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Krill Light 180 Extreme |
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Price: $22.95 (they say $29.99 on their site, but when you order, it is only $22.95) Weight (Manufacturer): 3oz Weight (Tested): 1.9oz (with 2 AA lithium batteries) URL: Kriana Review: I was looking for a good reading and general camp light after a thru-hike of the Pinhoti. I had used a AAA mag light and had gone through a lot of batteries in only a week and a half. The light was a pain in the butt to keep focused, and I really hated changing bulbs all the time. I also burned out a bulb, which is bad when you only have one light source. I used a candle one night that I found in a shelter, the light was adequate, but the wax was a lot of trouble, and I was concerned about accidentally burning my gear. Had to be a better solution I thought. When I got back, I considered taking some chem lights, at about 1oz per, I could take a few, but they become trash, they loose intensity after about 30 minutes, and you would need a lot. I looked around and found Krill lights - electronic light sticks. So looking at the selection, the extreme is the brightest model, the green is the brightest color, and the 180 produces the best light for one directional use. This is the one I ordered. It works great! The light was plenty for me to read with in pitch dark, and since it is a 180, you don't have light coming back at you when you hold it over your work area, unlike a normal chem light. It also worked well as a dim lantern, do not expect candle lantern intensity. The design is basically a hollow plastic tube that the batteries go into. At the top is a loop for hanging, and the bottom screw on cap is also the on/off. the light comes from a strip of what looks like plastic inside the plastic tube. It came with some Velcro, but I didn't use it, and haven't decided to use it yet either. Performance: well it lights a little less than an extreme intensity chem light when it is first broke, and the weight is a mere 2oz with a set of AA lithium's. Compare to a candle lantern you can't beat it unless you just want oodles of light, which I prefer not to have - I want just enough to do what I want without loosing my natural night vision. The Krill light is supposed to last 50 hours off 2 AA alkaline batteries, so using even a conservative estimate, you should get 150 hours of heat free, waterproof, mess free, safe, and consistent light for 2oz of pack weight. How many candles or how much oil would you need (oil conversion for candle lanterns) to equal this? As for burning out bulbs, there isn't one. The lighting portion is supposed to last for thousands of hours. Conclusion: This is a great product for backpackers. Given the short time the technology has been around, I foresee brighter, and more efficient lighting to come out of this company. |
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