[arrexian]

Anyone have a windup torch? Would you surmise that a powerful maglite with reserve batteries beats this option? Are you stocking batteries? What's better? Is there a solar torch? : I have a Durapro, with radio, that gives off a blue light. A minute's crank gives about 5 mins strong light, 10 weak.

 

[Penny]

They have a little crank flashlight at Wally World that was on sale for 10 bucks a couple of weeks ago. I was getting ready for a camping trip and thought I'd get it and check it out. It's pretty neat as it has a radio, a plug/cord for Mp3 players, and 3 different light settings (low, medium, and red flashies for emergency, but I call it the "party mode".) However, as soon as you stop cranking, the light dims considerably. While it will stay "on" for a really long time on a few cranks, the lack of sufficient light makes it pretty annoying. It's a useful thing to have if you don't want to deal with batteries, but I don't feel like it should be the only option for a light source.

When I went camping, I would crank it about a hundred times and put it in front of my tent on the lowest setting. It would stay "on" for a couple of hours, basically providing zero light other than a tiny pinprick by the end. But, honestly, it worked for that situation, as I was in a little circle of several other tents and just needed a way point back to mine at the end of the night, and to do spot checks from the fire circle to make sure no one was into my stuff. (There were about 30 of us, and some were really drunk, and some were kids trying to get into trouble.) For walking around camp I used little cheap $1.00 flashlights.

Currently the cranker is in my car kit.

 

[Grinnan Barrett]

Have one that looks almost exactly like yours. YOu are right about the times on it. Reminded me to go out and crank it up. Do so every three months to keep it up. I am not the person to ask about MagLites. I love them. have had them for years. I put one in each of my family members kits along with spare batteries. I have some rechargable batteries as well. Have two recharge units. One is solar driven and the other works off car 12 volt system.

THe lite I have is called a MegaBrite and I have noticed since I started this post that it is now over 5 minutes and still very bright. Honestly I am putting one of these in each kit as well.

Hope things are going well for you across the pond. Good to hear from you. I am at 10 minutes and light is still very bright. Surprised me.

 

[Yorkshire Boy]

Mine looks similar to yours but it's only a torch not a radio as well.

It works well enough, I take it fishing with me along with a headtorch and small maglite, I can't seem to have enough light sources with me!

 

[arrexian]

When I went camping, I would crank it about a hundred times and put it in front of my tent on the lowest setting. It would stay "on" for a couple of hours, basically providing zero light other than a tiny pinprick by the end. But, honestly, it worked for that situation, as I was in a little circle of several other tents and just needed a way point back to mine at the end of the night, and to do spot checks from the fire circle to make sure no one was into my stuff.

Bingo. It's a subtle light, especially in blue IMO. There are times when weaker lights are useful. I also prefer those survival equipments which can operate without urban resupply anyway.

Reminded me to go out and crank it up. Do so every three months to keep it up.

I have some rechargable batteries as well. Have two recharge units. One is solar driven and the other works off car 12 volt system.

Hope things are going well for you across the pond. Good to hear from you.

Sounds like exactly the same one indeed, I have to charge it if it weren't being used after 3 months. A solar driven battery charger.. I need to get one. Thanks. Everything's hunky dory over here. What a polite person.

Mine looks similar to yours but it's only a torch not a radio as well.

It works well enough, I take it fishing with me along with a headtorch and small maglite, I can't seem to have enough light sources with me!

Does it have three bulbs? With the button on top, the light can be changed from off (hold charge), to flashing and permanently on. It's not an SOS signal, but my headtorch has one. It is so powerful it almost blinds close up!

 

[pioneerboy]

I used to have a couple of solar powered flashlights but the bulbs kept burning out. I threw them away because they were not very bright and were practically useless. Now I have a five-LED crank flashlight that is very bright and I don't have to worry about burned out bulbs or batteries. It also has a focused beam which most LED lights don't have. It will light up the side of a house from 75 feet away at night. I love it.

I got it here: http://www.prepare-now.com/890.html

 

[ken]

Crank lights

I do have crank flashlights, I recommend them, they are great additions. I think the lower light output from this type source is perfect for 80 percent of my lighting needs, the other 20 percent of the time something brighter may be needed. I no longer recommend mag lights to my friends since there are LED lights that are lighter and brighter than a 3-D cell mag light, and the batteries last sooo much longer than with the conventional bulbs in Mag-lights. Why carry a heavier, less efficient flashlight. I do have to admit that the heavy mag lights would hold up better as a club than my tiny hand sized LED light, but so would a brick, about the same weight, ha. I particularly like the crank lights in vehicles where high summer temperatures tend to bake my regular flashlight batteries. I also use them in bug out bags as an always ready light source, I keep another LED light in the bag, but have to load the batteries which I store separately, thus the crank light is a plus. Crank lights are handy, but they too contain batteries and would eventually require a replacement, maybe every 3-5 years, much longer life than a set of conventional batteries. Replacing a crank light battery requires soldering and a battery that is not readily obtainable by most. Crank lights reduces, but do not eliminate my need for batteries, I keep a supply of alkaline batteries to supplement my rechargeable (NiMh) batteries. I plan to mostly depend on rechargeable batteries and a solar charger to keep my gear up and running, with the crank light providing sufficient light to navigate around my property, and other low lighting requirements .

 

[commoguy]

i just bought two petzl tikka plus headlamps for the wife and i honestly i think for the longterm your best bet would to get a duel fuel style latern or you could buy a hurricane kerosene latern like i did also this week they are pretty cheap i got a latern 64oz of kerosene and 5 wicks for like 43 bucks pm me if you want the link.

 

[PAGUY]

I read a review of a group of the LED hand crank style lights and if I recall correctly the Garrity model was judged best overall.

 

[PAGUY]

I had a "shake" type flashlight for a short while and it took forever to get enough power for even a few minutes. Since that I have been doing research both online (through others reviews) and in person and decided to try a torture test on the MEGABRITE TURBO TORCH MINI that I bought at Target for ten and change. I cranked it for 60 seconds and allowed it to burn until it was completely out. It gave a standard amount of light for about 25 minutes and then diminished until it went out completely at about 40 minutes. I did this over and over again about a dozen times and it worked great each time. While it was burning I dropped it from a height of 6 feet after each 1 minute of cranking and it had no negative effects on the light.

 

[riverrat]

I really don't like relying on batteries. I only take shake or crank flashlights camping, so that I never really need batteries. The beam is not nearly as good, but I'd rather have a lower quality beam than none at all when I run out of batteries.

 

[AncientBrit]

I have one that looks the same but without the radio,it works well.

Ive also seen one that you can charge your mobil phone with.

 

[PAGUY]

You know I thought about trying one that had the radio and the charger on it and then I said do I want all that crap on each one that I have. With that said I have decided to pick up one of the larger styles that pics up various bandwidths, is a charger and a light all in one.