you should have one of these for geocaching.

[+Bad_CRC]

OK, so recently, I got a DNF on a cache in a cave because we didn't remember to bring a flashlight along. I've had a couple others where finding it without a light was more difficult than it needed to be.

 

I found a good deal on these LED flashlights online at goldengadgets, and when they arrived, I loved them so much, I showed them to some people, and they wanted to take mine! So I went to Menards and got 4 more of them. (they are only 49 cents each after rebate there through today!) super small, super light (2 oz.) and really really bright.

 

 

So small, it's silly not to have one along when geocaching. I just love these little things.

 

 

I want to buy more and leave them as swag, but I'd probably just want to keep them.

[+hydnsek]

Sounds great, but what's the model number/brand? I can't tell from your photo. I visited the golden gadgets site, and there are several that look similar to your photo.

[+Bad_CRC]

I got this one myself:

 

http://www.goldengadgets.com/product_info....products_id=282

 

Seemed to be a good deal to me, but I'd think you could get any of the others and they'd work just as well.

[+Prime Suspect]

I always keep a Princeton Tec Impulse on my key chain.

 

 

Three light levels, plus two blinking modes. The spring clip can be removed, and replaced with a holder that clips to the brim of a baseball hat.

[Clan Riffster]

I am horribly rough on equipment, and after many decades of repeatedly purchasing inexpensive replacements, I've finally opted to stick with buying better than average stuff. It seems I'm particularly tough on those LED lights that hold three AAA's in a rounded triangular device which slides into the light. I've tossed more of these than I can count into the trash. I got a Pelican Recoil 2410 that has, (so far), survived all I've thrown at it.

[+vizlor]

I recommend a fenix or surefire LED light, if you want high output, good quality beams, and ok runtimes. However, for the outdoors, an incandecant is almost always better. For alot of bang for the buck, try the surefire 6p, or g3. Even better is the surefire outdoorsman series, but those cost a bit more. The single most important thing to bring while caching in the dark is a good, reliable, flashlight.

[dragondrop]

Better still (imho) an LED head torch. Keeps both hands free for gps / map / scruff of young ones neck, etc. Mine has a 'red' mode - (bright white light or a red (LED) light - designed for night orienteering and map reading (the red doesn't contract the pupils as much so your eyes don't have to get used to the dark again once you've looked at your map /route). White or red mode - get ahead, get a head torch!

[+Guinness70]

-//-scruff of young ones neck, etc-//-

g1

 

yeah, head torch is handiest... was crawling thru a cave on all fours with a mini torch in my mouth, slobbering... really could have done with a head torch there!.

got a small head torch one now, forgot the brand name...

"black diamond" something?

[dragondrop]

-//-scruff of young ones neck, etc-//-

g1

 

yeah, head torch is handiest... was crawling thru a cave on all fours with a mini torch in my mouth, slobbering... really could have done with a head torch there!.

got a small head torch one now, forgot the brand name...

"black diamond" something?

I thought black diamond were Wharfedale speakers! (very nice but not as useful for caving with)

 

Mine is a petzl. I've had three of four head torches now from other brands - petzl's are the ones that have a 'built to last' reputation (more expenzive but so far... worth it)

[+briansnat]

Better still (imho) an LED head torch. Keeps both hands free for gps / map / scruff of young ones neck, etc. Mine has a 'red' mode - (bright white light or a red (LED) light - designed for night orienteering and map reading (the red doesn't contract the pupils as much so your eyes don't have to get used to the dark again once you've looked at your map /route). White or red mode - get ahead, get a head torch!

 

Head lamps are OK, but many insects love to fly toward and around lights. That becomes a problem when the light is mounted just above your face.

[+StarBrand]

I have some fairly cheap LED flashlights from Wal-Mart - they have 3LEDs each but put out a nice bright light. Colors things a bit odd in the woods at night but you can see.

[+mudsneaker]

OK, so recently, I got a DNF on a cache in a cave because we didn't remember to bring a flashlight along. I've had a couple others where finding it without a light was more difficult than it needed to be.

 

I found a good deal on these LED flashlights online at goldengadgets, and when they arrived, I loved them so much, I showed them to some people, and they wanted to take mine! So I went to Menards and got 4 more of them. (they are only 49 cents each after rebate there through today!) super small, super light (2 oz.) and really really bright.

 

[snip]

 

So small, it's silly not to have one along when geocaching. I just love these little things.

 

I want to buy more and leave them as swag, but I'd probably just want to keep them.

 

I have bought a couple of these locally, and in my personal experience it's a decient light for the money, but one unit was so unreliable I had to get rid of it. A poor contact internally that I could not fix caused it to constantly lose power/flicker. I'd have to shake it to regain light, and nothings quite as frusterating as a strobe light when your hunting a cache. The other one is more reliable, with only the occasional flicker problem, so I have kept it and use often.

