Princeton Tec Spectrum

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Princeton Tec is about to announce its new Spectrum headlamp customization program. Using a new website, you will be guided step-by-step through the process of customizing the colors of each headlamp component to match patrol colors or to enhance visibility.

This program is expected to be available sometime in September.

Princeton Tec is a sponsor of the Eastern Division's AMN Seminar.

Safety Orange LED Pocket Lights

Countycomm offers the ARES pocket light with a safety orange shell and a pure white LED. This is one light that won't get lost in your pack or in the snow. Slide the switch on, and the entire unit glows bright orange.

The LED will last for thousands of hours, and the battery is easily replaced.

Be sure to watch the instructive Youtube video.

The ARES is available for $1.20 only at Countycomm. An identical light, the ARES SO-LED, is available with an eight-position, 360-degree ratcheting rotary clip for $4.00 from the same source.

The pocket light without clip also comes with blue and green LEDs. The SO-LED with clip is available in an ACU grey body with white LED and in a black body with blue and green LEDs.

While these prices are attractive, the bad news is that the minimum shipping charge is $8.75. This calls for either a group purchase of dozens of lights or buying more Countycomm goodies in order to reduce the unit price for shipping. For example, 20 pieces of the ARES cost $1.44 each with shipping, while 20 of the ARES SO-LED cost 4.29 apiece.
 

Surefire G2™ LED Flashlight

Every ski patroller should carry at least one flashlight or head- lamp for illumination and signalling. Choices today are staggering, with traditional incandescent bulbs or light- emitting diodes (LEDs) being just the start of many options.

Surefire's G2™ LED is a high- output, compact (5.2 inches) flashlight which meets the needs of nordic patrollers. Surefire has become the leading brand for military and law enforcement due to its performance and reliability.

The G2 LED torch furnishes 80 lumens of power for the first 3 hours of a battery's life. Thereafter, it will provide useable light for the next 9 hours, 12 hours in all. By comparison, the incandescent AA Mini Maglite provides 15 lumens for 5½ hours. The G2 uses two 123A lithium batteries which are widely available. The LED itself will probably never need replacement. You won’t need a brighter light in the snow.

The Nitrolon body is an impact-resistant, glass-filled polymer which provides a secure grip. it also insulates the hands and protects the batteries from the cold. Metal bodies often ice up, draw heat from the hands, and are uncomfortable to hold in the mouth. The bright yellow model of the G2 LED is easy to find in your pack and hard to lose in the bush or snow.

Find reviews at EDC Forums and EDC Reviews.

Among many sources, the G2 LED is available at Cabela’s, REI, Amazon, and L.L. Bean.

Underwater Kinetics 4-AA Xenon Light

Underwater Kinetics model UK 4AA-AS2 is robust and designed to withstand harsh outdoors and industrial environments. It survives a 30 foot drop test and water submersion to 10 meters.

Powered by four AA batteries, the xenon bulb projects a 38 lumen beam for 4 to 5 hours. Just over 6 inches long, this light handily fits the pocket. Molded fittings facilitate the attachment of lanyards or webbing. See the Data Sheet for more specs. Made in the USA.

An LED version is now available. Read the review at Flashlight Reviews.

Available online and at many dive shops and industrial safety suppliers.
 

Pocket Magnifiers

Reading a map is difficult when you don't have your glasses or the light is fading. Squinting doesn't work, and your arms aren't long enough.

Handy pocket-sized Fresnel magnifiers come to the rescue. The simplest is thin plastic the size of a credit card, easily carried in your wallet. The best known is probably Itoya brand. You can find one at office supply stores and pharmacies. Look online at Campmor, MapTools, or UltraOptix.

The latest innovation in this technology is the illuminated magnifying card, which is a bit thicker. Pressing a tiny button activates an LED, flooding light on the map. A well-known model (as seen on TV) is the OWL Light. Similar lenses are available from Essential Gear and Amazon.

Illuminated or not, both styles provide 2 to 3x magnification.
 

Glow Sticks

Keep a few glow sticks in your patrol pack. Snap one and it will glow for hours, long enough to read by or to mark a trail or your position. Sticks come in lengths from 1.5 to 15 inches and burn from 5 to 15 hours. They’re now available in a rainbow of colors, including infrared.

As Halloween approaches, prices come down and availability soars. You’ll find inexpensive varieties in drug, convenience, and discount stores. Cheap sticks don’t have the shelf life or shine as long as the classic brands, Cyalume or Omniglow. My strategy is to buy a dozen cheapies every October, give whatever is left to the kids a year later, when I buy another bunch. You can find wholesale dealers by searching on the web for "glow sticks". Your patrol may want to buy a gross every year.

Surefire G2™ Nitrolon®

While LED lights are hard to beat for long life and close-up work – reading maps and rummaging through packs – you need a more powerful torch for signalling and search & rescue operations. The Surefire G2™ Nitrolon® more than fills the bill. Surefire has become the brand of choice for military and law enforcement due to its reputation for performance and reliability.

The G2 is almost four times brighter than much larger D-cell flashlights and does so in only 5 inches and 4 ounces. The non-corrosive Nitrolon™ construction and the Lexan lens are highly resistant to breakage. The power – a whopping 65 lumens – comes from two 3-volt lithium batteries and an incandescent xenon bulb. Although a more powerful bulb is optional, you don’t need a brighter light in snow. The bright yellow model of the G2 is easy to find in your pack and hard to lose in the bush. Read the specs and user manual. Check out the reviews by Kevin Kelly and Rainy Day Magazine or read the extensive technical report at FlashlightReviews.com.

On the down side, the batteries will last only 60 minutes at full power, and replacement bulbs are expensive. There is no attachment point for a lanyard.

Among many sources, the G2 is available at Cabela’s and L.L. Bean.

Surefire has recently announced the G2 LED which puts out 80 lumens of light and runs 12 hours. It’s reviewed at EDC Forums and EDC Reviews.