Flash lights

[charlie56]

The local Costco had these on sale for $35. (Thats $35 for the pair) so far I really like them. 500 lumens is really bright.
http://www.amazon.com/Electric-Lumens-P ... B00B7PMFLE

[BajaSportsmobile]

I have about 15 to 20 Free and $1 Harbor Freight little LED Flashlights in the Van - misplace them and give them away all the time. They actually work fairly well.

Latest trick is to hand one to the "Jefe" at the Military Check Points in Baja for a quick release down the road.

[Angel]

At a dog show this week end, a booth was selling what looked like a head lamp only it came with/on a belt. She said they were better than head lamps (which I always use) because of not shining a light in someones eyes. I am going to try it.

Angel

[rob_gendreau]

I was camped with some guys who had those HP550 Coast flashlights from Costco they were selling for a while, at supposedly 1000 lumens. Sheesh, WAY powerful. But unless you're the police or something they were actually overkill at that intensity. But they could be cranked down.

I also hate headlamps. Occasionally useful, but when around people they tend to blind others. I used to climb with a guide who'd confiscate them from packs. The other problem is that they actually aren't that good for use to find your way on a trail. Since the light is in the same plane as your eyes, it flattens out the bumps and rocks and stuff. A handheld actually exaggerates the terrain a bit when held at waist level, and makes it easier to use less light. I learned this lesson from ultra runners who use handhelds on night runs. It's also why handlebar lights work better than headlamps, and ditto with driving lights mounted in the wrong place.

I fitted my van with lots of red (and some green) LEDs to preserve night vision. Apparently even bright red (or green) can impair night vision, so I kept the intensity low. I use the green when I need a bit more light, since the LEDs are brighter. Really helps when you have to pop in and out of the van for just a sec.