MilitaryForums.co.uk

Tab wrote:Do any of you remember the torches that they issued to the troops in the Western Desert during WW2. There were no batteries, the torches were oval in shape and fitted into the palm of your hand. There was lever which stuck out from the of the torch and fitted under your thumb and when you squeezed this lever it spun and inertia motor wich generated enough electricity to light the bulb in the torch, simple, handy, and great little device.

Similar to http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/lights/5a9f/ ?

I knew this bloke who was mad on Camming up anything he could.

Even cammed his pens and pencils! The best was when he bought a DPM pattern Zippo lighter.

There he was trying to light his DPM pattern Camping Gaz stove, (Yep he painted the refills!) with his DPM pattern Zippo when he dropped it and that was the last he ever saw of it again.

To my mind its a bit like trying to camm out a bloody lighthouse!

If you want to read a map without a torch get some Glow In the Dark Paint and cover a flat sheet of plastic about the size of a MOD Plods notebook with said paint. Place map over the plastic and Lo! you can make out the map. I knew a bloke who used his Luminous watch and a sheet of plastic to do the same job.

Artist

It may not compromise your position but if it is a white light, no matter how dim it will affect your night vision. The cones see in light and can distinguish colour and distance etc.
You can see in the dark with the rods which dont see colour, but give you a dull 1 dimensional view.
Problem is it can take up to 30 mins for the rods to take over when it is dark and as soon as you catch the slightest glimpse of white light the cones kick in again. Then, it can take (depending on how long you were exposed) anything up to 30 mins to get your night vision back again.
Thats why we use a red filter. The cones dont respond to red light (or green) and so your night vision is not affected.

Simple fact is when you are in a tactical situation whenever you need to use a light you close one eye.

That way you retain your nightvision. Call me an Old and Bold but......That was what I was taught.

The dayglo way does not effect your eyes. Owing to the colour spectrum emited. (It's very low and has no effect on your Cones or Rods)

Tactical torches? It's a frigging light for Gods sake and thats it! Have this vision of blokes walking about with a torch strapped to their foreheads. Light is not nice in the dark thus you avoid it at all costs. Basic Soldiering negates the use of the silly bits of kit like this. Surely?

Artist

Why don't you just find the deepest mud pond around, lay in it and pull your jacket over your head then you can use whatever torch ya want ...females wont need one for this.

You can get an optical fibre attachment for mag-lite now, which is kinda cool.