When I lived in Alaska, I often had need of a flashlight when those long days turned short, and darkness rules.

I often use Surefire flashlights. They are bright and powerful. One minor downside are the CR-123 batteries that the flashlights seem to gobble like Lays potato chips.

1. The cheapest price, day in and out, is from Brownells. Buy a twelve pack, and the batteries are $2.08 per battery. Many places charge $3.00.

2. I don't know of any battery checkers specifically made for CR123 batteries. Here is the hack. Get a small multimeter from Penn Tools, McMaster Carr, or, God forbid, Harbor Freight. Set the meter on the 0 to 10 Volts scale. It will be a black setting. Hold the black probe on the flat end (negative pole) of the battery. Hold the red probe to the end of the battery with the woman's breast nipple on it. That is the positive pole. If the needle reads 3.0 Volts or less, throw it out, it is no good. If it shows 3.2 Volts up to 4.0 Volts, it is good. Hang on to it and use it.

3. I have multiple flashlights attached to carbines and shotguns. It helps knowing how fresh my batteries are.

4. Enjoy the wilderness.

Take a look at Olight S-1 with Lithium Ion rechargeable CR123R battery.
Has low, medium,high and moonlight settings as well as strobe.
It has a pocket clip that works on your hat brim for a walking light.
Cheaper and better than Surefire

I assume your flashlight is not one of the newer LED types? If not then save yourself a ton of money and get one. They offer just as much light and much longer battery life. Plus the lights themselves are more durable and last longer.

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:
I assume your flashlight is not one of the newer LED types? If not then save yourself a ton of money and get one. They offer just as much light and much longer battery life. Plus the lights themselves are more durable and last longer.

I changed out all my lights to LEDs and they keep getting better all the time.

Thanks for the heads up. I do own one LED light. I just offered the Hack because it is a way of knowing if your batteries are going to last all the way to the shitter. When I spent 14 days at a crack in the wilderness, outlets to recharge batteries were few, and far between. Precious little sunlight to run a portable solar panel, and the new, wind powered chargers are a bit fragile for use in Alaska.

LED's are not voltage sensitive like the older Surefire lights were. As voltage drops with an LED they simply get dimmer and dimmer so you at least aware they are going and can still use the light

I try to run all my battery powered gear on the same style batteries. Flashlights/headlamps/gps/camera. Then I just carry a little Baggie of that size and I can swap them out of each other if I needed to. Way simpler than the CR batteries and last longer.

quote:

Originally posted by Fourtyonesix:
I try to run all my battery powered gear on the same style batteries. Flashlights/headlamps/gps/camera. Then I just carry a little Baggie of that size and I can swap them out of each other if I needed to. Way simpler than the CR batteries and last longer.

Yeah me too. It also eliminates not having enough of the one size battery you of course didn't bring enough of.

quote:

Originally posted by TREE 'EM:
Take a look at Olight S-1 with Lithium Ion rechargeable CR123R battery.
Has low, medium,high and moonlight settings as well as strobe.
It has a pocket clip that works on your hat brim for a walking light.
Cheaper and better than Surefire

+1

The olight S1 has replaced every other torch in my hunting kit from head torches to main torch.

I was so impressed I write a review to try and spread the word: http://edgematters.uk/thread/8341-olight-s1-review/

There is rechargeable model called the S1R but it is not as good in my opinion.

I.hear you.on.those batteries .I.cleaned a moose once with my.surefire flashlights used $39'in batteries !

I now use only LED lights which use either AAs or AAAs. I can get 4 to 6 hours out of a 600 Lumen light with four AAAs My 300 lumen light will give me 5 hours on bright setting with two AAs.
These batteries are low cost also.

What Bob said! I have a Fenix that is going on 8 hours of mid range brightness with no noticeable dimming. AA batteries. Surefires are less dependable and battery hogs, in my experience.

Guys you can get rechargeable CR123A batteries, they are called RCR123A batteries or more generically 16340 batteries. You have to be casreful as the latter isn't exactly the equivalent of the former being a few mm longer which may or may not make a difference in your flashlight as to whether they will fit.

If in doubt buy RCR123As, for an easy life.

They give a slightly higher voltage than the disposable CR123A batteries ( 3.7v nominal for the rechargeable vs 3.0v for the disposable cells), this usually doesn't make a difference in flashlights but can be something to be aware of for sensitive electronics like night vision or thermal vision devices, though most are perfectly fine with them

Read the manual so you don't fry anything expensive.

You need to be careful buying generic cells from ebay as the capacity is often comically overstated. Any RCR123A/16340 cell advertised as having a capacity of more than about 600-800 mAh is probably going to be rubbish and have less actual capacity than an AW ( best brand name that is easily obtainable) cell of 600 mAh.

Caveat emptor.

The best place to order them from if you are American is a guy on Candlepower forums, he doesn't cell crap: http://rtdelectronix.com/batteries/aw/

Apologies for that last pun...

quote:

Originally posted by larrys:
What Bob said! I have a Fenix that is going on 8 hours of mid range brightness with no noticeable dimming. AA batteries. Surefires are less dependable and battery hogs, in my experience.

What Larry said and what Bob said! Simple wins. Simple for me is that everything runs on AAs. I have a 2 AA Fenix and a 1 AA Fenix for head lamps and a small 1 AA hand held. GPS runs off of AAs also. Can get rechargeable AAs, "tossable" AAs or LiIons. All work well.

My 2 cents