Fenix E15, why I think this is a good caving light

Fenix E15, why I think this is a good caving light (using more than one of them of course) plus usual backup lights.

My well-used Fenix E15, still sporting "caving mud" on the lamp bezel! The Fenix E15 (I reviewed it a while back) is a well-made torch from Fenix. Solidly constructed, can take a beating, only one "O-ring" Spare O ring supplied upon purchase. In fact this handy light has also been used a a "Table top" lighting lamp for lapse photography in my "daytime business" as a filmmaker, many many times- bet you didn't know this light was suitable for that eh?

I've been a caver now for well over 40 years now! I started with el cheapo lights (using carbon batteries and globes) as a beginner in my teens to using Petzl kabooms and Oldham headlamps and MSA miner's lights for the serious stuff, as a uni student; later including two caving expeditions. Lots has changed with LED's dominating the source of illumination now for cavers and miners alike.

But what of caving lights?

What could fail (and did, depending upon the globe type)  in the old lights was always the globes, so one  needed to take spare globes for long caving trips (eg 20 hours plus underground) and  to know how to change out a bulb in complete darkness, if necessary.

Today the LED really can't fail (if correctly placed on the circuit board and reverse polarity protection is in place) so there is not problem there. In a cave, one can not have enough "light power". No lights, you aren't getting out full stop.

Small LEDs digitally controlled, constant current driver circuits provide long burn times at reasonable brightness and heat output. Good quality reflectors are all part and parcel of many quality LED lights these days.

The old style cap lamps of miners had a fool proof switch which was basically impossible to fail even as a mechanical device. it simply rotated a shaft of sturdy metal and another sturdy contact perpendicular to that shaft acted as a switch and the light came on or off.

LED lights which are popular in today's outdoor market, most have some sort of mechanical switch which is usually but not limited to a "push button" actuation. Divers lights can feature almost the same but the better ones feature a "magnetic switch" where there is no actual connection between the switch and internal region of the torch/flashlight, in order to not compromise the integrity of the torch.

Some dive lights are "twist on twist off" and these also offer good protection against any "mechanical failures during diving, especially night diving. The downsides to this latter kind of light is that they are better used by experienced divers, so as not to accidentally unscrew the head and cause a leakage.

As for caving small twist on twist off light with basic waterproofness of about 2m submersion can offer long run times per battery: for example up to 9 hours per batter such as a Fenix E15 (I've owned one now for about 2 years and used it for caving in a very large cave system-not just one light of course:))

There are zero mechanical parts to fail, a long life LED and 9 hours per charge. If we compare this to a "proper" Miner's lamp of today where a "burn time of 13 hours is approximately standard on constant full high beam/full power; that's not too bad from a very small light of which the total lumen output is approximately 450 lumens at full power (not to be run constantly at this setting for the E15-it's gets hot if not submerged) to 30 lumens for approximately 9 hours using a 700 mAh 16340 rechargeable battery.

One can easily have two of these lightweight torches fitted to their helmet and not even notice the weight. So each fully charged battery is like 9 hours of light! 30 Lumens of light doesn't sound much but even 10 lumens (when not negotiating some crazy dangerous traverse/ climb etc is more than enough in the darkness of a cave. 30 Lumens is brighter than a Petzl Kaboom running at low pressures (big canister, 3 hr of Carbide in the charge).

Something to consider.

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