Skip to main content

Gear

I love gadgets....there I said it. I particularly love the type that work...and work well. A glimpse into some of the gadgets we use whilst away camping. I have to say I have a very unhealthy relationship with lighting.

Sept 2018
Errr not quite. My addiction, as it turns out is lighting. That be at home or outside. I am a huge fan of the LED lighting now available but I will keep my meanderings to camping and it's lighting.

Ideally the basic requirement is pretty much the same.

LED ✅
Battery Powered ✅
Compact ✅
Remote Control ✅
Rechargeable Via USB ✅
High Lumens ✅
Variable Brightness ✅

I think I have found something that gives me most of the basic things. Each of the categories can always be improved though. But so far this light is as good as it gets for a person with addiction to fulfil.






The lamp is small and heavy. Most likely the batteries are the main weight with a total of 9900mah capacity. The dimension are approx H85mm W75mm

It looks as though it has one LED bulb for the white light and one for the red LED. Ideally I would prefer a number of LEDs around the perimeter as this normally makes the light a little less directional. It's not a huge thing win this lamp though as it has a good diffuser.

The lamp can be turned on via two methods.
1st via the button on the base.
2nd via the button on the remote control.

Both buttons run through the same sequence of light.
1st push Middle bright (290 LM)
2nd push High bright (550 LM)
3rd push Low bright (25 LM)
4th push Red High (31 LM)
5th push Red Strobe

The little feature I like with this is that if you have a brief no touching of the buttons (remote or lamp)  it turns off rather that you having to go through a full sequence as it knows that more likely you will be looking to switch it off rather than find another brightness. I like this feature.

It has a magnetic base should you need it as well as a handing loop with a snap closure hook.

So far the lamp is great in use with more than enough light to light our Karsten 3m x 3m pod. I do doubt it is 550 lumens  though although I have no way of testing this.

I prefer a remote control to have use of RF over IR as with IR it has to be pointed at the lamp and has a far shorter range of detection. RF can be pointed off center and has a far greater range with the ability to penetrate thin items. sadly this one is IR. Again in the instance it is used in the pod so I am well within distance and no barrier will be between the remote and lamp.

The remote itself is quite a decent size and has the useless little LED bulb built into it to act as a torch. I don't think i ever use this facility. It also has a little loop so that I can (as the picture shows) add a tritium strip that glows in the dark to make it easier to find!

The only thing I wonder about is the longevity of the batteries used in the lamp. Not sure if they are replaceable. I do like the little carry pouch that the lamp comes in but the remote does not fit in this, The case does however, have a carabine that you can clip this to so not to lose it.

For me it's as near I have come to nirvana for tent lighting in the pod. Saying that....I may stumble across something else soon!


Aug 2018 : A new kitchen washing up bowl that we bought due to forgetting our folding silicone bowl.

The SeaToSummit 10LTR folding sink.



Another love of mine is weather so I like to carry this into camping. A cracking weather station for portable use is the JDC Meteos. It is able to record data like max and min over a user defined period up to 24hrs. The data relates to wind and temp and is quite useful to know just how windy it is/was. The temos for maximum in truth are useless as the unit is in the sun and as this is not aspirated in any way the max temp value is pretty much useless. I know this so enjoy the minimum values it shows.

Having owned two of these over a to year period they have sadly both shown the same issues. One relates to it's waterproofing (which it is supposed to be) Condensation has built up on the two units I have owned inside the screen when it rains and then sun heats them up. It can clear but often it ends in the full screen being unreadable on a trip. Most likely waterproof and nitrogen filled waterproof are two very different things so maybe this is just one of those things.

The other issue is that the wind propeller over time starts to rattle on it's central post which to me suggests it has poor tolerance or the parts get worn. I wonder how this affects it's ability to rotate and read fully the maximum wind speed.

I can not find anything else remotely offering what this unit does so for now it remains in the camping kit bag.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

LK35 Rucksack Overview and Thoughts. (Canvas Version)

I managed to pick up a reasonable used condition iconic rucksack from from the Swedish Military. The LK35 is a steel framed bucket style rucksack used from the 70s onwards. It's ability to carry heavy loads and pack quite a lot of gear inside...and crucially outside, is very much sought after. It's a very basic sack, but its design with all the straps for extra loading points is superb. Described as a 35ltr in size, I am sure it can take more. I have always owned a metal external frame rucksack even in my days with the scouts, so this fits the bill nicely. It seems to be popular choice for those looking to carry unusual loads, like game meat or timber. I can't see that being my requirement though. Mine is one of two styles reportedly made, one being of canvas with the other from Cordura synthetic material with PU coating inside. I am guessing that the Cordura version will resist water better. Most of the Rucksacks I have seen online via YouTube, have been Cordura as it s

New season is underway.......

It seems an age when we wait to get our family camping back underway. Easter fell reasonably late and the weather was glorious the whole holiday. My wife and I finished early on Thursday afternoon and drove just over an hour away to a campsite we have used many times previously. Charoland Campsite is a small adults only site that has about 10 pitches and is placed between Preston & Blackpool. With it being Easter and the weather set fine we often seek refuge within an adults only site. The hosts run a small farm and are meticulous in all they do. Having set the tent up I left Mandy at about 8pm all alone for her first night solo camping as I had work the following day. It was a pleasure setting up the tent but was surprised to see only three other units onsite. I returned the following day after work to find the site filling up. Sadly like most sites it is gradually turning over to suit motorhomes and caravans that seem to prefer tarmac, block paving or shale standings. Perso

Hot Tenting/Wild Camping & Bushcraft ...Early thoughts.....

It seems more common than you would credit. We have been looking into the viability of a bit of winter camping, but not necessarily on a campsite as such. Possibly near to home and a preference for a woodland. I am probably describing wild camping here. The trouble with that term is that it has such a broad covering of what wild camping means. The purist would no doubt scoff at the phrase used for the type of camping we are looking to do, and in truth I can see that would be fair. Surely "wild camping" is backpacking with a pack of self sustenance for whatever that period away may be. The Americans/Canadians just call it "Hot Tenting" which I think suits the style. I think I look at it as....I don't know yet in truth. Maybe after it's happened I will have better phrase. Even the word camping has that effect for many. My definition of camping is in a tent, whereas it seems this can be used for others to mean a motorhome, caravan or camper van. In p