Reddit reviews ThruNite TH10 Headlamp Flashlight 750 Lumen Single CREE XM-L2 U2 LED (TH10 XM-L2 NW + U1 +34001)
We found 2 Reddit comments about ThruNite TH10 Headlamp Flashlight 750 Lumen Single CREE XM-L2 U2 LED (TH10 XM-L2 NW + U1 +34001). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Featuring the advanced CREE XM-L2 LED emitter, with a lifespan of over 20 years, the TH10 is able to put out 750 lumens using just a single 18650 battery. For great versatility, it can also accept two CR123 or two RCR123A batteries.The TH10 is also able to shine as little as 0.2 lumens in it’s special Firefly mode—perfect for night-adapted vision or avoiding drawing attention.The entire body of this headlamp is made from aircraft grade aluminum, which gives it exceptional durability and excellent heat dissipation, allowing it to maintain high output for extended periods of time.The TH10 includes a built-in SOS signaling mode, which can be essential when roaming out in the wild or confronting a dangerous situation.The TH10 also features instant access to Turbo mode, the maximum output, from any mode. This means no matter what mode you’re using, or even if the light is off, you always have the max brightness available right when you need it most.
What is your budget?
<$20: a good book on caving, or some batteries. Lithium AA/AAA if they don't like rechargeables, AA/AAA NiMH if they do. I've had good luck with the brand Tenergy, which is sold in bulk by AllBattery.com. They're basically cheap Chinese imports but their QA is decent. (Source: I'm a professional photographer who's used them for years.) Go for the 2,500 mAh capacity. You might also consider a decent charger. More on that shortly.
<$50: One of the best chargers on the market is this bad boy, but it's somewhat expensive and only charges 4 cells at once. However, it charges them safely (not overcharging, not charging too fast, etc, which limits long-term life), can identify bad cells, and can charge almost any cylindrical battery out there, including the far superior 18650 cell, which is important for a good headlamp or flashlight. For a good headlamp, consider the ThruNite TH10 in neutral white for $40, or the same headlamp with a battery for $15 more. Note: this light doesn't use AA/AAA batteries; it uses the 18650 battery, which is slightly larger but 4 times the capacity of an AA battery and is able to discharge power fast enough to support amazingly bright lights. Every light I'm linking here supports multiple brightness modes, with a maximum brightness around 1,000 lumens, i.e. as bright as your car's headlights. They also drop to between 0.4 lumens and 1 lumen at their lowest setting, which will last for up to 70-ish days. Yes, really. That's a nice feature to have in a cave.
<$100: A good headlamp/flashlight. Most cavers I know are old-school when it comes to flashlights because they aren't aware of some of the incredible LED and battery innovations that have occured. Most of their headlamps are either small and underpowered or huge and bulky and... still underpowered sometimes. I'd recommend a ThruNite TC-12 v2 in neutral white. It also uses an 18650 battery. The light bundle I linked includes one battery and the light is USB chargable, though that charger I linked earlier will charge the battery faster.
You can add a helmet strap if you know they use a helmet. If you're looking for a headlamp instead of a flashlight, consider the ThruNite TH10 I linked earlier or the Nitecore HC30 in neutral white which is slightly more expensive. Nitecore and ThruNite are fairly similar, though in my opinion Nitecore looks more "tactical" while ThruNite's electronics are slightly better. Both are good companies, however.
<$150: If you decide to get a light and extra batteries, don't get any battery with a brand containing the word "fire". (Those brands are known for lying about the capacities and being fire risks.) I'd recommend a 4-pack of KeepPower 3,400 mAh 18650 batteries if you're going for that kind of batteries as they're a good brand and I own them myself.
Some other considerations: a nice base layer, i.e. thermal underwear. I'd strongly recommend merino wool as it's thin, light, and warm even when it's wet. Cost: $50-$100 per item for a top or bottom/long johns. And they'll always have a warm, fuzzy feeling when they think of you. ;-)
Thrunite TH-10 headlamp this one comes with a charger that doubles as a powerbank (quite awesome at times) and a spare 18650. It's also one of the few headlamps that has a simple on-off switch that doesn't toggle over strobe every single time.
Another great option is the Armytek Wizard, this one is great because it can easily be headlamp, handheld or backpack-strap mounted with an included clip.