My "stealth" lights.

[Herman30]

These are my two lights to use when I absolutly do not want to disturbe and blind anybody.
Brand is Lazerbrite. https://www.lazerbrite.com/

One is with green light and the other with red light. Two stages: high and low.
Low on the red is so low that the eyes have to be adjusted to dark if you want to have any use of it lighting up your surroundings.
Reading of course is possible but one has to keep the light close to the reading material. Or map or whatever. Red high is like most red flashlights. Bright but not super bright.
Green is of course brighter in both setting than the red. But low green let you see what is in front of you at about 6 feet ahead in pitch black room. Green high would be good for walking through the woods at night without bumping into trees.

I have taped them so that no light will spill out to the sides, only straight ahead.

 

[Toddy]

I find it surprising how little light we actually need to see at night though....and that is even with my ageing eyesight.

In a tent a krill light on it's own rapidly becomes bright enough to do anything I need apart from read.

I think that learning to actually use night vision is no bad thing.

 

[billycoen]

Eat more carrots.

 

[stonepark]

It is a shame they don't come as UDB rechargeable, rather than using watch type batteries.

 

[Herman30]

Don´t bother me, each light come with 2 extra batteries. And I have bought more in reserve.

 

[Nice65]

I find it surprising how little light we actually need to see at night though....and that is even with my ageing eyesight.

In a tent a krill light on it's own rapidly becomes bright enough to do anything I need apart from read.

I think that learning to actually use night vision is no bad thing.

I agree. I think British Red asked a while ago why anyone would have a moonlight mode on a torch, but 1 lumen or less is really handy. I’d rather that than use red light to be honest, at least it’s good to see other colours with.

 

[Herman30]

Moonlight mode is quite usable for reading maps and books once eyes have adjusted to darkness.

 

[Jared]

There is a UK company, Exposure Lights, that made nice little bombproof lights like this. It's a shame they discontinued them.

 

[Wayland]

I am quite fond of my Fenix CL09.

I had a smaller CL05 which ran off a AAA battery but the CL09 comes with a USB rechargeable cell and has become a firm favourite now.

Nine times out of ten the moonlight mode is plenty but the red and green modes are useful as well.

 

[Glow_worm]

I agree. I think British Red asked a while ago why anyone would have a moonlight mode on a torch, but 1 lumen or less is really handy.

I'd almost go as far as saying I can't understand why anyone would want a high power torch, as Wayland mentions above, I use moonlight mode on my headtorch nine times out of ten. There are a few situations where 'normal' torch light levels are handy though.

I find low level warm white or at least an accurate colour rendering is far more important at night than high lumens.

 

[Herman30]

I'd almost go as far as saying I can't understand why anyone would want a high power torch.

Much more use on low to middle power. And many of the extreme lumens lights are almost what one could say hoax. They run on high for about 5-10 minutes, then drop down 200-300 lumens.

 

[shibafu]

These are my two lights to use when I absolutly do not want to disturbe and blind anybody.
[...]
I have taped them so that no light will spill out to the sides, only straight ahead.

I was making something along similar lines this morning... a visor for a headtorch to cut off the beam below eye level, like dipped beam on your car.
The headtorch is a Sofirn H25LR. Being cylindrical with the emitters in the middle makes it a convenient shape to cable-tie an improvised lampshade on.



Quick review of the Sofirm H25LR: has red and white lights, both with 1 lumen modes. It remembers what mode you were on for both colours, and you can get straight to red without having to cycle through white modes. The gap between the 35-lumen low and 230-lumen medium is bigger than I'd like. The red is a deep 660nm red, and throws a fair distance on the higher power modes. I don't think they do any head lamps with a green light unfortunately.

 

[Pattree]

Neat job.

 

[Herman30]

@shibafu If I understand correct the lampshade prevents light from shining upwards. But what is the meaning with this? So you don´t blind other people?

 

[Herman30]

Another stealth light I made is for the toilet. If nature calls when it is till dark the ceiling lamp is too bright and hurt the eyes. So I invented this: glow in dark tape on a cardboard sheet.
Bright enough to see the toilet seat and wash sink, could compare it to a full moon shine.
I load it during the day under a lamp.

 

[Jared]

Another source of smaller coin cell lights is https://www.cejayengineering.com/

Pilot finger lights, electronic glow sticks, and for SERE (come with a light shield)

 

[Wayland]

I mark a lot of my critical equipment with luminous tape.

I use self adhesive vinyl from eBay that is made for sign makers which retains a good glow for hours.

Available in rolled sheets so you can cut it to any shape.

 

[shibafu]

@shibafu If I understand correct the lampshade prevents light from shining upwards. But what is the meaning with this? So you don´t blind other people?

That's right, just like dipped headlights on a car. Adjust so the beam cut-off is below horizontal, and you can see the ground ahead without risk of dazzling other people. Also hides the LED from direct observation, should you wish to remain unnoticed. Like the tape shrouds on your lights.

 

[Wayland]

Head lamps are a menace when camping with other people.

Most people set them to shine where they look but it is natural to look at people’s face when you turn to talk to them, destroying any night vision they may have built up.

I use a small torch, usually fastened to my chest and pointing downward to where I would work with my hands to avoid that problem.

If you string your headlamp around your neck you can achieve the same result and avoid the ire of your companions.

 

[demographic]

I bought a Black Diamond headtorch a few years ago (think its a Storm 350 that runs on AAA batteries, I use rechargeables) and as it has two control buttons I'm not constantly cycling through the settings.
Right button On Off a d left button goes through settings.
It remembers what setting I was on last, has a long distance spot white, short distance flood white, red, green and even blue lights.
All have variable power settings.
Takes a few times to get used to all the different settings but once youve got used to it its a doddle.
Ive had three Petzl headtorches and been significantly underwhelmed by all of them. Theyve started off OK but the LED's have degraded quickly and even with fresh batteries have lost their usefulness.

It's a decent bit of kit, great for when I'm playing frisbee with the dog in the winter dark.
He catches the frisbee no bother in the dark (six in the morning in winter) but sometimes gets distracted and drops it so I have to find it.
Plus picking up dog eggs in the dark is fraught with risks...

I see that some people prefer a handtorch but I find that when juggling a doglead, frisbee and placky dog egg bag it's a right faff to also be messing about with a handtorch as well.
Plus I often walk my daughters dog as well which just compounds the issues.
I'm kind of the mind that if you can't trust yourself not to blind people with a headtorch that you might not be able to be trusted with a candle either cos the matches are dangerous.