We all know flashlights are an important part of camping and being off the grid. For the most part, many of us carry headlamps on these trips for the ease and comfort of keeping your hands free (or warm) instead of holding a light to see what’s going on. But sometimes that convenience can be too much and we just throw our headlamp on our heads, turn it on at the slightest dimming of the day and throw our beams around carelessly with every toss of the head. On a number of climbs and even just camping trips, I’ve tried to see how long it is I can go without needing extra light. Our eyes adapt to fading light quite well and sometimes the light of a full moon can make artificial light obsolete. While there’s usually a headlamp in my bag, I’ve started carrying a small penlight style light to be handy as needed but without needing to strap on a headlamp.
The LightStar 80 from TerraLUX fits easily into my pants pocket and the rugged, momentary forward-click switch makes it easy to click on with my thumb or just by banging it on the side of my leg. A firm clip keeps the light right where I put it in my pocket and keeps it super handy. I have also made use of the rubberized base that is comfortable to hold in your teeth when two hands really are necessary. Then, I click it off and go back to the natural light around me and enjoy the stars above.
TerraLUX LightStar 80 – $29.95 – terralux.com
