wind up torches
- Thread starter Tengu
- Start date
I have one that my younger brother got me for christmas a few years back. It's not great, but it is OK for around the house as an emergency torch. I believe either Lidl or Aldi are doing an LED one in the next week or so, so keep an eye out!
I have one that I bought from a motorway services for about a fiver. It lives in my rucksack. Have used it once and the obvious beauty of it is no batteries to go flat.
Interesting that you mentioned this, I was looking for someway to recharge my camera and phone while i'm away for 2 weeks and came across these;
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/Product_arborescence/sports-accessor/discovery/lighting-and-ob/proximity-light/product_6300310/index.html
http://www.thegreenstoreonline.co.uk/default.aspx/Page/97/Product/292/Freeloader_Portable_Solar_Power_Supply?c=19&k=2730
I think either would work, the hand crank having the obvious advantage of it works in the dark, (say around a camp fire yakking), and it will show you the way to your hammock
Stephen
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/Product_arborescence/sports-accessor/discovery/lighting-and-ob/proximity-light/product_6300310/index.html
http://www.thegreenstoreonline.co.uk/default.aspx/Page/97/Product/292/Freeloader_Portable_Solar_Power_Supply?c=19&k=2730
I think either would work, the hand crank having the obvious advantage of it works in the dark, (say around a camp fire yakking), and it will show you the way to your hammock
Stephen
spamel said:
Thats not really the thing to say to Tengu,is it?
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=19208
On the subject of wind up torches,they go flat and stay that way unless you wind them regularly.The one I had just wound me up.
I've bought such a wind up torch for about 6 quid. At start it was ok but the battery inside doesn't work so good anymore so I need to wind up a lot to get not very much light. Also I have to wind up a lot just to be able to call 30 secs with a nokia 3330 phone.
I think it's not worth it. Neither is it more environmentally friendly then just using rechargeable batteries in your flashlight. Because it's made of plastic, it's quite big, it got a battery inside (not replacable, so of it dies you throw it all away), ... Just carrying a small flashlight with extra batteries takes up less space and weight - and gives more light. Or just using a candle lantern, oil lantern...
You can get solar rechargers or something to put AA batteries in to charge up the mobile phone. But what I just do is turning off the mobile and only now and then turning it on to check for messages. That's smarter I think.
Just my idea..
I think it's not worth it. Neither is it more environmentally friendly then just using rechargeable batteries in your flashlight. Because it's made of plastic, it's quite big, it got a battery inside (not replacable, so of it dies you throw it all away), ... Just carrying a small flashlight with extra batteries takes up less space and weight - and gives more light. Or just using a candle lantern, oil lantern...
You can get solar rechargers or something to put AA batteries in to charge up the mobile phone. But what I just do is turning off the mobile and only now and then turning it on to check for messages. That's smarter I think.
Just my idea..
O
Old Timer
Guest
Try Robert Dyas. They also feature on QVC occasionally. I have one for emergencies in the car and one in my backpack.
Personally I don't think these wind-up torches are much use.
They are really big for not much light and the ones I've seen all look cheaply made and will probably break with any serious usage.
I've got loads of rechargeable AA batteries around and LED torches. The chances of been caught at home without at least one charged AA battery somewhere are close to zero so the only place I'd want a wind up is when I'm out and about.
In the car I have a 12v AA/AAA battery charger so only a slim chance there of my torch going flat on me. When out in the middle of nowhere I make sure I'm not silly enough to leave home with a set of discharged batteries in my torch. Even if I did I've got a solar recharger that I could take along with me if I was that worried but I think an extra set of batteries would be more sensible.
A small high-power torch with a spare set of batteries will take up less room than a wind-up torch and IMHO will be more reliable.
The runtime on LED lights is quite long, especially if you get one of the new variable level output Cree lights, so it takes a long time to run out of juice.
They are really big for not much light and the ones I've seen all look cheaply made and will probably break with any serious usage.
I've got loads of rechargeable AA batteries around and LED torches. The chances of been caught at home without at least one charged AA battery somewhere are close to zero so the only place I'd want a wind up is when I'm out and about.
In the car I have a 12v AA/AAA battery charger so only a slim chance there of my torch going flat on me. When out in the middle of nowhere I make sure I'm not silly enough to leave home with a set of discharged batteries in my torch. Even if I did I've got a solar recharger that I could take along with me if I was that worried but I think an extra set of batteries would be more sensible.
A small high-power torch with a spare set of batteries will take up less room than a wind-up torch and IMHO will be more reliable.
The runtime on LED lights is quite long, especially if you get one of the new variable level output Cree lights, so it takes a long time to run out of juice.
Well, I got this from my local market for £2.99
its a 2 LED one, and works by depressing a handle in the side.
(they also do one in the shape of a pig...scary, huh?)
it `is` cheap and nasty, but its about the cheapest, and I can experiment with it if I please. (destruct test it, change the LED for coloured ones, sort of thing)
its a 2 LED one, and works by depressing a handle in the side.
(they also do one in the shape of a pig...scary, huh?)
it `is` cheap and nasty, but its about the cheapest, and I can experiment with it if I please. (destruct test it, change the LED for coloured ones, sort of thing)
I bought one of the last round of Lidl ones and apart from being noisy (sort of a grinding whirr sound) it's surprisingly good. Caw the handle for a couple of minutes and I get 20 minutes of good light from the LEDs. I was impressed enough that I bought another for the car.
cheers,
Toddy
cheers,
Toddy
