I was out paddling on Saturday and was coming into my take out about 5pm when I commented to the guy paddling with me, "You know if we were paddling tomorrow at this time it would already be dark because of the switch from daylight to standard time." Both of us, luckily, would not have a problem as we both were sporting what I term "just in case" lights. This is a light setup to have with you at all times for just in case. Planned night paddling demands even more lighting but this minimum setup will serve to get you those last few miles after the sun goes down and you were not planning to still be out. I wrote extensively in my newsletter about both kinds of light setups and feel I should certainly share some of the thought I have regarding the "just in case" one as it is a safety issue. Here is what I wrote and at the end an added idea I have stumbled across: >From Folding Kayaker, July/Aug 1999 START EXCERPT...... “Just In Case” Lights Since you never know when you may be caught by darkness, you should always have some kind of lighting on you at all times. Preferably it should be on you, in or on your PFD where you can mobilize the light or lights in a hurry as darkness descends on you. Say you are paddling and a storm starts up. The sky darkens and the seas pick up. You have no time or inclination to open up your spray skirt and dig into a cockpit bag. Or you are using a sea sock and don’t have ready access to anything that you are not wearing. The light that you should reach for in your PFD and attach to you is the new Eco-Flare from Princeton-Tec (it is also called Sea Star in some packaging). The light is minute since it uses just 2 AAA batteries and weighs next to nothing (1.5 oz. with batteries). It has a lanyard cord that can be run through the top of your PFD. PFDS such as those from Lotus Design that have shoulder adjustment straps are ideal since the light can be held by those straps while still secured from falling by the lanyard cord. My suggestion: use two of the Eco-Flares, one on each shoulder. The Eco-Flare has an extremely high intensity bulb not dissimilar to the “C” Light. However, it also employs a cone cover about 2 inches high that gives off a brilliant 360-degree light. It is amazing how visible one of these lights is alone. One on each shoulder is better because your head will at times temporarily block one shoulder light. Also two lights so close together when seen at a distance from ahead or behind tend to blend together as one larger light. The downside of the Eco-Flare is that it will only give off light for about 90 minutes but that should be good enough for emergency paddling in darkness. You could carry spare AAA’s and replace batteries when the light starts to dim. Cost of the Eco-Flare is $12.95. It may not be available at outdoor shops that normally carry Princeton-Tec lights. The New York Kayak Company has them (1-800-KAYAK-99). ...........END EXCERPT The added idea is that Princeton also has a 4 AAA flashlight called the Mega-Blast (in some packaging). It gives off 2 watt of light (as opposed to 1 watt of the Eco-Flare) and should last nearly twice as long in lighting. You can buy one and switch its flashlight cap for the flare cap of the Eco-Flare. You then will have a nice 2 AAA flashlight for uses around camp or elsewhere and the Eco-Flare cone on the 4 AAA flashlight for longer, brighter "just in case" lighting (maybe Princeton could be pursuaded to combine the two and call it the Mega-Flare). The whole thing ways just an ounce more, i.e. around 2.5 ounces total. I have decided to work that light into my regular night paddling setup, which employs a headlamp as well. This is insurance that you just owe it to yourself to have especially now that night can come sooner and you may be caught out in the dark at the end of a paddle trip. safe paddling, ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
>From: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com The light that you should reach for in your PFD and attach to you is >the new Eco-Flare from Princeton-Tec (it is also called Sea Star in some >packaging). The light is minute since it uses just 2 AAA batteries and >weighs next to nothing (1.5 oz. with batteries). It has a lanyard cord >that can be run through the top of your PFD. The Eco-Flare has an >extremely high intensity bulb not dissimilar to >the “C” Light. However, it also employs a cone cover about 2 inches >high that gives off a brilliant 360-degree light. It is amazing how >visible one of these lights is alone. One on each shoulder is better >because your head will at times temporarily block one shoulder light. >Also two lights so close together when seen at a distance from ahead or >behind tend to blend together as one larger light. > The downside of the Eco-Flare is that it will only give off light for >about 90 minutes but that should be good enough for emergency paddling >in darkness. You could carry spare AAA’s and replace batteries when the >light starts to dim. Cost of the Eco-Flare is $12.95. It may