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Reviews > Lighting > Flashlights - LED > SureFire L1 LumaMax > Chuck Carnes > Initial ReportSUREFIRE
L1 LUMAMAX  Initial Report by Chuck Carnes Report Date: April 24, 2006
Name: Chuck Carnes Age: 36 Gender: Male Height: 6 ft. 0 in (1.83 m) Weight: 175 lb (79 kg) E-mail address: ctcarnes1(at)yahoo(dot)com City, State, Country: Greenville, South Carolina USA
I love the outdoors – I’ve spent time camping in the outdoors since I was born, and have been actively hiking and backpacking since then. I consider myself a lightweight hiker, usually carrying 20 – 30 pounds (11-13 kg) for hikes up to a week in length. I hike at an easy pace, averaging 2 mph (3 kph). I am a one-man tent camper for now. I like to carry a single trekking pole when I hike to help relieve stress to my legs and knees. I like to get out on the trail as often as I can.
 Manufacturer: Surefire Model: L1 Lumamax Year of manufacture: 2006 URL: http://www.surefire.com Listed Weight: 2.9 oz (82 g) (not sure what this includes) Actual Weight: 3.5 oz (99 g) (flashlight and battery) Listed Size: 4.6 in (11.6 cm) long Actual Size: 5 in (12 cm) long (from front edge of lens to end of tailcap) Max. Output: 1.1 lumens / 22 lumens (low / high settings) Runtime: 90 hours / 4 hours (low / high selections) Battery: One 123A Lithium MSRP: $135.00 USD Product Description (taken from the web site): Extremely compact (shirt pocket size) dual-output LED flashlight for backpacking and general use. Uses a virtually indestructible power-regulated light-emitting diode (LED) light source plus a two-stage tailcap switch for instant selection of desired output level — extremely long-runtime low beam for close-up work or a long runtime high beam with 1.5 times the light of a big 2-D cell flashlight. Small size, extended runtime, high output, and 10-year battery shelf life also make it perfect for disaster preparedness kits, and an excellent everyday-carry light. Product Features (taken from the web site):
The SureFire L1 Lumamax sure does put out a lot of light for it to be this small. Judging from the lumens that are stated on the web site and comparing them (by specifications) to the larger SureFire models, I really wasn't expecting this light to be very bright; I was wrong. In the package was the L1 light with the battery already in the flashlight, instructions and a lanyard. The lanyard is a nylon-looped chord with two, ball spring holders and a hook clip at the end to attach to a receiving hole in a plastic ring on the rear end of the light. The lanyard is about 18 in (45 cm) long and weighs about 0.5 oz (14 g). After retrieving the L1 from the plastic clam shell casing that it came in, I immediately turned it on, went outside in the dark and shown it around in my back yard. I am very surprised at how bright the LED is. I was able to spot about 40 - 50 ft (12 - 15 m) up in a tree and was able to see the trunk of the tree and the branches very clearly. I do like how clean and clear the beam projects on an object. There are no dim rings or dead spots in the casting of the beam. To turn the L1 on, the user has two options. If the user wants a quick look at something it is very simple, hold the flashlight in the palm of the hand so that the thumb is placed over the tailcap. The tailcap is depressed by the thumb with the hand up close to the side of the face so that the user can point the light in the direction he or she is looking. Depressing the tailcap slightly shines the light on low beam. Depressing the tailcap all the way shines the light in high beam. In this position the user can easily make emergency signals by depressing the tailcap in the sequence that is desired. The second option is to have the flashlight on continuously. This is achieved by simply turning the rear tailcap portion (shown in the picture of product information) clockwise several turns until the light comes on in the low beam setting. To achieve the high beam setting, continue turning clockwise until the beam is in the high setting. So far, this can be achieved by just using one hand. The battery can be removed by turning the rear tailcap portion of the light counter clockwise until it is separated from the light. The battery can then be replaced and then the rear tailcap portion of the light can be screwed back on. The head of the L1 can be removed by turning the head counter clockwise. Both the head and the rear are sealed with a rubber o-ring to keep water and dirt from getting inside. The body portion of the light and the rear tailcap portion has a knurled finish for extra grip. The body of the light also has a small pocket clip (much like writing pens have) so that the user can place it in a pocket to keep it from getting lost.
My test plan for the L1 will be to use it for emergencies (when the power goes out), for camping, for backpacking and for general use around the house. I will be in the mountains of Tennessee and South Carolina a good bit and will also be on a trip to Africa in June. I will be looking for things such as: * How well do I like having to hold the light instead of it being on my head like a headlamp? * Can the pocket clip be clipped on a baseball cap? * Is it too heavy for a floppy hat? * How comfortable does it fit in my hand? * Will the clip be a nuisance on the side of the light? * Can I remove the clip? * How well does my hand grip the knurled handle when it is wet? * How useful is the lanyard? * Can I find the same type of lithium battery at a store?
These and other questions will be asked and answered in my Field and
Long Term Report.
Likes:
My test plan for the L1 will be to use it for emergencies (when the power goes out), for camping, for backpacking and for general use around the house. I will be in the mountains of Tennessee and South Carolina a good bit and will also be on a trip to Africa in June. I will be looking for things such as: Read more reviews of Surefire gear Read more gear reviews by Chuck Carnes Reviews > Lighting > Flashlights - LED > SureFire L1 LumaMax > Chuck Carnes > Initial Report | |||||||