C. Crane Company "Pak-Lite" Mini LED Flashlight
Long Term Report by André Corterier
Item: Pak-Lite LED Light
Year of manufacture: 2004
Manufacturer: C. Crane Company
URL: http://www.ccrane.com/
MSRP: 29.95 $ US for Pak-Lite with lithium battery
MSRP: 22.95 $ US for Pak-Lite with alkaline battery
Weight Comparisons - scale accurate to 5 g (0.2 oz)
Pak-Lite listed weight: 42 g (1.5 oz)
Pak-Lite measured weight: 40 g (1.4 oz)
Product Description:
The Pak-Lite is a 9V lithium battery with a (really) small plastic case attached to one end,
which features a switch and two LEDs sticking out of it. Pictures can be seen at the
manufacturer's website,
a more detailed description is in my
Initial Report.
Field Use:
In the past four months, this light has been used in a wide variety of conditions, temperatures between -5 C (25 F) and 20 C (50 F),
altitude between sea level and 1670 m (5500 ft) above, precipitation from none through rain to heavy, driving snow.
Lighting up the Night:
We've had a lot of night around here lately. In late December, night fell at about 16:30h (4:30 p.m.), rising
correspondingly late in the morning. This gave ample cause to use the light. The light output of the Pak-Lite has
not, as far as I can tell, dimmed one bit over this time, so everything I said about its light output (or lack
thereof) in my
Field Report still holds true. Other than hiking, I have also been able to use the light to find a twig which
had become logged in the gear shift of my bicycle far from home on a dark, cold, rainy night. I was very happy to
have it.
Weather Resistance:
The Pak-Lite has encountered inclement weather conditions a few times. While I did not walk with it held in my hand
through rain for a long time, when I did do so, it (and especially its top part where the light proper meets the battery)
became thoroughly wet regardless. This has not resulted in me feeling an electric current flowing through my hand,
the battery becoming
noticeably hot, variations in the light output or any such thing. To the contrary, the light seemed entirely
unimpressed by the weather. The same holds true for wind-driven snow. While I occasionally had to shake off a few snow
flakes which had stuck to the LEDs (that's how little energy they waste as heat), the light otherwise behaved as
usual. The same was true when I placed it, pointing up, in a snow cave which I was in the process of digging out.
Here, even on the low setting (due to the reflective walls), it easily lit up my working space and did not seem in
any way bothered by the cold. It continued to provide adequate lighting for about an hour of "interior snowchitecture".
Durability:
I had reported not foreseeing any issues with durability in my
Field Report. What I also had not foreseen was that one day, the light - which I assume I did not return to my
pocket adequately - would slip out of my pocket, quickly slide down between my pants and my rain overpants and exit
at the cuff of my rain pants. It did so while I was travelling at approx. 32 km/h (20 mph) on my bicycle. When I recovered the
light, I was *very* impressed. Not only had the top plastic casing (the actual light) remained attached to the battery,
the one LED which had clearly impacted the blacktop only showed a (distinct) scratch on it. That's it. Really. The light
still works fine in both of its settings and I am unable to tell a difference regarding the way light is spread.
How impressive is that?
The top foil layer of the battery casing has held up slightly less well, but I am unconcerned about a bit of flaking
in this regard. On the whole, the Pak-Lite has held up astonishingly well to what it's been through.
Battery Life:
Well, what can I say? I've used the light for a guesstimated 20 to 25 hrs in each of the high and low settings, total.
This corresponds to about an 8th of the total claimed battery life. While this means that I cannot report on the
veracity of the claim, I can say that the fact of the light's undiminished brightness after this interval impresses
me very much. Should it go out tomorrow, I'd still be impressed (though disappointed at falling far short of the
claimed duration). But judging by how it's lived up to the other claims
of the manufacturer, I expect to get at least another year's worth of use out of it.
More Side Notes:
As in the previous report, having this light with me all the time has proven useful in a number of unrelated situations as well.
It has allowed me to find a number of dropped items (dropped by myself, my daughter and imperfect strangers) on
unlit squares
and parking places as well as closer to home. The Pak-Lite also served admirably as a night light for my daughter
when she couldn't sleep (on the "low" setting). 20 hours (over the course of three nights) on "low" correspond to
1.66 % of the total claimed battery life. Easily worth three nights of sleep in my book (in my bed, too). I've never
before had a light where the spectre of failing batteries has kept its distance for so long. I really like that.
Summary:
The light is an excellent package for adequate light in most situations without having to worry about recharging, so
small and light that I can (and still do) carry it everywhere without noticing it. If I were to start on a
through-hike of anything at this point, this is probably the light I would take even if I wasn't testing it.
The one
gripe I have is the lack of an even brighter setting to spot things at a bit of distance.
Suggestions for Improvement:
Well, if the manufacturer found a way to address my one gripe (above), this light would be perfect.
Personal Biographical Information:
Name: André Corterier
Gender: M
Age: 33
Height: 1,85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight: 80 kg (175 lb)
Email: andreDOTcorterierATfreenetDOTde
Home: Bonn, Germany
DATE: 2005-02-01
Backpacking Background:
I began backpacking in my late teens using Europe’s “InterRail“-System – weight hardly mattered, as we were on
trains a lot. I recently rediscovered backpacking and have started out slowly – single-day 15 mile (24 km) jaunts
by myself or even shorter hikes in the company of my little daughter. I am getting started on longer
hikes, as a lightweight packer and hammock-camper. I’ve begun upgrading my old gear and am now shooting for a dry
FSO weight of about 10 kg for three-season camping. Not quite there yet.
Read more reviews of C Crane Company gear
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