not be >available at outdoor shops that normally carry Princeton-Tec lights. >The New York Kayak Company has them (1-800-KAYAK-99). > >The added idea is that Princeton also has a 4 AAA flashlight called the >Mega-Blast (in some packaging). It gives off 2 watt of light (as >opposed to 1 watt of the Eco-Flare) and should last nearly twice as long >in lighting. You can buy one and switch its flashlight cap for the >flare cap of the Eco-Flare. You then will have a nice 2 AAA flashlight >for uses around camp or elsewhere and the Eco-Flare cone on the 4 AAA >flashlight for longer, brighter "just in case" lighting (maybe Princeton >could be pursuaded to combine the two and call it the Mega-Flare). T Good reminder Ralph about the importance of night lights. Princeton Tech have made for some years the "Sportflare" which is sounds basically like the Ecoflare, but with 2 AA batteries. I don't have the specs on the burn time but I assume they are longer. This would allow you to simply buy one unit rather than mixing and matching. I also find my Sportflare makes a good no-fire hazard "lantern" around camp and in my tent. Philip Torrens N49°16' W123°06' *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Philip Torrens wrote: > > >From: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com > The light that you should reach for in your PFD and attach to you is > >the new Eco-Flare from Princeton-Tec (it is also called Sea Star in some > >packaging). The light is minute since it uses just 2 AAA batteries and > >weighs next to nothing (1.5 oz. with batteries). > Good reminder Ralph about the importance of night lights. Princeton Tech > have made for some years the "Sportflare" which is sounds basically like the > Ecoflare, but with 2 AA batteries. I don't have the specs on the burn time > but I assume they are longer. This would allow you to simply buy one unit > rather than mixing and matching. I also find my Sportflare makes a good > no-fire hazard "lantern" around camp and in my tent. > > Philip Torrens > N49°16' W123°06' Yes, I spoke of that Sports Flare in the rest of the article that I did not post to PaddleWise as I was looking just to talk about emergency lights rather than lights for deliberate night paddling. The Sports Flare is very bright, lasts longer than the 2 AAA Eco-Flare. I suggested using the Sports Flare with a headlamp by having it velcro-strapped to the back of the headband where the horizontal headband meets the one that comes over the top of your head. There are several possibilities with the Cone that comes with the Sports Flare. First of all, Princeton sells them separately for a few bucks and the will fit on ALL current Princeton AA battery powered lights (while it comes in a variety of cone colors, the only one to get is the white as it gives the brightest light and won't be confused with any navigational light). Unlike earlier when the Cone went right over the flashlight cap of the Tec 20 or 40, the setup now is for the Cone to replace the flashlight cap. The reason for this is that they modified the flashlight caps a year or so ago. It means that you would have to change the flashlight cap on the run or be forced to leave it on your flashlight. The old way let you just place the Cone over the flashlight cap and thus not have to make switches while out on the water. BUT there is an upside to the modification Princeton made. If you wish, you could use the Cone to replace the flashlight cap of the Princeton headlamp. You will resemble a Unicorn but you will be safer. Or, if you also use a Sports Cone light at the back of the headlamp's strap, you will look like a Viking who had a bit too much to drink and has his helmet on sideways. Getting back to the subject matter, Just In Case Lights, I recommended the smaller AAA Eco-Flare for all paddlers because it is something small yet powerful that weighs next to nothing and which you can string two of on your PFD to always have with you in case you got caught out in the dark unplanned. That was the thrust of my posting. Sports Flare cum Headlamp is something a bit harder to fit on your PFD or person, although I am now doing part of this with the Lotus Design Strait Jacket and the added pocket you can put on the back (I have a Sports Flare there but not yet a headlamp). ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com wrote: > > (while it comes in a variety of cone colors, the only one to get is the > white as it gives the brightest light and won't be confused with any > navigational light). Further, white is the color you're supposed to have for night running lights on paddle craft. If you have another color, you may be visible, but you're in violation.... I asked the Canadian Coast Guard this summer and got confirmation that kayaks are allowed to carry the green to starboard, red to port, white aft running lights that larger vessels use but are, at a minimum, required to show white all around. Don't know about US regs, and Chapman's ambiguous... Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:05 PDT