 8 AA batteries.

That solar light is more like a toy than a serious work light. I would not worry about the solar cells or battery longevity with that light. I doubt it would last long enough to see either of those features fail.

Nothing wrong with it as a back up to a back up.

There are better options that run on only 1-2 batteries. 8 batteries seems a bit extreme.

I am hoping you didn't miss the huge post I typed about the Quark 2AA regular?

The TK40 and TK45 are not bug out bag lights. For long term use around the house, 8AA's are not an issue. I am using eneloops and a solar system to charge them.

It is kind of old school, but the Gerber infinity Ultra runs ~75 hours on an AA battery and runs ~$15 or so.  I keep a couple around.  Work great as nightlights when traveling with the kids and staying in hotels and so on.  Not super bright or efficient like a newer light, but it does the job for cheap.

The clip is also handy for using it is an improvised headlamp when attached to the brim of a hat.

I also have an old Dorcy Super 1-watt that I swapped the old Luxeon with a newer  SSC P4 (I think) LED and yanked the electronics so it is a direct drive.  I use it as a "vampire" for 123a's that are too dead to run my 2x123 type lights.  I save the mostly used batteries (marked so they don;t get mixed with new ones) and use the little dorcy as a night light.  It has run continuously for over a month on a nearly drained battery putting out a tiny amount of light, but enough to navigate by in a dark room with dark adapted eyes, and enough to read by if shined directly on a page.

I have newer and cooler lights too, but these ones get a good amount of use, cost nearly zero to run, and linger on with a minimal amount of still useable light for good long times.

lightwave led lights

think I remember the D cell one being 720 hours, that's 30 days... I'm not sure if they're that easy to get any more as their website doesn't work any more.
http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/lightwave_4000.htm

I'm really liking the Quark AA Regular series.

This one Here.

Good recommendation Batmanacw

Quark two AA tactical here.

I have a couple of those shake up flashlights.





I use them both on occasion. One is by my bed & the other is in my truck. They're not the brightest lights, but they work & recharging them is as easy as shaking up a spray paint can.



ETA: also bear in mind, these aren't the most durable either.

Fenix LD10 is my fav light of the moment. But, i havent gotten into the 4sevens yet. Maybe this week for a quark

Dammit. 2 page two ownages back to back and i have to edit

What is this?!?!?  A new super fenix?  I might just have to pick one up when funds present themselves...  Please, please, please post a review of it when you get it!

aa are awful small.....add 6 batteries and you have 400 hours

Got the Fenix LD01 in the keychain and a small plastic box withg four spare AAA in the edc bag, on low mode that many days worth of light. Also have the Quark Mini123 in my pocket, 2 extra batteries in the bag as well. The Mini123 is a terrific light! What is it? 60 hs runtime in low mode ?

FerFAL

Twisties tend to be more reliable as well. The quark AA mini twistie is very diminutive with a great run time. Always a great choice.

I have a nitecore EZ123 and CR2 that are nice lights. The UI is different and they don't have the super low, but their run time is decent. The quark wins though.

Coleman storm beam-Lead hand crank flashlight. Crank it for 2 mins lasts for an hour,no batteries to worry about.Cheapest at target online store

edit;" quark AA mini twistie is very diminutive with a great run time. Always a great choice. "edit
I have a warm Q mini,it's great,but uses PWM ..You'd get better runtime out of regular Quarks that are current regulated..

Fenix eo1[lithium AAA]    backup
Quark AA titanium body, neutral xpg r4 or a regular R2 head for city use.[14500 + lithium AA backups]


in the jeep Olight T20M Q5[coming from 4x7s for $15 shipped=DEAL!!]

I recently picked up a quark and I am very pleased. I see that they have sent out an announcement about a new 2)AA light that can crank 180 lumens as well as lower settings for $50. Might want to check them out.

I've always liked the County Comm LED Pocket Light. They're cheap enough to buy a dozen or two and spinkle them throughout your gear piles.



http://www.countycomm.com/light10.htm

I chose the Quark AA^2 tactical.  Also purchased a Fenix light diffuser for use as a lantern or candle... running "duraloops."  A great setup that gives me a lot of options.