Reviews > Lighting > Flashlights - LED > SureFire L1 LumaMax > Steve Nelson > Initial Report

Initial Report: Surefire L1 LumaMax® Flashlight
April 12, 2006

Reviewer's Information

Name: Steve Nelson
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Email address: nazdarovye at y..oo dot com
City, State, Country: San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.

Backpacking Background:

As an interface design and usability consultant by trade, I'm always excited by analyzing and improving designs and processes; backpacking provides a fertile and fun arena for that. I have been backpacking since I was a kid growing up in upstate New York: we backpacked and canoe-camped in all seasons, throughout the Adirondacks and nearby areas, ranging as far as La Verendrye Wildlife Reserve, Quebec. As an adult, I've backpacked and hiked extensively in California, but also have taken trips throughout the West, from New Mexico to British Columbia, and return often to the Adirondacks.

I made the transition to lightweight and ultralight backpacking over the past two years. I like moving fast, and lightening the load facilitates that. I also enjoy urban strolls, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking, and aviation in addition to hiking and backpacking, so my gear gets exposed to a wide variety of uses and conditions.

Product information

Overview

The Surefire L1 LumaMax Flashlight is a metal-bodied flashlight utilizing a single lithium 123A cell to drive a Luxeon 3W LED. It features a combination tail switch with a two-stage rubberized pushbutton (for momentary use of the two brightness levels) as well as a twisting action that allows the light to be locked off, set to respond to the pushbutton, or turned on full-time at either of its brightness levels.

The brightness levels are given online and on the packaging as 1.1 lumens at the low setting and 22 lumens at the high setting (noted on the web site as "1.5 times the light of a 2-D cell flashlight"). Runtime is given as 90 hours and 4 hours at those brightness settings. The light is digitally regulated, meaning that the light output level is held steady as long as possible over the life of a battery before being allowed to dim, as opposed to non-regulated flashlights, whose light level generally diminishes on a curve right from the start.

The flashlight features a machined aluminum case with a Mil-Spec Type III anodized finish (gray with a slight green cast in color). The LED is behind a Pyrex glass lens ("Total internal reflection (TIR) lens produces tightly focused beam") in a screw-off head unit that has a slightly crenellated bezel.

Both the tailcap and head unit are sealed with O-rings and noted as "weatherproof." Unscrewing the tailcap gains access to the single 123A lithium battery.

The flashlight also has a pocket clip along the side, and a plastic ring with loop on the tailcap that can be used for attaching the included lanyard (which has a spring-gate clip), or other items such as a split ring or line.

Surefire has a top-notch reputation for making specialized lights for law enforcement, military, aviation, SAR teams and other professional uses, and markets its "L" line as bringing that reliability and quality to general outdoor use. The Surefire site describes the L1 LumaMax as suitable for "backpacking and everyday use", and as with all of its flashlights, claims it to be highly durable and rugged ("virtually indestructible," in fact). Surefire also notes that the L1 LumaMax's "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."

My Background for Testing

I use a wide variety of lights for backpacking and other activities, and always have a light of some sort with me wherever I go. My current favorites for backpacking are tiny LED coin-cell lights and a couple of LED-based lightweight headlamps. I have a Luxeon 3W LED flashlight that goes with me on all walks where I have a hip or day pack, and which we use around the house.

I will use the L1 LumaMax for all of these purposes during this test, replacing those headlamps and the daily carry flashlight.

I also happen to own a couple of Surefire lights that I use for non-backpacking purposes: an E2D (xenon bulb, very bright, for home and travel use) and an A2 Aviator (combination xenon and night-vision LED light, for piloting). I'm familiar with the brand and have been very pleased with these other flashlights—and that sets my expectation level on the high side for the L1 LumaMax.

Initial Impressions

My flashlight arrived in its standard retail packaging—a clamshell-design plastic pack and cardboard insert—and included an already-installed battery and a lanyard in a separate compartment. The flashlight was ready to go right out of the box.

The flashlight has a matte, knurled finish that I found easy to grip. The size and shape of the flashlight fits comfortably in my hand, and it feels well-balanced.

The momentary switch is reasonably easy to use, though it took me a bit of practice to get to where I could reliably turn on the low light (a specific amount of moderate press) rather than the high light (a more general hard press). How far the tailcap is screwed on affects this, and as noted, also sets the light to be locked out from turning on (great for travel and storage in a pack or pocket), or turned on full-time. There are two 1/8 in (3 mm) dimples on the body and on the tailcap that can be used as an index to help identify these settings.

There is a distinct and useful difference between the two brightness levels. In testing around the house, I found the low setting low enough to preserve some of my night vision yet still bright enough to be useful for reading and general use; the high setting is good and bright. This is a pleasant finding compared to some other lights I've used or tested.

The beam is quite tightly-focused (perhaps a bit too much so for trail walking—time will tell on that). In addition to a somewhat squared-off center beam, there is a thin ring/halo of light at a distance a bit over triple the radius of the center beam. The lens appears to have a ridge or "bump" molded into it; perhaps that causes the halo.

