Posts Tagged flashlight
Must-Have Portable Light: Joby Gorillatorch Flare
It takes a lot for me to consider a gadget a must-have. But occasionally, I’ll run across something so incredibly useful it falls into that category.
Such is the case with the Joby Gorillatorch Flare, a hands-free flashlight with a world of uses for travelers.
The Gorillatorch Flare is a new and improved model of Joby’s original Gorillatorch light. The Gorillatorch Flare takes it to the next level with a light that’s more than 50 percent brighter (up to 100 lumens vs. 65) and includes red lights for emergency signaling.
First, the Flare is an incredibly bright light with all the advantages of LED technology—running cool and consuming battery power in tiny sips instead of big gulps. Three AA batteries last up to 80 hours in normal use, depending on the brightness.
The light is so bright, it’s difficult to look directly at it on the brightest setting. Plus, there are six different ways to use the light.
Pushing a button cycles the Flare through three different brightness levels of steady, white light; a white strobe light; a steady red light; or a red strobe light.
The light will sit on or attach to just about anything. Joby uses the same type of flexible, bendable legs found on its camera tripods, with magnetic feet that will latch on to a car or other metal surfaces. The legs can form a tripod to hold the light, or bend and twist to attach to poles or other objects. (My colleague, Tim, has used one of Joby’s portable tripods in his travels.)
The Gorillatorch Flare is an essential for the car. The light could be used to help change a flat or signal for help in the event of a breakdown.
Campers should find it useful. And having one around the house would be very handy for power outages. Those are just a few ways the Gorillatorch Flare can be used.
The color temperature of the light is very close to pure daylight, without the yellow cast associated with tungsten lights. The beam is very focused, as opposed to a floodlight. I can even think of ways to use this for video work for lighting interviews or backlighting in the field.
The Torch is built tough, designed to keep working even after being dropped six feet. It’s also water-resistant to keep shining in the rain.
The price is reasonable, considering all the different ways this light can be used. The Gorillatorch Flare sells for $34.95 from Amazon or Joby’s website.
The Joby Gorillatorch Flare is well-designed and very handy. With the latest LED technology, it’s light years ahead of the ordinary flashlight.
Posted by JohnG in Adventure Gear, Business Gear, General Gear on June 21st, 2010
Review: AltusLumen Lightgear Gre Light
A battery-operated light is an essential tool for every traveler. And AltusLumen’s Lightgear Gre 18-in-1 LED Flashlight, which also includes a handy survival tool, could easily be crowned the Swiss Army Knife of lights.
LEDs are making a huge difference in lighting. They’re compact and bright, plus the bulbs remain cool and save energy. The Lightgear Gre shows what can be done with a creative design useful for all types of travelers, from business road warriors to camping families to mountaineers. It’s also handy to have around the house when storms knock out electricity, which happened to me just a few days ago.
First, the Lightgear Gre doesn’t look like a conventional flashlight. Folded in a hard plastic and recycled aluminum case, it’s made to slip into a pocket or backpack for easy carrying. A patented swivel cover works as a stand for the light and allows it to be used, hands-free, six different ways—shining up, down or sideways, or even hanging from a tree as an area light.
The four LEDs are surprisingly bright. In fact, the user guide warns against looking directly at the light.
The light is powered by four AAA batteries. The manufacturer says one set of batteries will last six hours. My testing showed slightly more than six hours of continuous operation was no problem. A warning light near the on-off switch flashes when the batteries are getting low.
The light throws a broad beam, very different from a flashlight. There are dozens of possible uses and I could even see some applications for making videos.
The Lightgear Gre is weatherproof for use even in the rain. A carrying case is included.
But there’s more. Also tucked into the light case are an aluminum whistle and a 10-in-1 stainless steel survival tool. The survival tool includes a can opener, knife, screwdriver, ruler, cap opener, wrenches, saw and a direction indicator.
My colleague, Tim, reviewed a slight different version of this light and questioned its eco-friendly claims in our recent end-of-the-year roundup. If I could change one thing—and this is a minor point—it would be the battery cover. I’d prefer a snap-on cover instead of one requiring a screwdriver to open. But if you don’t have a screwdriver handy when the batteries need replacing, you can always use the survival tool.
The Lightgear Gre sells for $29.90 on AltusLumen’s website. It’s available in three colors—green, yellow and semi-transparent—and is covered by a one-year limited warranty.
If the company’s environmental claims are important in your purchasing decision, weigh them carefully. But from a performance standpoint, this light could be useful to many travelers.
Other lights reviewed on Practical Travel Gear:
Posted by JohnG in Adventure Gear, Business Gear, Travel Light on February 16th, 2010
