Lights

[M C]

I'm squared away with my headlamp (Petzl Tikka XP2), but wandering what you use/recommend for additional/backup lights for a thru-hike?
Would also love to hear tips on how/where to attach them etc. Thanks

[Starchild]

Smartphone flashlight app, steripen also has a LED, battery pack has a 3 LED 'bars' that also could be used. Have used all 3 in the tent at various times when I just needed some quick light. I also could have used the smartphone or battery pack in a flexible waterproof transparent 'case' attached to my pack so it points forward, but never had to do that.

[MuddyWaters]

What is the " backup light" purpose?

If you believe you could possibly do without a light for a couple days if absolutely necessary (hint: your ancestors did for tens of thousands of years), then you dont need a backup light. You get a temporary one when you get to the next town.

If you are around other people with light, you wont need a backup light either for a couple of days.

Hiking at night, a backup would be good. Being stuck on trail with no light in the dark is undesireable. If you hike only in day, no worries about this.

A common small photon light or cheap squeeze keychain light is what many keep for backup.
If you have a stove, a lighter carefully used could also suffice for bits of light to see in tent, etc in a pinch.

[theinfamousj]

My backup light is a torch. Like a stick, on fire.

Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk

[Blissful]

No back up needed. If you take two of everything for back up, you'll have a very heavy pack.

[leaftye]

Here's what I use:
http://www.fasttech.com/products/1604/10000369/1040707-20000mcd-white-light-led-flashlight-keychains-bl

It's cheap, light, and works surprisingly well. I wear mine on a thin cord that I'll put around my neck in the afternoon. I do this because I usually wait too long to dig out my headlamp, so I can use this to find my headlamp, plus it's a backup that lasts for over 12 hours. I have red LED versions of this too, but I prefer white light.

If you have no problem finding your headlamp, then trade your plastic headlamp for a headlamp that's the same weight, but tougher, has longer battery life, and is much brighter. Zebralight, Armytek, Xtar and Spark make good headlamps. The Zebralight H52 is a great option as it costs about the same if you buy from a good vendor, it's ~10% lighter, is much tougher, 6 times brighter, 11 times the battery life, and has great resale value if you decide to go with something else.

[SunnyWalker]

If you wish a backup switch to a "Cap Light". They even sell them at Wal-Mart. Great product. Runs 50 hrs., on single battery. Battery is the one that is about size of nickle and resides in band of hat. Really cool. Great light too.

[garlic08]

No need for a second light source on the AT. My friend lost his headlamp with a couple of months to go and never replaced it. Nights are for sleeping, he reasoned. The days are long enough in the summer to get everything done in daylight, as it turns out.

[Wise Old Owl]

What is the " backup light" purpose?

If you believe you could possibly do without a light for a couple days if absolutely necessary (hint: your ancestors did for tens of thousands of years), then you dont need a backup light. You get a temporary one when you get to the next town.

If you are around other people with light, you wont need a backup light either for a couple of days.

Hiking at night, a backup would be good. Being stuck on trail with no light in the dark is undesireable. If you hike only in day, no worries about this.

A common small photon light or cheap squeeze keychain light is what many keep for backup.
If you have a stove, a lighter carefully used could also suffice for bits of light to see in tent, etc in a pinch.

Awkward to me MW. allow me to find a way to tear apart then build this up. I really do hike by the light of the moon, I do it many times, the last was below 32°. Once in a while you need to bug out... a head lamp on lithium will disappoint on a long trail. A good red tail light attached to a hiking pole at night doesn't destroy night vision - it enhances it.


As for the ancestors - they discovered Pine and Pitch mixed with charcoal. The Pitch was the 100,000 year difference that made survival bearable. Pitch was the difference for herding animals and forcing them off a waterfall. Most of the time the torch would go out, pine pitch prevented the light from going out.

[daddytwosticks]

Tiny photon squeeze light attached to my mini swiss army knife. Both items weigh about an ounce and they go with me everywhere...even when I'm not on the trail. Very hand items to have. :)

[moldy]

If you feel the need for a backup the above mentioned cap light from wal-mart works great and is tiny yet powerful. I use it as my one and only flash light and have night hiked with it.

[Drybones]

I have a small micro light that clips onto a cap that I keep in my misc bag, too light to weigh.

