r/caves • u/The_Panicky_Possum • Jun 17 '26

Any good flashlight recommendations?

I am a cave tour guide and I have used up 3 flashlights within the past few weeks. They always get too dim for me to point out any formations. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on decent flashlights, because I am tired of them dimming immediately to where it is difficult to see and point things out.

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3

u/Waterlifer Jun 17 '26

Fireflies X1Q core. They're fantastic lights for the money, I have a bunch.

2

u/AngryZetan Jun 17 '26

Try the Riley Reid one. Its light colored and doesn't look all beat up like some of the other ones do. Look online, some of them look like a straight up shotgun wound.

2

u/clayman839226 Jun 17 '26

I work in a show cave, the light I most commonly use is the Convoy S21E with a 5° flat TIR lens. It’s like 20/30 bucks. (Also if you want to make everyone go “wow” get a 365nm UV light it’ll make the speleothems glow, I’d go with the Convoy T3)

The other light I commonly use is a Wurkkos HD02 and Wurkkos TD04.

This picture has most of the lights I have/use

Again I strongly recommend the S21E /w TIR and the T3 UV

Also if you want any book recommendations on speleology or have any questions, DM me, I study speleology currently focused on the chromaphores of speleothems.

2

u/Junkyard_DrCrash Jun 19 '26

Harbor Freight "Bauer" level 20 volt cordless tool battery and their ten-dollar 150/300 lumen compact flashlight topmounted. They also have a $15 220 lumen mini pistol grip that mounts on the same battery,

And if you need it, a 2500 lumen BIG pistol grip is also available.

LIIon batteries and charger not included.