Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 09:49:22 -0500
From: "Sisler, Clyde" 
Subject: [Paddlewise] Lamps & Lanterns

Anyone have a really good lamp or lantern they really like for touring?
Most of them I've tried are kinda ok but not great.  Brightness & comfort
are the two things that seem to be lacking.

I've tried:

Petzl headlamp.  This is ok I guess but a) it sucks up batteries like crazy
and b) can get somewhat uncomfortable and itchy after a while when it's hot
& muggy.  I have switched to Eveready rechargeable batteries and have 2 AA
solar battery chargers.  Not water resistant so really can't use it for
night paddling.

Candle lanterns.  Really not bright enough to read by even with a reflector.
Multiple candle lanterns might be brighter but would be too hot in summer.

Peak DualFuel Lantern:  I have the smaller backpacking version.  This seems
to be the brightest of all I've tried.  Problems are a) unleaded fuel smokes
and stains the top of the tent (to say nothing of what it must be doing to
my lungs b) it requires pumping every 5-10 minutes to keep it pressurized c)
extra fuel to carry around.  It is pretty self contained.  I've knocked it
over and recovered with no problem.

Coleman Rechargable Flourescent (?) Lantern.  Can recharge from outlet or
12volt (cigarette lighter attachment).  Supposed to last up to 9 hours.  I
plan on getting a solar battery charger to power my notebook and can get a
cigarette (can't get away from the damn things) lighter attachment.  Not
bright enough to read by though unless right next to it.  Pretty large and
fairly heavy.

I'm kinda tired of buying and trying.  Maybe y'all have some better
suggestions.



Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 10:18:53 -0800
From: rdiaz@ix.netcom.com
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Lamps & Lanterns

I think that you would find the Princeton-Tec 2 AA headlamp ideal.  It
is waterproof as opposed to water resistant as in the case of the Petzl
basic headlamp.  It doesn't weigh much and its beam is many times
stronger than the Petzl.  I don't know the answer to the itchiness of
the head band.  Wear a beanie! :-)

Regarding a reading lamp, I don't know if it is available any more, but
Teckna-Lite used to have a double AA flashlight that had a dome like end
rather than a flashlight end.  It is enough to give a reading light in a
tent if hung from a loop.  Outdoors, a headlamp is the answer.  Just
bring lots of batteries.

ralph diaz
- -- 
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz@ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------



Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 07:34:06 -0800
From: Dave Kruger 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Lamps & Lanterns

Sisler, Clyde wrote:
> 
> Anyone have a really good lamp or lantern they really like for touring?
> Most of them I've tried are kinda ok but not great.  Brightness & comfort
> are the two things that seem to be lacking.

> Petzl headlamp.  This is ok I guess but a) it sucks up batteries like crazy
> and [snip]

TINSTAAFL -- brightness and long battery life are polar opposites.  The
Petzl comes in various incarnations (no gladiolas), and if you want
brightness, you'll have to accept using up batteries.

Yeah, it makes my head itch, too.

> Peak DualFuel Lantern:  I have the smaller backpacking version.  This seems
> to be the brightest of all I've tried.  Problems are a) unleaded fuel smokes
> and stains the top of the tent (to say nothing of what it must be doing to
> my lungs b) it requires pumping every 5-10 minutes to keep it pressurized c)
> extra fuel to carry around.  It is pretty self contained.  I've knocked it
> over and recovered with no problem.

Switch to white gas to solve the smoking problem.  About staining the tent
- -- this lantern is way too hot and potentially CO-producing for me to keep
it inside my tent.  I only use mine outside the tent.  They are rugged,
compact, and really put out the light.  The pumping is inherent in the
small size (TINSTAAFL).  Once mine took a 6-foot header (melted the line
holding it up ... duh!), and never skipped a beat.  Had to replace the
glass afterward, though!

I think you're stuck, Clyde.  Life is a compromise, except for love and
sunsets.

- -- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
sea kayaker / philosopher



Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 11:57:10 -0500
From: Michael R Noyes 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Lamps & Lanterns

I use the backpacking model from CampingGaz.  It puts out as much light
as the Coleman, but the pack it comes in is the size of two boxes of
kitchen matches put together.  The fuel is a propane/butane mix and
comes in a separate container.  It puts out as much heat as the Coleman,
though, and I'm not so sure that I would want to use it in a tent.  I
prefer it to the Coleman only because of the smaller size and easier
pack ability.  I just wish it came with a more environmentally friendly
fuel container.  A gallon of Coleman fuel will last a lot longer before
you have to recycle the container.