[Nooga]

Tiny photon squeeze light attached to my mini swiss army knife. Both items weigh about an ounce and they go with me everywhere...even when I'm not on the trail. Very hand items to have. :)

Agree. Very handy

[maptester]

Fenix E01: very bright, one AAA battery (easy to replace/small), waterproof, keeps a lickin' & keeps on tickin'. http://www.rei.com/product/840650/fenix-e01-flashlight

[GoodGerman]

In winter I hike a lot at night because they days are so short.

So I carry two Princeton Tex remix. One on my head and one on my hip/leg.

Starting early Feb this year I guess I will do the same on the AT.

Sent from my Windows Phone

[JansportD2]

I carry a mini photon squeeze light, but I've never used it - so it's probably just extra weight. Years of spelunking made me a little paranoid.

[squeezebox]

I want a spare light so I can leave it on in the tent if I have to go to the privy at night so I can find my way back to the tent. Kinda like leaving the porch light on.

[capehiker]

I want a spare light so I can leave it on in the tent if I have to go to the privy at night so I can find my way back to the tent. Kinda like leaving the porch light on.

Give a look to the Petzl e-life. It's under an ounce, small, and you can toss it in your emergency kit and forget about it.

[capehiker]

Oops...that should be e-lite.

[leaftye]

I want a spare light so I can leave it on in the tent if I have to go to the privy at night so I can find my way back to the tent. Kinda like leaving the porch light on.

Take a look at the light I posted.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?100135-Lights&p=1823681&viewfull=1#post1823681

You can spend nearly twice as much before shipping on a single chinese-made Pulsar II keychain light, or you can get 10 similar chinese-made lights for $4 including shipping.

[Slo-go'en]

I carry a mini photon squeeze light, but I've never used it - so it's probably just extra weight. Years of spelunking made me a little paranoid.

Last year I carried a cheap garden solar lamp for that. Put it next to my tent for a night light. Worked pretty good for a while, then when the trees leafed out it didn't get enough charge during the day to stay on very long at night. Eventually, I left it stuck in the picnic table at Dave's place in Damascus.

Opps, wrong quote.

[rangeley]

Snow peak has a lantern type thing, that looks like a good idea. It can double as a headlamp I believe. Seems like a cool idea except i believe it's pricey.

[squeezebox]

I found something at rei 1 AAA battery about 1/2 oz

[Theosus]

I have a mini multitool that I use with my cook kit to take the little pot off the Alcohol stove without burning myself. It has pliers and a knife blade and a tiny led flashlight. That's my backup. I just bought a backup battery pack for my phone (my gps works on it too). It has a little led light built in, too.

[leaftye]

Here's what I use:
http://www.fasttech.com/products/1604/10000369/1040707-20000mcd-white-light-led-flashlight-keychains-bl

It's cheap, light, and works surprisingly well. I wear mine on a thin cord that I'll put around my neck in the afternoon. I do this because I usually wait too long to dig out my headlamp, so I can use this to find my headlamp, plus it's a backup that lasts for over 12 hours. I have red LED versions of this too, but I prefer white light.


Their description says it weighs 7 grams, but it's 4.8 grams on my scale. I did take off the ring though.

[Tinker]

Agree. Very handy

Same design as Fastec, more money. I bought a Photon years ago. Like it. Still use it. PITA to change battery. Bending contact wires a HAIR makes light stay on and necessitates disassembly and a second or third try. Company may have remedied this. DON'T drop a screw in the dirt or you'll regret it. ;)

[Tinker]

I found something at rei 1 AAA battery about 1/2 oz

It's handy to have a light with a battery that's cheaper than the light when it comes time to replace it - another drawback to coin cell battery lights unless you can get the batteries for cost like I do.

[Tinker]

http://www.dorcydirect.com/p-393-46-4001-1aaa-led-aluminum-keychain-led-flashlight.aspx

I have a couple of these, too. Easy to change battery, light and durable. Bad - not very bright.

[waasj]

If you are bringing a smart phone use the flashlight app. Make the weight investment in back up batteries/charger.

[DaBrownie]

Cyclops clip light. The weight about an ounce and throw mega beams of luminous whiteness and cost about $7.

[Blissful]

You don't need a back up light. If you start bringing back up gear, the weight in your pack goes up, up up.

[jdc5294]

A headlamp isn't a good enough flashlight? Wut now?

[swjohnsey]

I carry a back-up light as my primary light Petzl E-lite.