Not all flashlights are created equal.  Back in 1979, Anthony Maglica created Maglite.   Maglite is the bar where all flashlights are measured, for me.  Almost nothing could top it back then.  Well, Paul Kim, the designer of the Icon Rogue series of flashlights may be the new Anthony Maglica.  The Icon Rogue 2 is the best flashlight I have come across in all of my LED flashlight reviews I have done.   It is that good. Continue Reading

It never fails.  The power goes out in the middle of the night and your flash light is out of batteries.  Now that we are getting to the heart of the hurricane season, before the next storm hits maybe you should  get your family a Life+Gear 6IN1DC.

The 6IN1DC is touted as a quad power device. The device can run on 3 AAA Batteries,  a DC Adapter (not included), an AC Adapter (also not included) and backup power.  Continue Reading

We have all seen the cyalume glow sticks that you snap and then shake to get a chemiluminescent glow.  Kids love them, but there is one downside: You can’t turn them off.  Imagine having a glowstick that you can not only turn off, but at the press of a button you could make that glow stick into a regular flashlight.  That is essentially what we have with the Lifegear 200 Hour Glow Sticks. Continue Reading

Just in case you thought fast changing technology only exists in cell phones and Mp3 players I bring you this Gear Diary entry.

This one hits especially close to home for me because, well you know, I’m a firefighter.

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Need a durable LED Light that has multiple uses?  Need a light that is good for the environment?  Then the AltusLumen’s PAD-L may be the light for you.

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LED lights are all the rage now, and every company that can make one has made one.  So now you have to find something unique about them to make it worth buying a particular one.  With that said, Altus Lumen’s new PAD-L light is the world’s first sustainable LED light.  At the end of its life, it is over 75 percent recyclable.  Plus this one also has a optional solar cell so you can put it on top of your pack to recharge during the day.

The PAD-L is now available and it retails for $39.90 on the Altus Lumen website.

Here’s a deal for those of you who’ve recently uttered the words “Why can’t I ever find a flashlight in this house?“. DealExtreme has this bundle of 7 flashlights for only $13.02 shipped. Each light is water and rain resistant with a full aluminum body. The lighting is powered by 3 AAA batteries and uses 9 bright LEDS. The manufacturer claims a life of 100,000 hours. Great stocking stuffer material too.

Multicolored pack of White LED Flashlights (7) – $13.02

L e x just sent in a tip which may come as really good news to anyone who wants a good LED but isn’t willing to shell out the dough for one of the more pricey versions. Take a look…

A well made LED flashlight has finally come to the common person without requiring a huge bank withdrawal. (I’ve never understood $100+ mini flashlights anyway.)

Energizer is making two versions of a 1 watt LED light available now at Target. One is about 5″ long and requires two AAAs, the other uses a single AA and is 4″ long. I bought the AA model. Has a tail-cap intermittent or full-time-on pushbutton switch. Black aluminum, very sturdy, o-ring at tailcap, rubber switch cover.

Target had these for under $18. Nice pocketable (or purse-able) size, lots of light, common battery, low price.

Thanks,

L e x

Link: Eveready Black Aluminum 1 LED Weatherproof Flashlight with Lanyard

Have you been looking at your flashlight lately, and thinking about how great it would be if it could only do a little bit more than just shine a light? Maybe you would like it if your flashlight could also record what you were looking at? If so, then the new Swann’s Flashlight DVR may be just what you need.

I would love to get my hands on one of these…

This all-in-one portable solution combines a high-powered, working flashlight, color camera and DVR in a durable aluminium alloy case. Easy, one touch operation coupled with a robust feature set makes the portable FlashlightDVR™ an invaluable tool for covert surveillance.

The FlashlightDVR™ can record video either internally, via 128MB flash memory, or externally through an SD card (up to 2GB, sold separately). The DVR utilizes the latest MPEG4 technology which allows for increased video storage capacity. Recorded content can easily be viewed or transferred to a computer by using the flashlight’s USB port. The FlashlightDVR™ allows users to record in low light conditions with Night Vision and record audio in any situation via a built-in microphone.

Full press release follows…

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The hot temperatures outside can cause any good ole boy or gal to turn on the body stink. Even if you don’t stink, after a crazy stressful day at work, there is nothing more pleasing than a nice, long hot shower.

Why even shower? Showers can cool down the body temperature, clean the dirt and associated stink off, clean the pores, gives adequate moisture for the skin, and best of all, makes one socially acceptable!

A perfect shower is having the water at the right temperature. Here’s a perfect replacement showerhead – a Temperature Controlled LED Shower Light that will make your shower the talk among your friends.

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A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed the 0.5 Watt Headlight by Coghlan’s.  This one isn’t as powerful, but is still enough to light the night for a whole summer’s worth of camp outs.

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After writing the review for the Coghlan’s LED Micro Lantern, Coghlan’s offered to send me 2 new LED headlights to review.  Today I am going to take a look at the 0.5 Watt LED Headlight from Coghlan’s.

The wattage of this headlight is serious. If you need to be able to see anywhere you point your head at night, then you should get this light.

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Back in the day, about 20 years ago when I was in Boy Scouts, options for a lightweight lantern were rare;  you either took along a big fluorescent lantern or a propane lantern. Lanterns are better than flashlights because they provide a circle of light around your entire work area instead of just one spot. When car camping, this isn’t a huge issue, but if you’re a backpack-style camper, you’ve probably had to live with a flashlight only…not any more.

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I love gadgets! I have no idea why I am such a gadget person but I have always had this desire for items that were different, unique, functional and fun. There was a time in my life that my friends would say “if it has buttons, Jack will buy it”. I used to laugh but upon reflection that sure seems to be fairly accurate. Over the years, I have amassed quite a collection of items that “have buttons”. Mobile devices are recent acquisitions to my collections but I have always had a desire for tools and flashlights. Whenever I see a different and unique flashlight, I always grab it and more often than not my wife will say, why do you need that one?

Most of you know that I have had the unique opportunity to spend half my time in Maine and enjoy the wonders of the Maine Coast. It has been an extraordinary experience and with that has come a myriad of opportunities to not only discover the coast but to garner new friends and experience new and different facets of life. Becoming involved in community and giving back has always been part of my being and living in Maine is no different. I have become an active member in our fire department and have gone through the required training each year to maintain my status. I would never have imagined that I would have done this with such fervor but then I thought about it for a while and realized that there are a heck of a lot of “buttons” on the fire engine. Maybe my friends were right about me so many years ago….

Each month we have mandatory training and last month was no exception. With the end of winter approaching and the breakup of ice on so many lakes, it was time for our cold water rescue training. This year we tried several different scenarios and training at night was part of this year’s agenda. Part of the gear we all carry in our turnout gear is a spare flashlight but I have never been happy with what we carry. It’s a spare, it’s small and does the trick in special situations and even though its size is a major factor, its inability to survive rough treatment is a major disadvantage. We carry a great light that is fixed to our Helmut but having a spare to use in that special circumstance is more important than you can imagine.

Energizer has a light that is the toughest flashlight that you will ever need. It’s weatherproof, will survive abuse, and has a 125 degree rotating head and 5 different light modes. It definitely looks “rugged” and has some unique features that will serve me well.

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Have you ever needed to give your cell phone a little bit of juice to get through a call? Were you near a socket when you needed to do it? If not, then you might wish that you had carried the USB AAA Battery Charger with Torch from USB Fever with you. It’s now become something I never leave home without.

The charger holds 4 AAA NiMH batteries and is very compact. It will fit in your khaki pocket, purse or gear bag very easily.

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