Powerful flashlights

Benedict

Anyone know where I can purchase a really powerful flashlight in Ireland for Euro 100 or less? I'm interested in, for example, a Cree, Trustfire 11000 to 13000 Lumens (or similar) - which is very bright. I know that people who camp in very out of the way locations often look for such flashlights. I know that they can be bought online - but I would prefer to buy face to face. I haven't been able to locate any shop who will sell me a flashlight similar to the one above.

SNAKEDOC

Where in the country are you. There are a few places around that i would try first off there is protac in the curragh camp or army bargains off capel street. There is a hardware store near me that does airsoft and hunting gear they have a light that is designed to go on a rifle but can easily be handheld it has an outside powersource that goes on your belt its probably 3000 lumens its the brightest portable light ive seen. That store is in kildare. Considering your price range check online and see where sells led lenser torches. I have a small lenser the size of my fist and its great three AAA batteries and they last a good length.
Apparently 53 degrees north are irelands biggest stockist of led lenser torches.

Benedict

Thanks for your help Snakedoc. I live in South Dublin (couple of miles from the city centre). I logged onto 50 Degrees North just now - they have a 220 Lumens (220 not 2200) torch reduced from E90 to E85.50. For a 220 Lumens, this is big money. Some of the places I've tried are quoting between E500 and E600 when you start talking about Lumens in terms of thousands and this is quite extraordinary when for example a 10k or 11k on Ebay can be had for under 100Euro.

I can't understand why anyone would (or could) pay in excess of 500E for anything less than a mind-blowing torch - it's beyond crazy. Surely there's some retailer out there selling flashlights who has realised that the boom is over and people can't approach the bank manager anymore for a loan for a torch?

I will check out your other suggestions (e.g. Capel Steet) but I fear I may have to go the on-line route. But I'd much prefer to walk into a shop and make a purchase.

aaakev

Check out the shooting for sale section and try get a lamping set up like a lightforce with a battery pack.

I have a 200 lumen led lenser p7 and its great. Ya wouldnt need anything bigger camping in fairness

Benedict

Thanks for your help Snakedoc. I live in South Dublin (couple of miles from the city centre). I logged onto 50 Degrees North just now - they have a 220 Lumens (220 not 2200) torch reduced from E90 to E85.50. For a 220 Lumens, this is big money. Some of the places I've tried are quoting between E500 and E600 when you start talking about Lumens in terms of thousands and this is quite extraordinary when for example a 10k or 11k on Ebay can be had for under 100Euro.

I can't understand why anyone would (or could) pay in excess of 500E for less than 10k Lumens - it's beyond crazy. Surely there's some retailer out there who has realised that the boom is over?

I will check out your other suggestions (e.g. Capel Stee) but I fear I may have to go the on-line route.

SNAKEDOC

Id second aaakev's post that 2200 lumens is a crazy bright torch. To put in context these things pointed towards a person can properly temporarily blind them. They are used for stunning or"lamping" rabbits at night. May i ask your intended use is. I recently bought a light for camping in the great outdoors and its, wait for it 3 lumens but when you think about it i need it when its completely pitch black in my tent and it will light up the tent like a light bulb.
And bare in mind when testing a torch in a shop its daylight so you cant properly gauge the strength of the light as if there is a back room to test it out most shop assistants would oblige.

aaakev

My led lenser came with a warning not to shine it at people as it can damage their eyes. The same torch has allowed me shoot foxes at over 150 yards at night

silverharp

I might get one of those, they look great, reasonable review on youtube below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GanG7AirVgk

SNAKEDOC

Exactly my point. That torch is what 200 lumens my torch is roughly the same on a good day with fresh battries so imagine getting a 2200 torch beam to the face. I went looking but there isnt any restrictions on these things like laser pointers. I thought there would have been regulations regarding the sale of high power torches for hunting purposes like to over 18's and such.

aaakev

SNAKEDOC wrote: »

Exactly my point. That torch is what 200 lumens my torch is roughly the same on a good day with fresh battries so imagine getting a 2200 torch beam to the face. I went looking but there isnt any restrictions on these things like laser pointers. I thought there would have been regulations regarding the sale of high power torches for hunting purposes like to over 18's and such.

If you really want huge lumens you can get the led lenser x21. Iv seen it in action and its really somethi g else! Expensive though at about €250

http://www.zweibrueder.com/ENG/produkte/html_highperformance/html_Xserie/x21r-2.php?id=x21r-2

you can get a gun and go hunting at 16 on your own legally so no restrictions on lamps at all

Benedict

Shining a powerful torch in someone's eyes would be very irresponsible. But for, say, fixing a puncture on a dark very wet night or maybe getting lost in an out of the way country road, a really bright light could be very good to have. Imagine if there was fog and maybe drizzle, a really big beam could cut through it and maybe see road signs at a distance.