 

I typically use both a handheld and a headlamp for redundancy in case of failure. (lessons learned the hard way)

[+Guinness70]

-//-

I thought black diamond were Wharfedale speakers! (very nice but not as useful for caving with)

-//-

>> http://www.needlesports.com/acatalog/Black...mond_light.html

 

One of the very few manufacturers that can "hold a candle" to Petzl, Black Diamond have produced some very innovative head torches in recent years.

 

[+Guinness70]

-//- The other one is more reliable, with only the occasional flicker problem, so I have kept it and use often.

try thicker batteries, more mAh. could just be the batteries movign in the casing.

does it rattle when you shake ...

 

I am in no way related to Bill Haley & His Comets.

[+Wild Thing 73]

I bought 4 and they are great......I was surprised at the quality for $4....Happy nite caching.

[+Viajero Perdido]

Just avoid the dollar-store flashlights - you get what you pay for.

 

I bought an LED flashlight for $1, and it broke into 5 pieces when I tried to turn it on for the first time.

 

Not a total waste; I got an AA battery out of it.

[frankbank]

I have a Mini Mag flashlight that I bring with me.About $10.It also comes with a holster for your belt.

The best part is it takes 2 AA batteries ,same as my gpsr,so I have spares when the batteries go down in the middle of the hunt.

[+J-Way]

I carry both. I have a 3-way LED head lamp (1-W white, red, and blue) AND a 3-W LED handheld flashlight in my cache-pack, both purchased at Wally-world. For a park-n-grab at night I grab the flashlight, for a longer trip I grab both. Flashlight fits in my back pocket as backup and for more light at GZ, headlamp on my head. Actually, grabbing both saved me that time my headlamp battery died about halfway through an abandoned train tunnel, right before a massively loud train whistle blasted through the tunnel from a nearby active track. I almost messed my pants that trip.

 

The headlamp uses 1-AA and the flashlight uses 2-AA, so I only have to keep one size of spare batteries in my pack.

[+Dgwphotos]

I carry one of these:

 

 

 

I picked it up at Schucks for about 8$. It's a five LED flashlight with a magnetic retriever. The flashlight does function with the retriever out so that you can see what you are retrieving. It does use a pair of button cells, though.

[+SimbaJamey]

Wow!

that one is COOL!

I may have to go pick up one or two of them (If I ever see them anywhere)!

Many many possible uses including caching...Although I've yet to find a cache that would require an extended magnet like that to retrieve it....but hmmmmmm, I could always make one!

[+Mudfrog]

I think you can find the light that the OP mentions, at Walmart. The name brand is on the tip of my tongue but can't remember it right now. That company makes several models and allthough they are a cheaper brand, the couple of models of incandescent types that i have used in the past worked ok.

 

I do have a favorite led light that i use with all my night time caching. It's a Gerber LX-3.0 that i bought a few years ago. I think it came out around 2004 but i have yet to find a light that i would want to replace it with. The Surefires are nice but for probably less than half the cost, mine is as rugged and provides great light output. Oh yea, it uses standard AA batteries to boot!

 

Here's a link to a review of the light.

 

LX 3.0 review

 

For those interested in flashlights, that is a great site to do research on most that have come out...

[+Bear_Left]

I have an Ever-ready brand headlamp that my wife gave me, which has a single red LED and dual white LEDs (which are focussed nicely to one blob of light) which is small, light and throws enough light to see where I'm putting my feet, but not enough to choose a path through the bush at night.

 

I also have a Duracell incandescent torch which is still quite small (3xAA) but bright enough to light the path 20-30m ahead.

 

For serious lighting, I have a million candlepower rechargeable spotlight in the car, which is great for finding caches at night. The concealing foliage browns and crisps out of the way, and you can follow your nose to the smell of burning PVC or ammo can paint from 100m away!

(I call it "Der Illoominador" <- my attempt at writing an Austrian accent!)

[+Bad_CRC]

 

I found a good deal on these LED flashlights online at goldengadgets

 

 

If anyone is still questioning whether these things are durable or not, I was just taking a load of wet jeans out of the washing machine, and one pair was glowing very bright blue. Very strange. It took me a while to realize I had left one of these in the pocket, and it turned on during the wash. Still works great. So apparently, they are waterproof.

[Dustin Clays]

Sorry- I am just testing. I tried to pick a dea link at random. And this means nothing...

[+Dgwphotos]

Wow!

that one is COOL!

I may have to go pick up one or two of them (If I ever see them anywhere)!

Many many possible uses including caching...Although I've yet to find a cache that would require an extended magnet like that to retrieve it....but hmmmmmm, I could always make one!

 

The brand is AmPro. I've used it to push caches to where I could retrieve it. It also works on a bison tube with a key ring.