Flashlights

[SSScout]

Take your small, 2 AA light. Cut a length of cord, maybe 4 feet long, tie knot to make a loop. Duct tape your light to the loop. Keep it around your neck, able to use both hands, see your feet, find stuff, not have to fumble in pocket, never lose light at campfire, amaze your friends.....

[JFL49]

Or you could try tying this around your neck (with appropriate bracing consistent with the Guide to Safe Scouting):

 

http://www.batteryjunction.com/olight-x6-marauder.html

 

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(I have no ties to this company)

 

[smalltroopSM]

I buy my ASM's the Harbor Freight variety for Christmas every year and engrave them (Job well done, year troop #, etc). The anodized finish is great for this after you screw up two or three. Those go to me and I use them till next year, but not on night hikes! Oh, No!! That would be sacrilege!! Also I am not allowed to shine them in my scouts' eyes as they do me all the time!

 

They are cheap and I have proven they will survive a trip under the tire of a very heavy 4X4 Ford, long as it's off-road. Also just the right size to hold in your mouth and knock out your teeth as you try to sweat connect the water lines back together at scout camp in the dark. Why is this necessary? Maybe better not get into that - council politics, you know.

 

Seriously, though, for the money you cannot go wrong on cheap LED's. For backpacking get the best and smallest headlamp you can afford and pray you never really need it. Once again, it will be storing dead batteries and corroded terminals for you, and that spare set of batteries? That is why scouting backpacks have zippered pockets on the outside - to spill those dead batteries on the ground in the rain.

 

Boys are required to carry the biggest, clumsiest, and brightest flashlight they can afford! It's a wonder we don't have to carry a car battery for them!

[blw2]

I disagree about cheap LED lights.

 

I have one of those harbor freight or similar that I really should throw out. As soon as I can find my good ones I 'lost' in the camper, I will.

 

It reminds me of the flashlights we used to have when i was a kid.... those old cheap 2D Ray-O-Vac or whatever..... you know the one..... turn it on, nothing. Now I know these batteries are good.... Give it a slap, flickers on, then off. Give it another slap. It comes on but super dim. Slap it harder than before, bright until you get it aimed where you want it, then dim...... hold your tongue just right when you slap it three times.... it works!

[perdidochas]

I own about ten of those Harbor Freight LED cheapies. I've only had problems with one, and I threw it out--didn't feel guilty due to their low price. Don't worry if my sons don't return them either. Several of them are on their second set of batteries. They are a world better than those old 2-D cell flashlights.

[Gunny2862]

http://www.surefire.com/illumination/flashlights/m6lt.html OR, these (I think it was these) are on sale at the Bass Pro Outlet Center in Springfield MO for

[Engineer61]

There are 1000 lumen upgrade kits for the MagLite 3D (and other MagLite) flashlights.

 

The stock MagLite 3D LED is 130 lumens.

 

About $120