Tabnabs

No light, no matter how powerful, will cut through fog. All you'll get is more backscatter.

The Glass Key

I'm not going to win any friends here but I've never got the "powerful flashlights" thing? I'm out every night during the winter with the dogs and hardly use any form of torch. I always have a headlight and a small torch with me but that's just so I can shine a light along certain parts of our route to move any wildlife on before the dogs get there. The scent of a fox is one thing but if they actually see one then the chase in on which isn't something I want in the middle of the night.

From a wild camping point of view I doubt you want to be shinning a 1000 lumen lamp around too often. I was out not long ago in the dark at a spot that has been used for camping and used a light once, I got home to a phone call asking if I knew if there was anything going on on the cliffs, so people do notice.

silverharp

The Glass Key wrote: »

I'm not going to win any friends here but I've never got the "powerful flashlights" thing? I'm out every night during the winter with the dogs and hardly use any form of torch. I always have a headlight and a small torch with me but that's just so I can shine a light along certain parts of our route to move any wildlife on before the dogs get there. The scent of a fox is one thing but if they actually see one then the chase in on which isn't something I want in the middle of the night.

From a wild camping point of view I doubt you want to be shinning a 1000 lumen lamp around too often. I was out not long ago in the dark at a spot that has been used for camping and used a light once, I got home to a phone call asking if I knew if there was anything going on on the cliffs, so people do notice.

you have a point with compromising wild camping principles but I must say on a camp I did last month I found myself quite disorientated and couldnt pick out obvious landmarks I was looking for. I could see the path ahead but couldnt pick out old ruins 20/30 mtrs to the side. whether they need to be a as powerful as the ones being discussed here I dont know. But I would say bring something more poewerful in the winter to what you might use in the summer.

aaakev

The Glass Key wrote: »

I'm not going to win any friends here but I've never got the "powerful flashlights" thing? I'm out every night during the winter with the dogs and hardly use any form of torch. I always have a headlight and a small torch with me but that's just so I can shine a light along certain parts of our route to move any wildlife on before the dogs get there. The scent of a fox is one thing but if they actually see one then the chase in on which isn't something I want in the middle of the night.

From a wild camping point of view I doubt you want to be shinning a 1000 lumen lamp around too often. I was out not long ago in the dark at a spot that has been used for camping and used a light once, I got home to a phone call asking if I knew if there was anything going on on the cliffs, so people do notice.

I agree. The reason for my powerful lamps and torches is for hunting and thats it really. I hike at night and the 15 lumen head torch is all thats used if anything at all.

Most of the time I use my p7 on 15% power unless i really need to light up a fox

The Glass Key

aaakev wrote: »

I agree. The reason for my powerful lamps and torches is for hunting and thats it really. I hike at night and the 15 lumen head torch is all thats used if anything at all.

Most of the time I use my p7 on 15% power unless i really need to light up a fox

That sounds a good plan to me, is it easy to put that P7 on 15% power without putting it on full power first? The problem with the little LED Maglite I use is that to get low power you have to switch it on high first, as its small thats not too difficult as you can cover the lens with your hand.

aaakev

The Glass Key wrote: »

That sounds a good plan to me, is it easy to put that P7 on 15% power without putting it on full power first? The problem with the little LED Maglite I use is that to get low power you have to switch it on high first, as its small thats not too difficult as you can cover the lens with your hand.

Its just the power button. Press it once for full power, twice for 15% and a third time to turn it off. P7 is a small hand torch and the lens is only about the size of a €2 coin so very easy to cover too. You can adjust from flood light to focused beem using one hand

wolfeye

I use the led lenser H7R head torch alot .
Its got up to 170 lumens.
Its great for lighting up trails when its pitch dark.
It got me out of a few situations,when i needed to walk for hours in the dark in areas i was never in before.
A good torch is priceless in spotting dangers well off before they are on top of you.
It also leaves your hands free for waking poles or climbing.
I've come to like it more than my p7 hand held one.
In areas i know like the back of my hand or dont need as much light my k3 keyring 17 lumen one is fine.

aaakev

Been thinking about treating myself to a h7, sounds like its worth getting....

wolfeye

aaakev wrote: »

Been thinking about treating myself to a h7, sounds like its worth getting....

I think its a good investment .
I'm glad i bought mine,i'm very happy with it.
Since i got mine there is a H7.2 which is even better engineered and more powerful.

SNAKEDOC

The Glass Key wrote: »

I'm not going to win any friends here but I've never got the "powerful flashlights" thing? I'm out every night during the winter with the dogs and hardly use any form of torch. I always have a headlight and a small torch with me but that's just so I can shine a light along certain parts of our route to move any wildlife on before the dogs get there. The scent of a fox is one thing but if they actually see one then the chase in on which isn't something I want in the middle of the night.

