Having a rare bout of mindless optimism I thought I?d get a new caving back up light.  On the lid I have a Stenlight and a Fenix E35.  So there?s the torch that goes round the neck to consider.

So after rummaging round the internet and looking at some of my old torches I ended up buying two. A Wolf M-40 and a Wolf M-60.  https://www.wolfsafety.com/portable-lighting/torches/micro-and-mini-torch  One will be for the caves and one for the car.  So which one to use for caving?  They?re both the same size and weight and only differ in the LEDs, light intensity, and therefore  battery life.  They remind me a bit of the old Peli Mitylites.  Not saying they?re the best light out there, as there are loads to choose from, and since we can?t go outside much testing is limited. So I?d put this out there for thoughts.  Photo below shows them with an AA LED Mini-Maglite for comparison. They didn?t come with the lanyards, they?re actually shoelaces from one of the multi-packs you get in the cheap shops.  Here?s my thoughts on the pros, differences, and cons of them as I see now:

Pros:
> Polycarbonate body so very lightweight and durable.  60g with batteries
> Can easily hold between teeth without expensive dentist bills - a big plus if you need both hands free
> Simple interface: Can do a momentary press and a full click on for light.  No need of Bletchley Park Enigma machine decoding levels of knowledge to work out the modes as there aren?t any.  So great for stressful situations.
> Protected switch so less likely to switch on accidentally.
> Atex 0 and IP67 rated, although IP rating probably more relevant
> Doesn?t throw out a gazillion lumens to make any close up work impossible.
> Built in lanyard hole so no separate pocket clip to ping off.


Differences:
> W-40 has lower light output and a very slight purple tint.  Peak luminous intensity at 2.5m 60 lux, 
still bright enough to light a typical room and brighter than a 1 AAA cell LED Maglite Solitaire.
> W-60 more of a spot beam, but is brighter and has a warmer tint. Peak luminous intensity at 2.5m 275 lux.
> 10 hours out of the W-40
> Up to 1.5 to 3.5 hours out of the M-60
> Spare batteries don?t take up much space

Cons:
> Maybe not the most recent LED technology, especially the W-40, but not looking to illuminate Mulu here
> Not the cheapest torch - typically seem to go around ?30 a pop with a set of batteries, but I got slightly more reasonable prices on eBay and Amazon at the time.
> Atex rated and so adds to the cost and probably not the most relevant issue for most caving uses
> Takes 3 x ?N? or LR1 batteries.  Not as widely available as AA or AAA. Expensive in supermarkets, much cheaper on line.  As a back up this might not be too much of a problem as you won?t be racing through batteries.

So which one goes round the neck?  I think the W-40 just edges it as it has the 10 hour battery life. (Although I reserve the right to change my mind!)  If you?re down to your last light I guess the more hours the better, and it seems to be bright enough.  I?ve previously exited caves on just an old AA incandescent Maglite, and it?s way brighter than that.

my answer - at first opportunity - take both down a cave of your choice - and when you get to the " end // turn around " - switch off your prime lamp - and attempt to do the exit leg - using the backups - if you feel the need to turn the sten back on - for your own saftey // comfort - then the wolfs are not viable backups

simples - if you make it out by " wolf light " - then - as long as you keep fresh indate batteries in them - asnd check they havnt leaked or anything - then hey - they is a viable emergency light

I've had an M60 attached to my helmet as an emergency light for the past 10 years. As my Scurion has never failed me I've never actually ever had to use my Wolf light in anger.

They are very well made. I got mine for free with a number of other lights from their excellent range as payment for some work I did for them. They were developing a large string of safety lights to suspend inside an oil rig leg and with Wolf being a Sheffield based company, I offered them the use of my former 30m high training centre in Rotherham to carry out their trials. 

I'd go along with Andyj23UKs suggestion.

Mark

It's nice to see Wolf getting a mention, as their factory is five minutes walk from my place. Here's one of their earlier models still going strong

ZombieCake said:

> Simple interface: Can do a momentary press and a full click on for light.  No need of Bletchley Park Enigma machine decoding levels of knowledge to work out the modes as there aren?t any. 

Click to expand...

 

(Lamp manufacturers please note!)

I still use a mini  maglite as my backup.

I'm not going to pretend that it's not because I'm a cheapskate but I replaced the incandescent bulb with an led replacement to give it a bit more pep. :idea:

A few years ago, I bought a Petzl Pixa 1 as it was cheap, and had a good battery life. I figured it was better to go with something dim that won't run out at a critical moment, rather than having something super-bright for emergency use.

As others have said, try getting out of a cave on it and you will soon know if it what you want.

One thing I would add,  is that an independent head torch as a backup has the advantage that you can use it very easily when you take your helmet off for a duck or a squeeze. It can make these otherwise unpleasant features much more comfortable.

In this regard, I have found the Pixa to be an excellent backup.

I have also managed to complete the Short Round Trip in Swildon's on the Pixa (solo, so no borrowed light); I didn't see much on the way around, but I didn't feel unsafe.

Pete Hall - thanks for sorting my ineptitudes!