The lanyard is nice; it clips onto the flashlight's tailcap ring with a high-quality lobster-claw gate clip, and has two sliding toggles to set loops along its length. Including the clip, it measures a full 18 in (46 cm) long—quite a bit more generous than other manufacturers' lanyards I've used.

Gaining access to the battery is quite easy—simply unscrew the tailcap, and the battery drops right out for replacement:

As a minor aside, my light had new packaging presenting the specifications given here, but the instructions included within were dated 2003 and had different, lower specifications for light output and runtime (the light was updated in 2005). A set of instructions dated 2005 was available for download from the Surefire site, but also gave the old version's specifications. It would be great if the packaging, instructions and web site were all made consistent, as it's hard to know for sure which ones now apply to this flashlight.

Field Conditions

My outdoor recreation for the upcoming four months will take place mainly in California and Oregon, with a few trips to the east coast and one-off trips to Hawaii and Belize. The majority of my backpacking trips will take place in the Central and Northern Sierra Nevada (Yosemite, Mt. Shasta, Lassen Peak, Sequoia/Kings Canyon, and several trips in the Tahoe and Donner Pass areas), and will include both late season snow-camping and early-season regular camping. I day hike extensively wherever I am, will bring the Surefire L1 on all such hikes, as well as use it around the house and while traveling.

Altitudes will range from sea level through at least 12,000 ft (3,660 m), and temperatures from the 80s F (27+ C) down to 0 F (-18 C)—or colder, if I get lucky. Weather conditions will include snowy, windy and sunny Sierra Nevada winter climes; coastal Pacific storms, moderate coastal California weather, and early spring Hawaiian and Caribbean tropical weather.

Conditions will vary from coastal and conifer forests (Sierra Nevada) to wider-open winter landscapes and open rocky mountain and coastal areas (plus a jungle or two). I'll be using a number of shelter styles, from traditional tents to tarps to hammocks, and also will be staying occasionally in hotels or lodges.

Test Plan

I'll be using the L1 LumaMax for all of my outdoor activities over the coming four months. Night-time tasks will include walking, hiking and snowshoeing, sometimes with trekking poles; chores and cooking around camp; use inside a tent or other shelter for task lighting, reading and general illumination; and more focused occasional tasks such as gear repair, stove maintenance, tick checks, removal of splinters, unloading or packing the car for trips, and gear inspection.

I'm also curious to see how far I can comfortably use the L1 outside of traditional hand-held mode. Will the clip hold tight on various hat brims and other surfaces? Is it adjustable? Is the flashlight light enough in weight to be comfortable when worn, and its clip able to hold tight to the inside of a tent or other shelter? Does the lanyard allow it to be hung up like a lantern, or support other useful configurations?

Also, while I can't exactly plan this particular usage, I wonder if the L1 will be superior for use in a wilderness medical situation. I obtained WFR certification a year ago and, for larger group trips, bring a medical kit in which I always include an LED light. The bright, even light of the L1 could be quite helpful in examining and treating injuries, and I will test this if the situation arises.

Finally, while these are not backpacking per se, I'll also use the L1 for canoe camping and car camping, and any other outdoor activities I can come up with that could help provide additional insight and information to readers.

Qualitative points I'll be considering during all of the above include:

• How durable is it? What does "weatherproof" really mean?
• Is it easy to turn on and off in the field, including while wearing mittens or gloves?
• Is it comfortable to hold and use, including for long periods of time?
• Are the brightness levels distinct and useful out in the field? In particular, is the low light level low enough for comfortable use inside a tent at night, and the bright light level good for long-range use on the trail? Is either light level good for hiking at night?
• How do various temperatures and weather conditions affect its operation and level of illumination?
• How useful and flexible is the “clip-on” feature? Does it work only on stiff-brimmed caps, or will it also work with my Tilley, winter headgear, and a mountaineering helmet?
• How useful and effective is the lanyard?
• Is it easy to maintain the flashlight in the field (change batteries, or clean out grit or water, should they get inside)?

As always, I'll take pictures to document the product and my use of it in the field. I'll also take pictures and measurements of the beam and beam spread for my Field Report. In addition, I'll do at least one quantitative run test, where I measure the battery life in the field (ideally in colder weather).

I've purchased the F05 Red Filter accessory from Surefire, and will test that for low-level light use in addition to using the basic low-beam white LED.

Summary

The Surefire L1 LumaMax is a bombproof-feeling, thoughtfully-designed flashlight with a two-level, tightly-focused beam. My first impressions are generally very positive and I look forward to taking it into the field.

Things I like:

• High quality fit, finish, features
• Well-chosen low and high beam settings
• Flexible yet easy-to-use controls for on/off/brightness
• Lanyard and battery are included; the flashlight is ready to go right out of the box

Things I don't like:

• Slight ring/halo around a perhaps too-focused beam

Thanks to BackpackGearTest and Surefire for giving me the opportunity to participate in this test.

Reviews > Lighting > Flashlights - LED > SureFire L1 LumaMax > Steve Nelson > Initial Report