Mike



Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 12:15:02 -0500
From: Mike Hughes 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Lamps & Lanterns

You can also use a Mini-Mag Lite by removing (un-screwing) the lens
head. The bare bulb puts out a suprising amount of light. If you keep
the o-rings lubed they remain waterproof.


Mike Hughes
  Arch Curmudgeon
  "For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the protected never
know."
  USMC 65-68



Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 09:28:11 -0800
From: skerries@hotmail.com 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Lamps & Lanterns

Hi Clyde,
Princeton-Tec also makes a 2AA regular flashlight with a removable plastic
cone called a "Sportsflare". They come in various colours and the unit is
waterproof enough for scuba divers to use. Get the near-to-white
vaguely-green colour and it can double as your "I'm just a poor harmless
kayaker night-paddling, please don't run me over." light (if you haven't
got a "mast" hang the light on off the back of your vest so boats
approaching from behind that you may not be aware of will see it, and pull
around front to display to any oncoming boats you see.) It can hang inside
your tent as a reading and see what you're doing lamp, though it's
certainly not as bright as gas powered units. 

Cheers

Philip T.
N49°16' W123°08' 
"The opinions expressed in this posting are not necessarily those of my
employer, or indeed, of any sentient being."



Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 10:50:48 -0500
From: Bob Denton 
Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Lamps & Lanterns

Techna makes a 1 and 3 battery Cylume replacement light whcih may provide
enough light to read with. The 3 battery version claims 11 hours.

cya



Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 17:53:21 -0500
From: Kenneth Cooperstein 
Subject: [Paddlewise] Lamps & Lanterns

I too have tried almost every lamp and lantern mentioned.  However, I
recently bought at deep discount ($29) one that was not mentioned that
is quite interesting.  It is the Marksman #9100 twin tube fluorescent.

It runs off two internal 6v. lantern batteries or external 12v. source.
I bought it for use on my sailboat, which has a lead-acid battery, and
for emergency use around the house.  I figure to replace the alkaline
lantern batteries every 3 years (@ $7 apiece).  It has a PIR that can be
used to sound an alarm or turn on the light or both.  I guess it's
supposed to scare off the bear or desperados who have stumbled onto your
tent.  You can read by its light, but it is not what you would call
bright.  I expect that it will run a long time on the lantern
batteries.  It has a built-in reflector that retracts.

I like the 12v. feature because you could use it with an external small
sealed lead-acid battery, that could also be used to power a bilge pump,
VHF or other radio, GPS or what have you, as well as in connection with
a solar charger. Hell, you might even be able to use one of those
thermionic coolers and enjoy a cold beer in August.

Ken Cooperstein



Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 15:19:09 -0800
From: edward sullivan 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Reading light

Clyde;

This might not be bright enough for you (since I find a judiciously hung and reflected candle lantern suffices) but Serfas makes the BEST self-contained bicycle taillight I've seen and I find on steady mode functions well for reading. It has a
single red l.e.d. light and a good focusing lens. I had a lady jump out of her car a while back and come hollering after me to find out what kind of light it is. Runs a ridiculously long time on 2 aaa cells (50 hours? The manufacturers said a
lot, but i forget how many). I'd have made it slightly larger for 2 aa cells, but they didn't ask me. Makes a great beacon for night paddling, or finding your way back to camp after nocturnal pit stops. It has a clip for affixing to a
headband, shirtpocket, pfd. If you ride a bike get one. I even use it when it is hazy out and it really barks at you.



Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 18:16:58 -0800
From: "James David Harvey" 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Lamps and Lanterns.

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

Just a note from my experiences; I have the opportunity to "try before 
you buy" just about everything in the outdoor market and.......From mine 
and fellow kayakers/canoeists/hikers experience, the Petzl ZOOM rates 
very high without the Halogen bulb and in primarily dry conditions. The 
Princton Tec line is very good, I love my 4 cell one and it has never 
let me down. But, it can be hard on batteries as it uses a Halogen bulb 
and tends to "die" quickly when the batteries fail. The best lantern I 
have found, although I swore I would never use pressurized cylinders, is 
the Primus Trek Lite. It throws 80-100 watts and will run up to 24 hours 
on a cylinder. It also comes with a chain to hang it just about 
anywhere.
The cylinders are light, fit in the stowage and the lantern comes in a 
very small light little plastic storage box.



Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 11:36:11 -0500
From: Michael Daly 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Lamps and Lanterns.

James David Harvey wrote:

> The Princton Tec line is very good, I love my 4 cell one and it has never let me down. But, it can
> be hard on batteries as it uses a Halogen bulb and tends to "die" quickly when the batteries fail.
>

The Princeton Tec can also use krypton bulbs which, while not as bright,
provide longer battery life.  They also make OEM versions for other
companies.  The MEC Solo is a Princeton Tec Solo and the MEC
Vortec is the PT Vortec (note the handy naming convention).  As well,
the REI catalogue photo of their own brand looks suspiciously like
the PT.  So you could get one at a lower price. (Caveat - the MEC
versions come with only one bulb and without the extra reflector and
fleece stuff sack.  If you don't need the extras, you can save the money).



Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 11:09:46 -0500
From: Bob Denton 
Subject: [Paddlewise] Led Flashlight

http://ccrane.com/ledflash.htm

This may be interesting!
Bob Denton 
Aqua-Gulf Transport
www.aquagulf.com  



Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 13:14:25 -0500
From: Bob Denton 
Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Lamps and Lanterns.

I bought my Vortec from REI recently for $24 with the extra bulb and hood.

cu



Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 13:36:59 -0500
From: "Sisler, Clyde"
Subject: [Paddlewise] SAR

The following is an exerpt from a SAR article on WaveLength and points out
the real need to have a light source such as a strobe or waterproof
flashlight, etc. as well as flares.
In another article it suggested it might be wise to carry some dry kinkling
in a baggie in your emergency kit which I hadn't thought of before.  Guess
all those waterproof matches, fire starters, Bics, etc. could use a little
help in the middle of a monsoon, huh?
- -------------------------------
Others haven't been so fortunate. A crabbing boat off Pt. Roberts in a night
of bad weather ran into problems. The three crew ended up in the water in
immersion suits. They had flares, but no steady light source.
A search was waged all night with coastguard, SAR planes, helicopters and
private vessels.
Search vessels could see flares, but by the time they pinpointed the
location of firing, the crewmembers had been carried away by the current.
The search continued in a confined area throughout the night.
In the morning, the bodies of the three men were found, washed up on the
beach. There were no survivors.



Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 13:42:05 -0600
From: (Chuck Holst)
Subject: [Paddlewise] FW: Lamps and Lanterns.

My four-cell Princeton Vortec headlamp let me down when the metal mesh
contact in the battery compartment lid burned up, causing the light first   
to dim and then to die out during a week-long camping trip. However,
after I inserted a foil wrapper from a stick of gum, the light worked
like new for the rest of the trip. At home I made a permanent repair by
gluing a piece of aluminum foil in the lid.

Despite this problem, I really like the headlamp. It is very bright, and
much lighter and more comfortable than my old waterproof headlamp. I use
the halogen bulb for kayaking, and the krypton bulb for digging out a
quinzee and other close work.

Chuck Holst  



Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 12:12:38 -0800
From: skerries@hotmail.com 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] FW: Lamps and Lanterns.

Okay, Chuck, I gotta know. What's a quinzee? (Or is this one of those
set-ups where you casually slip a word like "Henway" into conversation, and
when the newbie bites and asks "What's a Henway?" you slap your knee and
reply "Oh, about a pound and a half!")

Cheers
Philip T.
N49°16' W123°08' 
"The opinions expressed in this posting are not necessarily those of my
employer, or indeed, of any sentient being."



Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 14:48:35 -0600
From: (Chuck Holst)
Subject: [Paddlewise] FW: FW: Lamps and Lanterns

A quinzee, or quinzhee, is a snow hut made by piling up a mound of
snow and then digging out the center -- sort of a cross between a
snow cave and an igloo. Since I often don't finish digging out my
quinzees till after dark, I find a headlamp very handy, but because
of the quinzee's white walls, it doesn't have to be very bright.

I have read that "quinzee" is derived from an Athabascan word.

Chuck Holst
N44°59' W93°12'