From a wild camping point of view I doubt you want to be shinning a 1000 lumen lamp around too often. I was out not long ago in the dark at a spot that has been used for camping and used a light once, I got home to a phone call asking if I knew if there was anything going on on the cliffs, so people do notice.

Your dead right. Given the choice of a light or no light i would gladly sit for ten minutes or longer for my night vision to kick in and then press on. I have a head torch and a small hand held torch both in my pack. I prefer to be able to move quietly and as unabtursivly as possible. It makes me feel mor in tune with my surroundings. When in my tent its another matter i like a small light just so i can read or clean kit or eat some dinner.
I dont understand needing a mad powerful torch for camping, unless the woods give you the hebby jeebies.

aaakev

SNAKEDOC wrote: »

unless the woods give you the hebby jeebies.

If you dont get over that after a couple of trips its not for you!!!

Pat Mustard

Benedict wrote: »

Anyone know where I can purchase a really powerful flashlight in Ireland for Euro 100 or less? I'm interested in, for example, a Cree, Trustfire 11000 to 13000 Lumens (or similar) - which is very bright.

Seems to me that if you want a torch with an output of more than 1,000 lumens, that it's going to be difficult to get one unless you go online. I can't remember seeing anything much more powerful than a led lenser P.7 in any bricks and mortar shops.

Suggestions:
8,000 lumens £65 Trustfire Cree
1,800 lumens £20 Ultrafire Cree

I would agree with other posters, that there are very effective torches with outputs of 200 lumens. I doubt that most people would need anything much more powerful than that.

SNAKEDOC

aaakev wrote: »

If you dont get over that after a couple of trips its not for you!!!

Wel i was being sarcastic i love the woods especially at night. Nothing but the sound of the wind. And if out in the open with a bit of help from a night vision optic you can see the wilderness come alive with wildlife thats hunkered down during the day.

aaakev

Haha I didnt mean you man I ment people im general!!

The Glass Key

SNAKEDOC wrote: »

Wel i was being sarcastic i love the woods especially at night. Nothing but the sound of the wind. And if out in the open with a bit of help from a night vision optic you can see the wilderness come alive with wildlife thats hunkered down during the day.

I scared a deer once in the total darkness of a wood. I must have been right on it before it realised I was there, I hadn't seen it and it decided to run right in front of me as that was the quickest route out into open fields - it was an adrenalin pumping experience.

Opps sorry starting to go off topic.

aaakev

We ended up in a heard of deer one night up the mountains, great experience! Not as close as you described there but we walked within meters of a few and had them scarpering off by us

SNAKEDOC

aaakev wrote: »

We ended up in a heard of deer one night up the mountains, great experience! Not as close as you described there but we walked within meters of a few and had them scarpering off by us

Its cool to see deer like that galloping padt at close range. My wife and i ran into a herd above glendalough on the ridge to camaderry and they ran past us within twenty metres between us and the tree line loking for an escape route. And i had decided to leave the camera at home that day.:rolleyes:

Esel

Lidl have a Cree? 3W LED headtorch for €10 at the moment.

Benedict

I can see the reason for people saying that there's no need for a really powerful Cree torch of 9000 Lumen plus. I just think that when you have a problem and need light, the nearest thing to daylight is best (provided you're careful not to blind anyone).

Anything for sale in Ireland at that level is a staggering price - I was offered a 6000 Lumen for Euro 550 - can you believe that?

Anyway, I decide to go the Amazon route but there was a customs problem about sending rechargeable batteries through the post.

So that was the end of that.

The Glass Key

Benedict wrote: »

I can see the reason for people saying that there's no need for a really powerful Cree torch of 9000 Lumen plus. I just think that when you have a problem and need light, the nearest thing to daylight is best (provided you're careful not to blind anyone).

Anything for sale in Ireland at that level is a staggering price - I was offered a 6000 Lumen for Euro 550 - can you believe that?

Anyway, I decide to go the Amazon route but there was a customs problem about sending rechargeable batteries through the post.

So that was the end of that.

Just randomly picked an Lenser from Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/LED-Lenser-Tactical-Torch-Black/dp/B001OXC4DS/ which has batteries in it (because of the test it packaging) and didn't get any restrictions on the address I could send it to.

Then picked out one with rechargable batteries http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lenser-Rechargeable-Head-Lamp-Black/dp/B001PMP340/ and again no problem sending it to Ireland.

Use Amazon.co.uk (NOT .com) and pick items that are Amazon Prime and Free Supersaver Delivery to be sure they will sent to Ireland.