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Before we start, I have a small admission to make, I am biased; you see I don’t like torches. I find them totally impractical when compared to the modern head lamp which allows me the use of both hands. Try putting a hammock up in the dark to illustrate why, in my opinion, the use of flashlights in the outdoors should be left to small children camping in their gardens.
So given my low opinion of handheld torches why does the Surefire L2 Digital Lumamax still find its way into my pocket a month and a half after I received it, rather than being relegated to a quite forgotten life on a dusty shelf.
 Why? Well probably because I posses a Y chromosome, an infliction which results in me being irresistibly attracted to objects made from Type III hard anodized aerospace grade aluminium that possess a level of design and engineering which convinces you that they were crafted by small be-speckled men in white jackets who sport the wild unkempt hair of a boffin.
The L2 is just such an object, impractical yes, but it embodies a level of over engineering which makes the male of the species weak at the knees and unable to resist stroking its seductive, knurled and scalloped surfaces whilst uttering hushed comments about ‘tolerances’.
The reason for this strikingly apparent high standard of manufacture lies in the fact that it was not intended to adorn the pockets of mere civilians like myself. It was designed to be used in the one remaining area where torches still have a real practical application, tactical weapon mounted illumination for the military. The manufacturer SUREFIRE began life when its owner Dr. John Matthews invented the first laser sights for firearms before turning his attention to developing weapon mounted tactical lights able to endure the repeated shock imparted by recoil under the harshest of combat conditions without failing.
The L2 Lumamax specifications are certainly impressive; the body of the torch is beautifully CNC machined from aerospace grade aluminium with a Type III Hard-Anodized finish and O-ring sealed. The illumination is provided by a digitally regulated 5 watt Luxeon LED nestled in a flawless beam with no dark spots or rings; all this is powered by two 123a lithium cells and operated via a rubber sealed tail cap button and bezel.
The tail cap on the L2 Lumamax allows the user a choice of two levels of illumination, 15 lumens which is ideal for most near field applications with an impressive run time of 18 hours, and a retina searing 100 lumens; this power setting was intended by the manufacturers to be used to blind and disorientate an attacker so accidentally shining it in your companion’s eyes around the fire guarantees you being exiled from camp but it is useful for those “what the hell is that!” moments where you wish to call upon the power of your own personal mini supernova. The price for all this light of course is that it drains a new set of batteries in just 1 hour.
Rotating the tail cap bezel provides 5 settings:
1. Lockout – this is for when the Torch is in transit and prevents it from being accidentally switched on
2. Light at 15 lumens when tail cap is depressed
3. Light at 15 lumens when the tail cap button is depressed halfway and 100 lumens when fully depressed
4. 15 lumens locked on with 100 lumens when tail cap is depressed
5. 100 lumens locked on
 As expected reliability is no issue; we tested the Surfire L2 Lumamax in the jungles of Borneo for a period of two months. The jungle is an extremely harsh environment for electrical equipment and whilst the camera used for review photographs gave us endless grief even though it was being carted around in an armoured waterproof box, the L2 Lumamax shrugged off everything the jungle threw at it. We left it switched on and submerged in a waterfall plunge pool, the result … nothing; it came out working perfectly. We left it on and dropped it repeatedly on rocks from a height of two meters, result … nothing; it didn’t even noticeably damage the coating. For the duration of its time in Borneo it was clipped to the outside of my pack so as to be exposed to the rain and yet it continued to work without fault.
There are some negative aspects to the L2 Lumamax. Overlooking for the time being the impracticality of trying to grip an aluminium torch in your teeth when you want to free your hands, the first very minor drawback with the L2 is the high pitched whine that the regulation circuits emit when on the 15 lumen setting, which although barely noticeable is enough to cause distraction when you are tying to concentrate. The second and far more detrimental feature of the L2 is its dependency on lithium 123a batteries; if you are going abroad you had better have a second source of illumination because finding lithium 123a cells will be nigh on impossible. Even a quick visit to your local Dixons here in the UK to purchase a set of batteries for the L2 will set you back £10!
In conclusion, the Surefire L2 Lumamax is the Rolls Royce of handheld torches, which combines a 15 lumen setting for a respectable burn time with the option of 100 lumens for a short term light output that would make a lighthouse keeper proud. The engineering and materials that have gone into its creation would not look out of place on a stealth bomber which factor makes it difficult to use the L2 without sporting a beaming smile and a glow of pride. However there will always be that nagging voice in the back of your head that reminds you, as you attempt to clamp the L2 in your teeth, that it really would be far more sensible to carry a head torch. You’ll also experience a pang of regret when you attempt to find batteries for it.
In much the same way as you might make the comparison between a Lamborghini Diablo and a Toyota pickup, if you like hand torches I guarantee the L2 will have you giggling inanely but if you are really only interested in practicality buy a head torch
The Surefire L2 Lumamax is distributed in the UK by Edgar Brothers and is available for around £140
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Such is the lure of these shiny objects on the male psyche that a
number of dedicated collectors’ forums exist, inhabited by the
silhouetted forms of men squinting at light meters, bathed in the
brilliant glow of their own personal supernovas, mumbling incoherently
about Lux, Lumens and thermal runaway.
I've been playing around with various Pepsi can stoves for a while now and was intrigued when I saw how many reviews this little stove was getting, light and efficient what more could you want???
How many hats are guaranteed for life with a no quibble agreement? The
T3 is! How many manufacturers insure the hat against loss or damage?
The T3 has a 2-year, all perils 50% deductible policy attached!
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I rate these knifes very highly. Both in design and construction
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The sparks that come off the steel, burn longer and hotter than anything I have used before. Sometimes they can sizzle away at 3000 degrees centigrade for a second or more,
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A torch I have used a lot over the years is the Pelican Sabre Light. I first got one as a short term replacement for my knackered QXL diving light many years ago now.
The Sabrelight proved to be rugged and very reliable so I used it as my primary dive light for a few years. It only failed after approx 15 years of use. The original bulb lasted all that time!! I replaced it last year with the new (for me) style Sabrelight. Stronger body design at end of torch where my first one eventually failed but the new style lamp and reflector do not produce such an even disc of illumination as the old style did.
That said it burns for a lot longer than the high tech torches and works using conventional Duracell type batteries - a lot cheaper than lithium batteries.
For anyone looking for a seriously waterproof design the Sabrelight is well worth a look even if it is not as "sexy" as the aluminium "tactical" lights which do, I admit look very nice.
Cheers Spindrift