Reviews > Lighting > Flashlights - LED > C Crane Company Pak-Lite > Stacy Brock > Initial Report

Initial Report - C. Crane Pak-Lite Mini LED Flashlight

Personal Information
Name: Stacy Brock
Age: 23
Gender: female
Height: 5' 5" (1.65 m)
Weight: 115 lbs (52 kg)
E-mail: kalrnux..@..yahoo.com
Location: Ashland, Oregon, USA
Date: August 10, 2004
Backpacking Background: I'm a relatively new backpacker, having finally decided to get off my rear and play in the great outdoors. I also enjoy dayhiking and snowshoeing. I am a lightweight hiker: unwilling to carry more than necessary (au revoir, paperback books!) but equally unwilling to sacrifice convenience for ounces (hello, water filter!).

Most of my hiking is done in Southern Oregon, in terrain ranging from level lakeshore trails to bare rocky lavabeds to steep mountain scrambles. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is very close to Ashland, and I'd love to thru-hike Oregon sometime in the near future.

Product Information
Manufacturer: C. Crane Company
URL: http://www.ccrane.com
Year of Manufacture: 2004
MSRP: $29.95
Listed weight: 1.5 oz (42.52 g)
Weight as delivered:

• Pak-Lite: 0.1 oz (2.83 g)
• Lithium 9v Battery: 1.3 oz (36.85 g)
• Pak-Lite and Battery: 1.5 oz (42.52 g)
• Headband Accessory: 0.6 oz (17.01 g)

Product Description
The Pak-Lite Mini LED Flashlight is a small, plastic unit housing two LEDs that snaps on to the terminals of a standard 9v battery. When the Pak-Lite is attached to a battery, the result is a palm-sized LED flashlight. The LED unit measures 1 in (2.54 cm) wide, 5/8 in (1.59 cm) deep, and 5/8 in (1.59 cm) high.

The Pak-Lite features two high-intensity white LEDs. The light has a small three position switch that allows the user to switch between low and high brightness settings and to turn the light off. Both LEDs are lit when the light is switched on, regardless of setting. The low setting is the result of both LEDs being dimmed.

A headband accessory is also available that allows the user to use the Pak-Lite as a headlamp. The headband is rather simple: a strip of elastic webbing with hook and loop fasteners at the ends and two sewn-in elastic bands at the sides. The elastic bands are intended to hold a Pak-Lite on either side of the wearer's head (or two Pak-Lites at once), with the light pointed in a forward direction.

Arrival Information and Initial Observations
Date of Arrival: August 3, 2004
Contents of Package:

• One Pak-Lite Mini LED Flashlight (with 9v Lithium battery)
• One Pak-Lite headband accessory

The Pak-Lite is very close to what I expected after viewing the manufacturer's website. Using the Pak-Lite is simple and intuitive, which is a good thing because the product's packaging is mainly marketing material and does not have any instructions per se.

The first thing I did with the Pak-Lite was remove the LED unit from the battery to see exactly how the terminal caps were mounted to the light. The terminals are mounted directly on the circuitboard, which is visible when looking at the underside of the light. The terminals snap to the battery securely -- so securely that removing the LED unit takes a fair bit of wiggling to get started. There is very little chance of the Pak-Lite accidentally coming off the battery.

The three position switch is a bit different than what I expected. Instead of a slider or rocker switch, the manufacturer chose a small plastic toggle switch. A semicircular notch cut into the LED unit allows the toggle pole to stick out enough to be moved by the user. While the switch can be manipulated with one hand (as per the manufacturer's claims), I have a hard time switching between the low/high/off modes without putting a bit of thought into it. In addition, the plastic toggle on the switch is so tiny and thin that it feels fragile. Every time I use the switch I catch myself being very gentle with it as to avoid causing the toggle to break off. Operating the switch while wearing gloves is downright impossible, which might become a concern as the test heads into winter.

I conducted some initial tests by using the Pak-Lite in a dark room. The low setting is rather dim, and the light is constrained to a smaller area of illumination. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, however, I found that the low setting was adequate for most close-up tasks such as digging around inside a pack. Focus-intensive tasks such as reading might require the use of the high setting in order to prevent eye strain. The high brightness setting is reasonably bright, and the Pak-Lite at this setting illuminated the entire room with a soft white glow. Using the high setting, the light's focus point is reasonably compact. I will test this further as I take the Pak-Lite on hiking trips where the light won't be restricted by four walls.

The headband accessory fulfills its intended purpose of allowing the Pak-Lite to be used as a headlamp. The elastic headband is long enough to fit around my head without being too long; there is no excessive length to flap around and get in the way, yet the extra is enough so that I can wear the headband around a hat if I want to. The headband has the added bonus of making me feel like a ninja when I'm wearing it. One concern that I have is the fixed position of the elastic bands that hold the Pak-Lite(s) in place. This is not a problem when using only one Pak-Lite, as the headband can be adjusted to a position where the light shines in the direction of the user's choosing. When using two lights, however, the user is stuck with the positions of the two elastic bands. Those with smaller heads will have lights that point in toward each other; those with larger heads will have lights that point outwards. The headband can also be adjusted to point the light up or downwards to a small degree. I will investigate the practicality of this during the field testing phase.

Field Testing Plan
Due to the Pak-Lite's small size and light weight, I suspect that it would be an acceptable secondary or backup light source. However, the best way to give the light a workout would be to use it as much as possible. I intend to use the Pak-Lite as my primary light source and carry my headlamp as a spare.

I have day hikes and weekend backpacking trips planned throughout August and September. I also expect to take several trips during the fall and winter seasons. The majority of my excursions will take place in Southern Oregon. The summer climate is hot and dry, with temperatures ranging from 80 F to 110 F (26.67 C to 43.33 C). The fabled Oregon drizzle begins in October and lingers until April, and brings with it mild temperatures in the lower elevations: 32 F to 60 F (0 C to 15.56 C). Winter conditions in the higher elevations are variable depending on location and terrain.

Likes:
• Light weight and compact size
• Secure fit between the battery and the LED unit

Dislikes:
• Tiny switch with a high fragility factor

Reviews > Lighting > Flashlights - LED > C Crane Company Pak-Lite > Stacy Brock > Initial Report