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Night caches and flashlight


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I have recently done a few night caches and really enjoy them. I was wondering what people use and like better for night caches. Some examples head lamp vs flashlight. Bulb vs led. I've done a total of three night caches. Two of them used regular tack like hunting reflectors which were really easy to see. The other one used the fire tacks I belive and they were really hard to see.

Just wanted to see others opinions and thoughts.

 

Thanks

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Headlamp vs regular flashlight would be a matter of choice. The headlamps are a lot more convenient and easier to use on a trail, but a hand held light can be bigger and brighter.

 

I have both. I live away from the city, and use one or the other when wandering about my property at night. I love the LEDs, and the newer ones are much brighter than they used to be.

 

If you have a headlamp the fire tacks should be easier to see. If you are having trouble seeing the tack using a regular flashlight, try putting the flashlight against your nose. (or forehead.)Getting the beam close to the level of your eyes should help the tacks pop out. Same theory a forest ranger taught me as a kid, for seeing animals eyes in a dark woods at night.

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As for lumens? The brighter the better? Or is there a happy middle? Or just personal preference?

I prefer a light that has different levels of output. At night, when it is really dark, I usually use lights at their minimum level of brightness. A max lumen of about 200 is probably sufficient - if the rating is true. The throw of the light is also important - some lights allow you to focus the beam, from a small bright point or spread it out to light a large area.

 

When do I use my light at its 200 lumens setting? When I'm inspecting a hole in shadow when the sun is out.

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I do a fair amount of trail running, and have run some ultras. When you start getting up in the distances, you frequently start running trail at night. Most people out there really like headlamps. The problem with headlamps is that they always only point in one direction from your head, which can hurt depth perception. Some people get around this by placing a second lamp on their belt or other straps. Personally, I find handhelds to be the best option.

 

I typically carry really cheap LED flashlights of about 200lumens. You can find them on some of the popular mail order sites, I like the ones with the CREE LEDs, and the ability to focus the beam. The one in my pocket right now will throw a spot an incredible distance while the beam is focused. You can actually see the shape of the chip, the focus is so tight. I got a pack of 3 for something like 15-20$. They take single AA batteries.

 

For a night cache, this is awesome. I can use the wide beam to do a big scan on an area, or I can focus the beam out and see a tack placed on a tree much further away. Or, if I hear a noise in the woods I can put a spot on the bigfoot that thinks I'm it's next snack.

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As for Firetacks- they are what's called retro-reflective. That means the reflection of your light goes back to your light, not your eyes. It is for this reason you should hold the light at eye level (like what cops do) or use a headlamp.

 

These are so efficient even a low powered led will work. It's like driving a dark highway- you will see the reflection of the road sign far before your headlights illuminate the area.

 

I personally use a cheap LED that fits on my pocket. $10. Although I'm thinking of getting a headlamp. But I do advise you to get the best you can afford- you can never have enough flashlights.

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As for lumens? The brighter the better? Or is there a happy middle? Or just personal preference?

I prefer a light that has different levels of output. At night, when it is really dark, I usually use lights at their minimum level of brightness. A max lumen of about 200 is probably sufficient - if the rating is true. The throw of the light is also important - some lights allow you to focus the beam, from a small bright point or spread it out to light a large area.

 

When do I use my light at its 200 lumens setting? When I'm inspecting a hole in shadow when the sun is out.

I use a light made by Guidesman and sold at Menards. It's well built, 160 lumens, uses two AA batteries, and sells for about $18.00 plus tax. It does the job and I can't see spending fifty or more dollars for any light.

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If you have a headlamp the fire tacks should be easier to see. If you are having trouble seeing the tack using a regular flashlight, try putting the flashlight against your nose. (or forehead.)Getting the beam close to the level of your eyes should help the tacks pop out. Same theory a forest ranger taught me as a kid, for seeing animals eyes in a dark woods at night.

We used to hunt spiders at night this way. You'd be amazed at just how many are active at night. Their eyes are like stars dotting the woods, brush and meadows.

 

The key truly is where you project the light from (near-level with your eyes).

A person standing with or next to you would never see the reflection of the light, but you would.

 

Try it out, just for practice... or teasing the kids by directing them to the spider they can't see.

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I'm a flashlight junkie, so it's safe to say I've got a bunch of them laying around. For the incandescent Vs LED debate, my preference leans toward LED, for battery life. I do love headlamps, though, when I'm doing a night cache a required bit of clothing for me is my smelly hat. Headlamps and hats don't play nice together. The light I use the most is a 2 D-Cell LED MagLite. Very bright, amazing battery life and super durable.

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Headlamps can be extremely useful, but please, don't look directly at another person when talking to them when you're using one.

 

My GPSr uses AA batteries, so that's what I look for when getting batteries. The single AA lights with zoom heads are pretty inexpensive (this Amazon listing has it for $3.30 if you don't mind the 2 - 3 week shipping from Hong Kong) but I think the 300+ lumens rating is somewhat of an exaggeration. There is no adjustment either - it has only one light output. But at that price, just get one (or more) and toss it in your bag.

 

I find the light output to be inconsistent between different lights (some are blueish, some are brighter than others, one of them flickers due to bad connection). I wouldn't use one if my life depends on it, but in this case we're not talking zombie apocalypse survival.

 

I like the double AA lights - they're comfortable to hold, not too heavy or bulky, and more than once I've used the batteries in it for my GPSr when I forgot to bring extras with me. Some of them work better with NiMH than others. Generally, anything that uses 3 AA are not voltage regulated and may not work that well with NiMH compared to alkalines or disposable lithiums due to the lower voltage.

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I was gifted a 1,000,000 candle power, rechargeable spot light. It turns night into day....:laughing: but- I usually use a 2 D-cell, krypton bulb Mag Light.

 

I bought one of those for spotting salmon in the creek behind the house, and checking the crawl space under the house. Worked well for a year, but if you don't keep the batteries charge when not using it they don't last. Also, while it was fun to play with that much light, it really is more light than I ever needed.

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Costco has a pair of Duracell Durabeam Ultra 500-lumen LED flashlights for $24.99. It comes with 6 Duracell C alkaline batteries.

 

It also has a zoom that will focus a spot beam, they claim 785 feet. I don't know about that but it does light up a long way on spot.

 

Seems to be very well made and solid. My favorite flashlights I've had so far.

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Costco has a pair of Duracell Durabeam Ultra 500-lumen LED flashlights for $24.99. It comes with 6 Duracell C alkaline batteries.

 

It also has a zoom that will focus a spot beam, they claim 785 feet. I don't know about that but it does light up a long way on spot.

 

Seems to be very well made and solid. My favorite flashlights I've had so far.

We just bought that yesterday. I'm amazed at how strong the focused beam is. We live on 1.2 acres, and we were having fun last night shining the light off our back deck. ;) It will be a good light to use for night caches.

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